McMillon was born just after World War II to a German woman; her father was an African-American soldier in the allied occupation force. Unable to care for her, her parents placed her in an orphanage in Munich, and she was very soon adopted by another US soldier and his wife. She was raised in Germany, France and the USA. Her adoptive mother became mentally ill and physically and emotionally abused her. In spite of this McMillon grew up ambitious for success and with the self-confidence to achieve.

Still in college (Wayne State University) she got a job with a Detroit radio station, then with NBC News in New York, then Fox-TV, where she made a name for herself as an investigative reporter. She married a wealthy Haitian surgeon. Then a few years later it all fell apart: she lost her job and her husband decided to return to Haiti; she was $100,000 in debt. But soon she got a new job and discovered evangelical Christianity, and is now an actress (Sandy, in The West Wing series for Warner Bros., and two films: Murder at 1600 and In the Line of Fire), journalist, producer, media consultant, and inspirational speaker.

References

McMillon, Doris, with Michele Sherman. Mixed Blessing: The Dramatic True Story of a Woman's Search for her Real Mother. (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985)
McMillon, Doris. "Overcoming Adversity." [Includes portrait]. Available at: http://www.successfactors.org/issue3/mcmillon.html

Indexes

African
France
Germany
USA
20th Century
21st Century
Journalism
Theater, Broadcasting, Cinema
Multiple or Unspecified
Formal, American/European-Type Adoption
Birth or Infancy
Unmarried Mother, Single Parent (Mother or Father) Unable to Cope
Others ("Strangers")
Unmarried Mother