Diahann Carroll
Diahann Carroll (/daɪˈæn/ dy-AN; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Before her death she was one of the last remaining stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Carroll was the recipient of numerous stage and screen nominations and awards, including her Tony Award in 1962, Golden Globe Award in 1968, and five Emmy Award nominations.
Diahann Carroll
July 17, 1935
October 4, 2019 (aged 84)
- Actress
- singer
- model
- activist
1950–2016
-
Fred Glusman(m. 1973; div. 1973)
-
Robert DeLeon(m. 1975; died 1977)
- Sidney Poitier (1959–1968)
- David Frost (1970–1973)
1
Carroll rose to prominence in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, including the classic movie musicals Carmen Jones (1954) and Porgy and Bess (1959). She received an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for her title role in the romantic comedy-drama film Claudine (1974). Carroll's other notable film credits include Paris Blues (1961), The Split (1968), Eve's Bayou (1997), and Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years (1999).
She starred as the title role in Julia (1968-1971), for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star – Female. The series was the first on American television to star a black woman in a non-stereotypical role.[1] She played the role of Dominique Deveraux, a mixed-race diva, in the prime time soap opera Dynasty from 1984 to 1987. She is also known for her roles in Naked City, A Different World, and Grey's Anatomy.
Carroll made her Broadway debut playing Ottilie Alias Violet in the musical House of Flowers (1954). She became the first African-American woman to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Barbara Woodruff in the musical No Strings (1962).
Illness, death, and memorial[edit]
Carroll was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. She said the diagnosis "stunned" her, because there was no family history of breast cancer, and she had always led a healthy lifestyle. She underwent nine weeks of radiation therapy and had been clear for years after the diagnosis. She frequently spoke of the need for early detection and prevention of the disease.[8][30] She died from cancer at her home in West Hollywood, California, on October 4, 2019, at the age of 84.[8][4] Carroll also suffered from dementia at the time of her death, though actor Marc Copage, who played her character's son on Julia, said that she did not appear to show serious signs of cognitive decline as of late 2017.[31][32]