Diahann Carroll

Diahann Carroll was a famous star.

She was an actress and a singer. She also did modeling work.

She won many big prizes for her acting. One prize was a Tony Award. She was the first Black woman to win it for a musical.

She was also a star on TV. She played a nurse named Julia. This was a very big deal. It was the first time a Black woman played a main role that was not a servant.

She worked in many movies, too. She even did voices for cartoons. Diahann Carroll was a very talented woman.

Diahann Carroll was a famous American star.

She was an actress, a singer, and a model. She was born in New York City in 1935. Her parents supported her many talents. They sent her to dance and singing classes.

Carroll had many big breaks in her career. She won a top prize on a TV show when she was 18. Later, she became a star on Broadway. She was the first Black woman to win a Tony Award for a musical.

She was also a pioneer on television. She starred in a show called Julia. In this show, she played a nurse. This was very important. It was the first time a Black woman played a main role that was not a servant.

Carroll worked in many movies and shows. She was even in the show Dynasty. She also did voices for cartoons. She used her fame to help others. She helped start a group to support women.

She passed away in 2019 at the age of 84.

Diahann Carroll was a talented American performer.

She was an actress, singer, and model. She also worked as an activist. Carroll made history in many ways. She was a pioneer for Black women in entertainment. Her work helped change how people saw Black stars on screen. She earned many awards for her skill. These included a Tony Award and a Golden Globe.

Her journey to stardom involved much hard work. She grew up in Harlem, New York. Her parents helped her learn many skills. They sent her to dance and singing classes. She even modeled for Ebony magazine at age 15. Carroll went to New York University to study sociology. However, she left school to follow her dream. She promised to return if it did not work. Her big break came at age 18. She won a $1,000 prize on a TV contest. She won the top prize for four weeks in a row.

Carroll reached many big milestones on stage and screen. In 1962, she won a Tony Award. She was the first Black woman to win this award for Best Actress in a Musical. She played Barbara Woodruff in the show No Strings. Later, she was nominated for an Academy Award. This was for her role in the film Claudine in 1974. She played the title character in that movie. This role was originally meant for actress Diana Sands. Sands was very ill with cancer and recommended Carroll take the part.

She was also a leader on television.

From 1968 to 1971, she starred in a show called Julia. She played a nurse at an aerospace company. This was a very important role for history. It was the first time a Black woman starred in a series. Her character was not a servant or a slave. She won a Golden Globe for this role. Later, she played Dominique Deveraux on the show Dynasty. She also appeared in shows like A Different World and Grey's Anatomy.

Carroll used her success to give back to others. She helped start the Celebrity Action Council. This group helped women at the Los Angeles Mission. They worked with women facing many hard problems.

Carroll was also very brave with her own health. She spoke about the need for early cancer detection. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. She underwent nine weeks of radiation therapy. Carroll passed away in 2019 at age 84. She left behind a huge legacy in art.

Diahann Carroll was a highly accomplished American performer.

She worked as an actress, singer, model, and activist. Throughout her career, she earned many prestigious awards. These included a Tony Award in 1962 and a Golden Globe in 1968. She also received an Academy Award nomination in 1974. Between 1963 and 2008, she earned five Emmy Award nominations. Carroll was a pioneer in the entertainment industry. She helped change how Black women were represented on stage and screen.

Carroll's early life in New York City prepared her for stardom.

She was born Carol Diann Johnson on July 17, 1935, in the Bronx. Her parents were John Johnson, a subway conductor, and Mabel Faulk, a nurse. The family moved to Harlem during her childhood. Her parents supported her interests by enrolling her in singing, dancing, and modeling classes. By age 15, she was modeling for Ebony magazine. She also entered television contests under the name Diahann Carroll. After high school, she studied sociology at New York University. However, she left college to pursue show business. She promised her family she would return if her career did not succeed within two years.

Her professional breakthrough occurred when she was 18 years old.

In January 1954, she appeared on the DuMont Television Network program, Chance of a Lifetime. She performed the song "Why Was I Born?" from the work of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein. This performance won her the top prize of $1,000. She continued to win the top prize for four consecutive weeks. This success led to nightclub engagements at the Latin Quarter and Manhattan's Café Society. Her film career began shortly after with a supporting role in the 1954 movie Carmen Jones. She also appeared in the 1959 film Porgy and Bess, playing the character Clara.

Carroll achieved several historic milestones on Broadway and in film.

In 1962, she made history at the Tony Awards. She became the first African American woman to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She won this for her role as Barbara Woodruff in the musical No Strings. In 1974, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for the film Claudine. This role was originally intended for actress Diana Sands. Sands was terminally ill with cancer and recommended Carroll take the part. Sands passed away in September 1973, before the film was released in April 1974.

Television provided Carroll with her most influential platform.

From 1968 to 1971, she starred in the series Julia. In this show, she played a nurse at an aerospace company's doctor's office. This was a landmark moment in American television history. It was the first series to star a Black woman whose character was not a servant or a slave. For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star – Female. Later, from 1984 to 1987, she played the character Dominique Deveraux on the soap opera Dynasty. She also appeared in shows like A Different World and Grey's Anatomy.

Carroll was also dedicated to charitable work and social causes.

She was a founding member of the Celebrity Action Council. This was a volunteer group composed of female celebrities. They served the women's outreach program at the Los Angeles Mission. The group worked with women undergoing rehabilitation for issues involving drugs, alcohol, or prostitution. Carroll worked alongside other television personalities like Mary Frann and Linda Gray. She also used her platform to discuss personal health challenges. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, she spoke about the importance of early detection.

Her life included many complex personal relationships and experiences.

She was married four times during her life. Her first marriage was to producer Monte Kay in 1956. She had one daughter, Suzanne Kay, born in 1960. Carroll also had a long relationship with actor Sidney Poitier. She later married Fred Glusman in 1973, though the marriage lasted only four months. In 1975, she married Robert DeLeon, a managing editor for Jet magazine. She was widowed when DeLeon died in a car crash in 1977. Her final marriage was to singer Vic Damone in 1987. Diahann Carroll died at her home in West Hollywood on October 4, 2019. She was 84 years old.