Actress: Diahann Carroll
Background
Stage actress and singer known for her performances and films featuring black casts. Diahann Carroll has won several Golden Globes, Emmys and Tony awards for Best Performance by a leading Actress.
Born on July 17 1935. Diahann Carroll was born in the Bronx and moved to Harlem were she attended Music and Art High School. Her parents enrolled her in several singing, dance, and modeling classes. Diahann Carroll is an American actress, singer and television actress and is known for her performances in early films that had predominately black casts. Films such as Carmen Jones (1954) Porgy and Bess (1959)
"You have to keep your sanity as well as know how to distance yourself from it while still holding onto the reins tightly. That is a very difficult thing to do, but I'm learning." -Diahann Carroll
(Diahann Carroll as Julia Baker with her Tv son Corey)
Image courtesy of ©splendedhabitat.com
Awards
One important mark of her career was on an American TV show called Julia (1968-71). Where she stared as a black woman in a nonsterotypical role which was rare for that time. Most shows who had black women were often portrayed as domestic workers. The role she played was a widowed single mother named Julia Baker who was a nurse in an Aerospace company. Some of her other awards include Tony Award (Award for salute excellence in Broadway theater) for Best Performance by a leading Actress in No Strings , A golden globe in 1968 for Best TV star in Julia, and several other Golden Globes, Emmy awards and recognition from the NAACP. Diahann Carroll is also a breast cancer survivor and in 2010 was featured in a docudrama called 1 a Minute. 1 a Minute is an inspirational film about celebrities who are cancer survivors, coping with cancer and the shock of having cancer.
Impact
Diahann Carroll roles helped to open peoples eyes and break the stereotype of what it means to be black and a woman on television. "In the beginning, I found myself dealing with a show business dictated by male white supremacists and chauvinists. As a black female, I had to learn how to tap dance around the situation. I had to.... Find a way to present my point of view without being pushy or aggressive. In the old days the only women I saw in this business were in makeup, hairdressing, and wardrobe departments. Now Im surrounded by women executives, writers, directors, producers, and even women stagehands." In a way it shows how TV and show business gradually became more integrated and accepting of female roles.
"I like to think I opened doors for other women, although that wasn't my original intention." -Diahann Carroll.
The show "Dynasty" was a spin-off of soap opera called The Colby's. Diahann Carroll plays the role of Dominique Deveraux. A rich chanteuse, a female nightclub singer.
Additional Sources
Diahann Carroll Quotes
Julia (Tv Series) (Wikipedia Link)
Diahann Carroll (Wikipedia Link)
