Diana Barry is the ultimate kindred spirit, the yin to Anne of Green Gables’ yang, a true blue pal for the ages. But who played her best? Was it Schuyler Grant from 1985’s Anne of Green Gables, or Dalila Bela, from the recent Netflix/CBC Anne With an E? Let’s talk Diana, shall we?
Some insightful, anonymous soul once said that a “friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden.”
Diana’s incandescent gift to Anne was to see all of her, broken fence and all, and meet her with acceptance and the message we all want to hear: You are enough. Diana focuses stubbornly on the gorgeous array of bright, shiny gifts her best friend Anne brings to her rather dull, constrained life. But let’s remember that Diana, “a very pretty little girl, with her mother’s black eyes and hair, and rosy cheeks, and the merry expression which was her inheritance from her father,” brought so much to Anne’s life, too.
Diana was the first person to love Anne, or at least to tell her so. Anne’s orphan heart began to heal at that moment. Diana understood Anne though they were as different as Raspberry Cordial and Red Currant Wine (you can guess who is who in this red drink metaphor). Through Diana’s believing, encouraging, and ever-supportive eyes, Anne’s “spirit, fire and dew” was transposed into vivid, unconventional and lovable. Where others found Anne bizarre and “other,” Diana embraced her weirdness and celebrated her creativity. It was Diana whose sympathetic gaze counteracted Josie Pye’s malicious one, and she turned “pale with pity” when her friend was wrongfully punished by that creeper Mr. Phillips.
Yes, we who revere Anne can’t help but adore Diana. We would love nothing more than to spend the whole summer with her at the White Sands Hotel eating ice cream and chicken salad. And we would give anything to share Raspberry Cordial Margaritas and watch the sunset, debating whether Lucy Maud Montgomery, when describing Diana’s guy Fred as “round and red,” meant that in a good way. (Hopefully, there is a good way.)
No question, we are very fond of Diana Barry, which makes it absolutely crucial that we also approve of who plays her in various film retellings.
A while ago, I compared the actors and actresses who have played Anne, Gilbert, Matthew, and Marilla, and got a PEI potato bushel-full of comments. Mamma Mia, did you guys ever have strong opinions! Pretty much nobody liked the gregarious Martin Sheen as shy Matthew, and you were extremely protective of your favorite Gilbert Blythe, whether it be the late Jonathan Crombie or Lucas Jade Zumann of Anne With an E. We got really on-point comments and some scintillating discussion going, so don’t slow your roll now, Anne Devotees of the Internet. Yes, Let’s talk Diana!
Every comment will be entered in a contest to win this glorious and oh-so-kindred mug from Carrot Top Paper shop!
1. Schuyler Grant, 1985
Pros: I recently rewatched the 1985 miniseries, with Megan Follows as Anne and Schuyler Grant as Diana. Did you know that Grant tried out for Anne first? I can’t imagine her as Anne, maybe because Megan was so perfectly cast, and also because Schuyler nails her portrayal of loyal, empathetic Diana.
There are so many fabulous Diana scenes–at the Sunday school picnic when she and Anne meet and hit it off, as kindred spirits do; when Diana gives that mean floof Josie Pye pushback–“Hey Josie, how do you spell “ugly”?”; and of course, when she accidentally gets drunk on NOT Raspberry Cordial. In this iconic scene, Schuyler is so convincingly sauced, and so pale and sickly directly afterward, I always feel a bit of real concern for her.
I also cherish all the ways in which Diana cared for Anne’s heart. Schuyler’s natural compassion and kindness shone through and made her performance especially touching.
(Trivia: Schuyler is the great-niece of Katherine Hepburn, was once an actress on All My Children, and is now a world-famous yogi! Look at her now!)
Cons: I always thought she seemed a bit old and tall (why that would bother me I don’t know, except her height made her look older) to play Diana, though she was only 15 when she did. Also, her hair is dyed, and it looks dyed to me. Considering her natural coloring, jet black makes her look a bit too pale, even for the scene where she is drunk and ill.
