Which actor plays Eleanor Shellstrop's mother, Donna Shellstrop, in The Good Place?

Leslie Grossman plays Eleanor Shellstrop’s mother, Donna Shellstrop, in The Good Place.

Donna is introduced as Eleanor’s cruel, self-centered, and neglectful mother. Her appearance helps explain some of Eleanor’s defensive habits and complicated feelings about family. The show later reveals that Donna survived the death Eleanor believed had occurred and rebuilt her life under a new identity.

Grossman’s casting is a small but memorable part of the series’ larger theme: people are not permanently defined by their worst behavior. Donna eventually attempts to become more caring, taking on a suburban life as a parent and participating in a PTA. That change parallels the main characters’ efforts to become better people.

A common mix-up is confusing Donna with other recurring characters played by the wrong options. Anna Khaja plays Manisha Al-Jamil, Rebecca Hazlewood plays Kamilah Al-Jamil, and Maribeth Monroe plays Mindy St. Claire. None of them is Eleanor’s mother.