Celebrating the Iconic Legacy of Diahann Carroll, Life In Film
Today is the Hollywood legend's heavenly birthday.
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Over a career that spanned five decades, Diahann Carroll broke barriers and opened doors for Black actresses in incredible ways. Although we lost Carroll in 2019 at the age of 84. On her birthday, we are taking a look back at her incredible legacy in film. (Photo: Anthony Barboza/Getty Images)
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Carmen Jones (1954) - Carroll made her film debut at just 19 years old in the supporting role of “Myrt” in this all-Black musical drama about a young woman (Dorothy Dandridge) who falls for a soldier while working in a WWII parachute factory. In 1992, Carmen Jones was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” (Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)
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Porgy and Bess (1959) - Carroll starred alongside two Hollywood legends — Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr. — as Clara in the film remake of the classic 1935 opera written by George Gershwin. The opera tells the love story between a crippled man and a drug-addicted woman. (Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)
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Goodbye Again (1961) - While Carroll only had a small role as “Nightclub Singer” in this drama, it did give her the chance to act opposite one of the greatest actresses of her era, Ingrid Bergman. (Photo: Argus Film)
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Paris Blues (1961) - Carroll joined a legendary cast featuring Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman and Louis Armstrong in a film that became famous for its openness about racism in America. Paris Blues won the Academy Award for Best Original Musical. In the film, Carroll plays Connie, an American tourist who at first rejects, but then falls in love with Poitier’s character, Eddie. (Photo: Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
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Hurry Sundown (1967) - Carroll once again starred alongside Hollywood legends like Jane Fonda, Michael Caine and Faye Dunaway. She played Vivian Thurlow, a local teacher who tries to stall the plans of a bigoted, draft-dodging man to steal the land of a local Black families. (Photo: Paramount/Getty Images)
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The Split (1968) - Carroll starred as the wife of NFL great Jim Brown in this classic heist movie, which tells the story of a gang of thieves stealing $500,000 from the Los Angeles Coliseum during a football game. (Photo: MGM Studios/Getty Images)
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Julia (1968-1971) - This TV show made history by being one of the first series to star a Black woman in a non-stereotypical role. It was also a rarity for being one of the only sitcoms in the late 1960’s to not feature a laugh track. Carroll, who played widowed nurse named Julie Baker, helped pave the way for Kerry Washington, Taraji P. Henson and many other primetime network stars. Carroll won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in 1969 for her role. (Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)
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Claudine (1974) - Starring both Carroll and James Earl Jones, this film told the story of a single mother of six who finds love with a garbage collector. Carroll was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar and a Golden Globe for her role in the film. (Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)
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Sister, Sister (1982) - Written by Maya Angelou, Carroll starred alongside Rosalind Cash and Irene Cara in this story of three sisters who come together to decide the fate of their family home. The film won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding TV Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special. (Photo: Anthony Barboza/Getty Images)
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Dynasty (1984-1987) - Carroll played the successful and wealthy Dominique Deveraux. Dynasty was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best TV Drama every year from 1981 to 1986, winning the award in 1984, the year Diahann joined the cast. (Photo: Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
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A Different World (1989-1993) - Carroll starred in the recurring role of Marion Gilbert, Whitley's mother. She was a wealthy Hillman College alumna, former Miss Hillman, and member of the Hillman Board of Trustees in this The Cosby Show spinoff. (Photo: Joey Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)
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The Five Heartbeats (1991) - Carroll played Eleanor Potter, one of the original supporters of this fictional R&B group. The film was loosely based on the lives of several real-life artists including The Temptations, James Brown, Sam Cooke and others. (Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)
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Eve’s Bayou (1997) - This film, which was produced by and starred Samuel L. Jackson, was named on a list of The 25 Most Important Films on Race, by TIME. Carroll played a voodoo witch named “Elzora” in this story of a prosperous Black community in Louisiana, which falls into mayhem after an act of infidelity. (Photo: Ron Galella/WireImage)
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Soul Food (2003-2004) - Carroll played Aunt Ruthie in this Showtime drama, which was a spinoff of the hit movie of the same name. Soul Food was the winner of seven NAACP Image Awards, and was nominated for an Emmy in 2001. (Photo: Paramount Network Television)
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Grey’s Anatomy (2006-2007) - In 2006, Carroll appeared in the Shonda Rhimes medical drama as the demanding mother of Isaiah Washington's character, Dr. Preston Burke. (Photo: ABC)
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White Collar (2009-2014) - Carroll guest starred in this dramedy series as charismatic widow June, who rents out her guest room to lead character, Neal Caffrey. Carroll was nominated for an Image Award for Best Support Actress in A Drama Series in both 2012 and 2014 for the role. (Photo: USA Network)
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Tyler Perry Presents Peeples (2013) - In 2013, Carroll teamed up with Hollywood hitmaker Tyler Perry and fellow actress Kerry Washington in the family comedy. She starred as Nana Peeples, matriarch of the affluent Peeples family. (Photo: Nicole Rivelli/Lionsgate)