Dalila Bela, “Anne with an E,” 2017–2019
Pros: It’s hard to compare the two Dianas, because the “new” bosom friend plays a role that goes way beyond the book and into serious fan fiction territory. (Can you imagine LMM’s Diana taking up with the farmhand Jerry, no matter how cute Aymeric Jett Montaz is?)
Physically, I think Dalila looks more like the Diana of the book, younger, more like a “little girl.” Dalila’s Diana is more emotional and complex than Schuyler’s more placid, calm portrayal. She brings a certain giggliness and girlishness that is charming and fits the book. Plus, she is French Canadian, with some Latina in her heritage, and speaks eloquent, native French, something that would have boggled the mind of the very WASP-y Maud. (You know I love Maud, but her portrayal of French Canadians, as ignorant peasants, is sometimes troubling.) I wonder if this is why showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett made Diana speak French, to try and right a wrong? Having traveled to Quebec several times, and adoring it as I do, I actually like that Diana speaks French. This character is also more rebellious in Anne with an E, which makes sense because this Diana is placed in a far more stiff and snobby home than the book character. LMM’s Diana was the daughter of a well off farmer, not the daughter of a social-climbing businessman who, along with his pinched wife, wants to send their precious, delicate Di to finishing school in France. Although, Mrs. Barry is totally pinched in any format. She is the WORST.
Trivia: Dalila Bela was born in Montreal, Quebec. She is of English, French, Brazilian and Spanish ancestry. Her father is from Panama and her mother is from Brazil.
Cons: While I really enjoyed Dalila’s nuanced portrayal, she just doesn’t fit the simple, steady, unwavering Diana of the book. It’s as if she is playing a new character altogether.
For me, the Best Diana goes to…
Schuyler Grant. Schuyler conveys sweetness, loyalty, and devotion to Anne. She gently radiates such care and feeling for her friend, it’s hard not to be won over and moved by her performance. She’s also funny, and imbues the role with some wit and fizz.
Who is YOUR favorite Diana and why?
Tell me below, respectfully, of course, and we can all talk about Anne, Diana, Gilbert, and even round, red Fred until the cows come home (or they get let out of the pasture by mistake!)
Remember, every comment will be entered in a contest to win this sweet mug from Carrot Top Paper Shop, perfect for sharing a cuppa with your own kindred spirit!
Wow I learned some new things today. I didn’t know Schuyler was the great niece of Katherine Hepburn. And I also didn’t know that she tried for Anne.
Megan was definetly the better choice!!
I agree with you about Diana looking older, I also thought the same thing about her but she sure did play Diana really well.
Schuyler looks beautiful in the photo you posted. I may have to watch AMC to see which charcter she played. I was a Days of our Lives soap opera fan. 😉
You know my vote! Schuyler all the way! ♥️PS I love her yoga classes online and one day I will get to a Wanderlust event in person since it’s near me in LA!
Schuyler Grant for sure. She is loyal & loving. Granted, I’ve only watched the first series of Anne with an E. I guess I am loyal to the 1985 series, like Diana Barry.
Schuyler Grant! Hands down! She truly is everything you want in a bosom friend. Her sweet disposition, loyalty and devotion to Anne was so endearing and secretly is something we all long to have in a best friend. Absolutely love her portrayal.
Schuyler Grant for-evah! Love her so much.
Schuyler Grant all the way! The 1985 Anne is the only one that counts in my book!
I haven’t watched Anne with an E and don’t plan to, so I’m going to have to go with Schuyler Grant! To me she is “just right” as Diana. 🙂 The scene when she gets drunk is one of my favorites…the look on her face as she keeps pouring herself another tumblerful…lol!
Any character from the 1980s series is better than any character from Anne With an ‘E.’ One of these portrayals is actually interested in putting the book to screen. The other is a travesty against my beloved favorite book series, which looks nothing like it. So … I vote for Schuyler. :p
Schuyler Grant 100%. She was steady and really grew as a character — the best balance for Anne.
Shuyler Grant – She did such a good drop representing love and kindness and admiration for Anne in all her quirkiness
Shuyler Grant- She represented Diana and showed the love, kindness and admiration she had for Anne and all her quirkiness
Schuyler Grant. Absolutely. I agree with you that she was older—so was Follows. So in that sense they balanced each other out. I think, because her character most closely follows the book, I love her best.
