Diahann Carroll, Historic Tony-Winning Star, Dies at 84
(Photo: Getty Images)
Diahann Carroll, a multi-talented performer who paved the way for black representation on stage and screen, died on October 4 in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death was cancer. Carroll was 84.
Born Carol Diann Johnson on July 17, 1935, the actress won early fame in major studio films featuring all-black casts, including Carmen Jones (1954) and Porgy and Bess (1959).
(Photo: Friedman-Abeles/NYPL)
On stage, she made Broadway history with her Tony-winning turn as Barbara Woodruff in No Strings (1962), which marked a milestone moment as Carroll became the first black actress to win a Tony in the Best Leading Actress in a Musical category.
Carroll soon broke similar ground on-screen when she was cast in the title role of the series Julia (1968) and became the first black woman to play a nonstereotypical role on television. Carroll was honored with a 1969 Golden Globe Award and Emmy nomination for her performance in the series.
Years later, Carroll became the first black actress to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, taking on the iconic role in the musical's first Canadian staging (1995). Carroll's other stage work includes Broadway performances in House of Flowers (1954) and Agnes of God (1983), a touring turn in Same Time, Next Year (1977) and an off-Broadway appearance in The Vagina Monologues (1999).
In 2013, Carroll was announced to star as Lena Younger in a Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun but withdrew from the production midway through rehearsals.
Carroll's screen achievements include Emmy-nominated turns in Naked City (1958), A Different World (1989), The Sweetest Gift (1999) and Grey's Anatomy (2008) and an Oscar-nominated performance in Claudine (1975). She also won legions of fans for her fiery turn as Dominique Deveraux on three seasons of TV's Dynasty (1984-1987). In 2011, Carroll was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
Carroll is survived by her daughter, producer-journalist Suzanne Kay, and her grandchildren, August and Sydney.
