Mary Nell Santacroce Honored Posthumously Mary Nell Santacroce Honored Posthumously Actress Mary Nell Santacroce was honored posthumously by Public Broadcasting Atlanta and the Atlanta Area Lexus Dealers as a recipient of the LEXUS LEADERS OF THE ARTS award. During a career spanning more than 50 years, Santacroce appeared in two dozen films, over 35 plays and made numerous television appearances. She is best remembered for her role as Daisy in the stage play "Driving Miss Daisy," which she performed over 500 times in Atlanta, China, and the Soviet Union. A native Atlantan, Santacroce received her degree in theatre from the University of Georgia and her master's in speech from Emory University. She was named by the New York Times Critic's Circle as one of the three best supporting actresses for her role in John Huston's world premier of Tennessee William's "Tiger Tail," and television's "I'll Fly Away," "In the Heat of The Night," and TBS' "The Catlins."