The casting was my favorite part of Anne with an E because I loved the younger/different perspective, but I must agree that (if you made me pick) I’d choose Schuyler Grant’s Diana anyway!
Hands down, Schuyler Grant is Diana for me, just as Megan Follows is! And I actually didn’t know her hair was dyed – I felt that the paleness of her skin next to the black hair was a stark contrast to Anne, and really drove home the alabaster skin that Anne always longed for!
For me it’s definitely Schuyler Grant. Although I appreciated Dalila, I just love everything about Schuyler’s portrayal!
Schuyler Grant!!! She was my first introduction to Diana and will always hold a special place in my heart. ❤️
I definitely love Schuyler!
Loved this blog! Thank you so much for sharing! Schuyler Grant will always be my favorite Diana since that was the version that captured my childhood at an early age. The 1985 version was a integral part in my childhood!☆♡
Schuyler Grant Will always be Diana Barry, probably because the characters you grow up with (books or in movies) always stay with you!
I agree Schuyler Grant just encapsulates all of Diana’s qualities from the book. I kind of agree with your cons, but they are not make or break things for me.
For me, it’s still Schuyler Grant. She plays the role so we’ll. I lover her as an adult later on as well. I did always feel bad about her marrying “round, red” Fred. He seemed so nice though. Perhaps she didn’t care? Or maybe he was red just from hard work? Maybe not too round ?
Schuyler! I agree!
I love Schuyler! 😍😍😍
My vote goes to Schuyler Grant! In all honesty, I have not watched the other Anne but Schuyler plays her with such perfection, I can’t imagine any one else.
Dalila! She got to go so deep with her character!
I love both, very dearly. However, I think I prefer the more complex Diana of Anne with an E, played by Dalila Bela. Her age and appearance make her seem more like the Diana I envisioned in the books—going along in Anne’s shenanigans. I love how AWAE also showcases her growth, the longer she has been friends with Anne. Through her friendship with Anne, she becomes stronger and less afraid of confrontation. She stands up for herself and her friends in a new way, I think—her train scene with Gilbert will never not make me laugh. It truly reminds me of my relationships with my best friends where any of us would go up to bat/tell off a foolish boy for any of the others.
Schuyler Grant is my choice because the original version is so much a part of my childhood and I can’t picture anyone else playing that role. The casting was perfect as she easily transformed from a younger Diana to a more grown up Diana.
I really love them both! But if I had to pick right now, I would go with Dalila Bela because I love how she plays her character’s full range: faults and strengths, uncertainty and independence. 😊
I am due for a rewatch of the original, but I thought Delila Bela was a very charming Diana.
I love Schuyler Grant. She is Diana to me, everyone else is just playing her.
I’m curious about Anne with an E—I’ve never seen any of it and as a loyal fan of the books (and the first Sullivan show) I am afraid it won’t be worth my time… but your comparisons pique my interest!
I read the books before watching the 1985 version when I was little, and Schuyler Grant was everything I imagined Diana to be! She is so sweet and faithful to Anne, even though Anne tends to get a little crazy sometimes. I watched the first season of Anne with an E, and it was honestly pretty upsetting for me. Anne of Green Gables is the first story I remember really bonding with when I was 7 or 8, I’ve read the entire series at least 8 times, and I just felt hurt with the portrayal of the characters so dear to my heart. I understand others like the adapted characters, but I couldn’t watch it anymore.
I think Schuyler Grant played Diana best.
I’ve only seen one episode of Anne with an E- but I did immediately like the portrayal of Diana.
But Schuyler Grant IS Diana to me, perfectly captures her sweetness and loyalty… and how Diana doesn’t always quite understand Anne’s sensibilities but adores her anyway.
I love them both, but I’d have to put Dalila Bela. I think she adds a depth to the character that wasn’t there in Schuyler Grant’s but I can’t discount the glory of the cordial scene.
