Donna Gordon(I)
- Actress
Donna Maria Gordon was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Texas
where she lived until the age of 21. She moved to L.A. and took jobs as
an exotic dancer, and landed a few cameo film roles (all uncredited),
one in Mark L. Lester's "Truckstop Women" (starring Claudia Jennings)
as a naked woman who witnesses an auto accident with her boyfriend; and
"The First Nudie Musical" as part of a very memorable and controversial
dance number. She was primarily known as - and made her living as - an
exotic dancer, and from this she was cast by John Cassavetes in the
film "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" as "Margo Donner", one of
several strippers working for Ben Gazzara's character "Cosmo Vitelli".
Cassavetes didn't want actresses playing strippers; he wanted realism -
and got it. During promotion for the film, Donna and Gazzara appeared
on "The Merv Griffin Show"; her genuine unbridled candor winning over
the audience. And on an original promotional poster and billboard,
under the title of the film is an image of Donna alone, dancing with
her arms reaching up - giving the impression of flying. During this
time she continued dancing, and married actor Ted Bessell, best known
for his role on the sit-com "That Girl". They were divorced in the
eighties and she moved to Canada. Several years later, upon returning
to L.A., she continued dancing until the early nineties. She went on to work
in the insurance business. Gordon died on July 1, 2017.
