Diahann Carroll
Biography
Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer, and model born Carol Diahann Johnson in the Bronx, New York, on July 17, 1935, and she died on October 4, 2019, at the age of 84. She rose to stardom in early major studio films featuring black casts, including Carmen Jones in 1954 and Porgy and Bess in 1959. In 1962, she won a Tony Award for best actress for her role in the Broadway musical No Strings, marking a first for a black woman. In 1968, she debuted in Julia, which was the first series on American television to star a black woman in a nonstereotypical role. During the 1980s, she played an interracial diva in the primetime soap opera Dynasty. Throughout her career, she received numerous awards and nominations.
Career overview
Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer, and model born as Carol Diahann Johnson in the Bronx, New York, on July 17, 1935. She rose to stardom through her performances in some of the earliest major studio films featuring black casts, including Carmen Jones in 1954 and Porgy and Bess in 1959. Her film work also included Paris Blues in 1961. In 1962, Carroll won a Tony Award for best actress for her role in the Broadway musical No Strings, marking a first for a black woman.
Her television career reached a milestone in 1968 with her debut in Julia, which was the first series on American television to star a black woman in a nonstereotypical role. During the 1980s, she played the role of an interracial diva in the primetime soap opera Dynasty. Throughout her career, Carroll received numerous nominations and awards for her stage and screen performances, including a Golden Globe Award in 1968, an Academy Award nomination in 1974, and five Emmy Award nominations.
Carroll passed away on October 4, 2019, at the age of 84. Her legacy endures through a substantial body of work spanning film, television, and stage performances that broke new ground for black women in the entertainment industry.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Diahann Carroll.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
117 titles- Sidney (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- How It Feels to Be Free (2021) as Self (archival footage)
- The Masked Saint (2016) as Ms. Edna
- Light Girls (2015) as Self
- Peeples (2013) as Nana Peeples
- Martin Luther King and the March on Washington (2013) as Self
- Sing Your Song (2012) as Self
- At Risk (2010) as Nana
- The Front (2010) as Nana
- White Collar (2009) as June
- Diary of a Single Mom (2009) as Therapist
- Back to You (2007) as Sandra Jenkins
- Grey's Anatomy (2005) as Jane Burke
- TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) as (archive footage)
- Whoopi (2003) as Viveca Rae
- Half & Half (2002) as Grandma Ruth Thorne
- The Court (2002)
- NBC 75th Anniversary Special (2002) as Self
- The Legend of Tarzan (2001) as Queen La (voice)
- Strong Medicine (2000) as Eve Morton
- Soul Food (2000) as Aunt Ruthie
- Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000) as Betty Hemings
- Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000) as Betty Hemings
- The Courage to Love (2000) as Pouponne
- Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000) as Maria Cole
- Twice in a Lifetime (1999) as Jael
- Jackie's Back! (1999) as Diahann Carroll
- Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999) as Sadie Delany
- The Sweetest Gift (1998) as Mrs. Wilson
- Motown 40: The Music Is Forever (1998) as Self
- Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood (1998) as Self
- Eve's Bayou (1997) as Elzora
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995) as Crow (voice)
- Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale (1995) as Narrator
- Touched by an Angel (1994) as Grace Willis
- Ellen (1994) as Diahann Carroll
- Burke's Law (1994) as Grace Gibson
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (1994) as Lydia Bishop
- Intimate Portrait (1993) as Self
- Color Adjustment (1992) as Self
- The Five Heartbeats (1991) as Eleanor Potter
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991) as Vivian Thurlow (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Sunday in Paris (1991) as Vernetta Chase
- Murder in Black and White (1990) as Margo Stover
- From the Dead of Night (1989) as Maggie
- Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC (1988) as Self
- Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz (1988) as Diahann Carroll
- A Different World (1987) as Marion Gilbert
- Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special (1986) as Self
- The Colbys (1985)
- Night of 100 Stars II (1985) as Self
- The Best of Broadway (1985) as Herself
- Reading Rainbow (1983) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Starfest: The Stars Salute Public Television 1983 (1983)
- Night of 100 Stars (1982) as Self
- Sister, Sister (1982) as Carolyne Lovejoy
- Dynasty (1981) as Dominique Devereaux
- The Big Show (1980) as Self
- Roots: The Next Generations (1979) as Zeona Haley
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979) as Vivian
- The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) as Mermeia
- The Love Boat (1977) as Roxy Blue
- The Beatles Forever (1977) as Self
- The Sonny and Cher Show (1976)
- Telly... Who Loves Ya, Baby? (1976) as Self
- Death Scream (1975) as Betty May
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- Claudine (1974) as Claudine Price
- One More Time (1974) as Self
- The Julie Andrews Hour (1972) as Self
- Great Performances (1971) as Self
- The Flip Wilson Show (1970) as Self
- King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970) as Self (archive footage)
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- Julia (1968) as Julia Baker
- The Split (1968) as Ellen "Ellie" Kennedy
- The Dean Martin Christmas Show (1968) as Self (uncredited)
- Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing (1968) as Self - Singer
- The Carol Burnett Show (1967) as Self
- Hurry Sundown (1967) as Vivian Thurlow
- ABC Stage 67 (1966) as Self
- The Strolling '20s (1966) as Self
- The Hollywood Palace (1964) as Self
- Not Only... But Also (1964) as Self
- The Danny Kaye Show (1963) as Self
- The Judy Garland Show (1963) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Host
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Paris Blues (1961) as Connie Lampson
- Goodbye Again (1961) as Nightclub Singer
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self
- Porgy and Bess (1959) as Clara
- Peter Gunn (1958)
- Naked City (1958) as Ruby Jay
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) as Self
- DuPont Show of the Month (1957) as Self
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Host
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Co-Host
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Performer
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter / Performer
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Guest
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Singer
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Self
- Carmen Jones (1954) as Myrt
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Coke Time with Eddie Fisher (1953)
- Chance Of A Lifetime (1952)
- The Red Skelton Show (1951) as Self
- The Bob Hope Show (1950) as Self
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Mystery Guest
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Presenter
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Diahann Carroll best known for?
Diahann Carroll is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including White Collar (2009), Grey's Anatomy (2005), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), The Bodyguard (1992).
When and where was Diahann Carroll born?
Diahann Carroll was born on July 17, 1935 in Bronx, New York, USA. They passed away on October 4, 2019.
How many credits does Diahann Carroll have?
Diahann Carroll has accumulated over 117 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1944 to 2022.
What is Diahann Carroll's background in cinema and television?
Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer, and model born Carol Diahann Johnson in the Bronx, New York, on July 17, 1935, and she died on October 4, 2019, at the age of 84. She rose to stardom in early major studio films featuring black casts, including Carmen Jones in 1954 and Porgy and Bess in 1959. In 1962, sh...