I do agree that Dalia looked more age appropriate and she was very good but Schuyler Grant was amazing she is my favorite Diana of all time
I don’t think it ever occurred to me to see Grant as too old…but then again, I was a child when my aunt first gave me that double VHS set, and everyone seemed old to me!
I got to play Diana Barry in a play adaptation of Anne of Green Gables!! Such a great role!
I have to say, Grant’s portrayal has always been so dear to my heart so I have to say she’s the best!
My opinion is shamelessly subjective; I deeply love Schuyler Grant and cannot be convinced by any other actress! My heart connection to the whole 1985 mini-series is so strong, and that includes Diana’s portrayal. She was my first example of what someone’s “bosom friend” could act like and I loved it from the age of 5 on!
Schuyler Grant was the best one for the part because she showed the true love and compassion that a best friend would have. Diana was truly the best kindred spirit and bosom buddy anyone could ever dream for.
Unpopular opinion but I love the Anne with an E Netflix series so I am going to pick that portrayal of Diana :). I know the 1980s mini series is beloved, and I love it too, but the netflix show has something special too.
Schuyler for me, too. She IS Diana. She radiates a kindness and sympathy. What I love most about Diana is the unconditional love between her and Anne. They somehow completed each other in that way of childhood friendships.
I like them both but Schuyler is my favorite. She is such a good friend to Anne.
I saw the 1980s mini-series as a young teen and immediately fell in love with it. I never thought that Diana was too old in her role. I always thought of her as healthier since Anne had a bit of catching up to do after her rough upbringing. Schuyler Grant has been Diana for me. I loved her sweet steady spirit.
Oh, it’s Schuyler. It has to be!
Schuyler!!! Dang so many entries here! Lol!
Definately Schuyler Grant she was magnificent as Diana
Hands down, Schuyler Grant. Forever and always, Diana.
I definitely prefer Dalia myself. I think she fits my own personal vision that I had of Diana while originally reading the books when I was younger. I definitely agree that Schuyler always looked too old to me. But something about her portrayal was always a bit off to me. I can’t really put words to why exactly.
*Dalila – I think my autocorrect got that one…
I watched the 1985 Anne before reading the books, so to me there is no Diana without Schulyer Grant. 💕 I’m afraid to watch Anne with an E! I’ve heard too many many people say they messed with the book too much (as they did in the last Megan Follows Anne movie. 😢 I’m the kind of Anne fan who has read the books now SO many times that when listening to a free ebook ones I spotted every single mistake the reader made! They weren’t stumbles, just the wrong words.
I am partial forever to Schuyler Grant! She’s kind and just feels the spirit of Diana from the books so well. I haven’t watched Anne with an E, honestly there’s not much about it that appeals to me. Maybe if I wanted to do a deep dive of compare and contrast of films.
There are aspects of her acting that seem awkward but I put that to age and all the fabulous films we’ve had since 1985.
well, I’ve never seen the first one but I think that in most cases we were left with the first one we saw was the best. So for me it will always be Dalila, although that does not remove the fact that I can change my mind when I see the first
As much as I think Schuyler Grant did an excellent portrayal of Diana, sorry, but Dalila’s my Diana. 🙂
I love how the portrayal of her grows and develops. 🙂
Definitely my ultimate Diana is Schuyler Grant! The raspberry cordial scene was just so hilarious.
I have only watched The Netflix version, so I can’t compare. I do like this Diana.
Just discovered this post, but I have to go with Grant all the way. Grant’s Diana was always a strong supporter of Anne, but Bela’s Diana had moments of doubt. She is obviously uncomfortable introducing Anne to her friends at school and even suggests she can smooth things over with them when Anne walks to school with Gilbert. Bela’s Diana keeps her relationship with Jerry a secret from Anne, which of course hurts her terribly. And because of their quarrel, Diana doesn’t attend the freedom of speech rally. It just doesn’t work for me in relation to the book and the character I knew when I was younger.
YES! Another win! Schuyler Grant is totally Diana. She just is. Yes, you’ll see a repetitive theme within my comments, LOL Sweet and loyal define Schuyler’s Diana to a T. And that of the Diana of the books. The Diana of the books and the Diana of the Sullivan films are identical. As are all the Sullivan characters to the book characters =D