Born Carol Diane Johnson, better known to the public as Diane Carroll, is an American singer and actress whose career spans 6 decades. She entered the history of the film industry as the first black performer to be awarded the title of Tony Prize laureate. In total, the actress has five nominations for Emmy, three for Golden Globe and a star on the Walk of Fame.
Childhood and youth
Carroll was born in mid-July 1935 in one of New York’s five boros - the Bronx, but spent her childhood in the ill-fated district of Harlem. In her early youth, the girl began to show interest in the acting profession, so she enthusiastically studied vocals and choreography. The first step in the educational process of the future screen star was the Manhattan acting school, which Carroll graduated brilliantly.
Her television debut was a performance in an entertainment and game show on the now-closed DuMont television company. The girl conquered a strict jury and was awarded the main prize in the amount of a thousand dollars. From this moment, the biography of Diane Carroll is closely intertwined with a creative career.
Big screen debut
In 1954, Diane Carroll played the episodic role of the girlfriend of the main character in the musical "Carmen Jones" - this was her debut in a big movie. At the same time, the purposeful actress, deciding to conquer the Broadway scene, performed in the musical “House of Flowers”. Five years later, Carroll takes part in the creation of Porgy and Bess, however, despite her excellent vocal abilities, opera diva Lowley Jean Norman dubbed all the episodes with her participation. Two years later, the actress again starred in the art film "Paris Blues" and left the big movie for six years. During this period, she is fully committed to the theater. Her dedication and undoubted talent bring well-deserved success.
Diane becomes the first African American actress to receive the Tony Award. Unfortunately, when the musical was decided to film, Hollywood artisans took on the lead role of the white-skinned actress Nancy Kwan. A lot of scandals and misunderstandings arose on this basis, so the project was never filmed. And Diane Carroll appeared on the big screen in the dramatic film "Hurry Sunset."
Peak of popularity
Between 1968 and 1971, all of America was delighted with Diane Carroll. Photos of the actress did not leave the editorials of glossy publications, the performer had a huge army of fans. At this time, Carroll played a key role in the sitcom Julia. It was a real breakthrough, because her dark-skinned colleagues had previously played secondary and episodic roles, and Diane became the first black actress with her own show on US television. Participation in this project brought Carroll nominations for the Golden Globe and Emmy. After completing the comedy series, the actress, changing her role, played a dramatic role in the film "Claudine", for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Since then, Diane's film career has declined. Subsequently, she played several minor roles in feature films and focused on television.
Return to TV
In 1976, the actress broke into the world of TV with her own variety show, which, although it lasted only 4 episodes, attracted attention to Carroll's personality. The performer was not very upset because of the fleeting completion of her own project, as she received an offer from the producers of the cult series “Dynasty”.
She got an interesting image - Dominic Devereaux, half-brotherly quarrelsome sister of Blake Carrington (actor D. Forsyth), sworn enemy of the main character Alexis (played by Joan Collins). After the premiere, the actress in an interview with the media said that she was satisfied with her character and wants to become the first black bitch on TV. Diane played the villainous intriguer in 72 episodes, and also appeared in the spin-off “Dynasty 2: The Colby Family”, which was destined to become short-lived.
Another Emmy
From 1989 to 1993, the actress starred in the sitcom "Another World", for which she received another nomination for an Emmy. Further, films with Diane Carroll came out for rent: "The Lone Dove", "Sunset Boulevard", "Eve's Refuge."
Subsequently, Carroll returned to the theatrical stage, appearing on television from time to time, for example, in the series Strong Medicine, Half and a Half, Food for the Soul and Anatomy of Passion. For the image embodied in the latter, she was again nominated for an Emmy. Recently, the actress appeared in separate episodes of the series "White Collar".
Personal life
Carroll was married four times, but she only has a daughter from her first spouse. In the 60s, Diane and Sidney Poitier announced their engagement, but the marriage never happened.
When Dianne was 63 years old, doctors diagnosed her with a terrible diagnosis - breast cancer. The actress was initially taken by a serious ailment by surprise, but after she pulled herself together, agreed to an operation, after which 36 radiotherapy procedures were courageously passed. The course of treatment and rehabilitation was completed successfully. After this test, the actress joined the ranks of activists in the fight against the disease.