Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Carroll was the recipient of numerous stage and screen nominations and awards, including her Tony Award in 1962, Golden Globe Award in 1968, and five Emmy Award nominations.
Carroll rose to prominence in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, including the classic movie musicals Carmen Jones (1954) and Porgy and Bess (1959). She received an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for her title role in the romantic comedy-drama film Claudine (1974). Carroll's other notable film credits include Paris Blues (1961), The Split (1968), Eve's Bayou (1997), and Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years (1999).
She starred as the title role in Julia (1968-1971), for which she received a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star – Female. The series was the first on American television to star a black woman in a non-stereotypical role. She played the role of Dominique Deveraux, a mixed-race diva, in the prime time soap opera Dynasty from 1984 to 1987. She is also known for her roles in Naked City, A Different World, and Grey's Anatomy.
Carroll made her Broadway debut playing Ottilie Alias Violet in the musical House of Flowers (1954). She became the first African-American woman to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Barbara Woodruff in the musical No Strings (1962).
