Actress Diahann Carroll was born in Harlem, New York City on the 17 July 1935 to John and Mabel Johnson. The couple had another daughter, Lydia and they divorced in 1968. Initially, Carroll worked as a model and singer, and then in 1954, she made her stage debut on Broadway in House of Flowers. She also made her film debut in 1954 when she appeared in Carmen Jones.
MOST IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT DIAHANN CARROLL
In 1954, she made her debut in Carmen Jones, playing a supporting character to the lead. The same year she appeared in a Broadway play, House of Flowers. The film adaptation of George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess starred Carroll but her voice was dubbed by an opera singer. In 1961, she was casted alongside with Sidney Poitier, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman in film Paris Blues. The following year she was awarded the Tony Award for playing the character of Barbara Woodruff in the Samuel A. Taylor’s musical, No Strings. This made her the first black woman to win the Tony Award. She worked on television being recognized for her popular central role in Julia. Once again, she became the first African American actress to play the lead that did not involve being a domestic help.
Diahann Carroll’s work on television earned her the Golden Globe Award for “Best Actress In A Television Series”. Furthermore, she was nominated for the prestigious Emmy Award. Some of the other shows she made appearances on included shows hosted by Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Judy Garland and Merv Griffin. Subsequently, she worked in the nighttime soap opera Dynasty, as the jetsetter Dominique Deveraux. It was one of her high-profile roles and while shooting she also met her high school classmate Billy Dee Williams. In fact, she received another Emmy nomination for her role in A Different World. In a musical drama The Five Heartbeats, she played Eleanor Potter’s role, who is a doting, concerned, and protective wife to Jimmy Potter.
Her other significant roles include the crazed silent movie star Norma Desmond, in musical version of the classic film Sunset Boulevard by Canadian production. In the following years, she took on experimental works. For instance, she lent her voice to an animated character Queen La, an evil sorceress in The Legend of Tarzan. She also made brief appearances on the contemporary hit TV series, Grey’s Anatomy and White Collar. Two Patricia Cornwall Lifetime Movies adaptations featured Carroll as Nana. Her personal life was rather turbulent as she married four times and each one ended due to dire circumstances.Emmy nomination for her role in A Different World. In a musical drama The Five Heartbeats, she played Eleanor Potter’s role, who is a doting, concerned, and protective wife to Jimmy Potter.
Her personal life was rather turbulent as she married four times and each one ended due to dire circumstances.
QUOTE BY DIAHANN CARROLL
“If you're not invited to the party, throw your own.”
WHAT I WISH FOR YOU TODAY
I wish you a private little moment to throw yourself a little party, today!
