Diahann Carroll, Pioneering Actress on ‘Julia’ and ‘Dynasty,’ Dies at 84
I remember watching Julia when I was a kid.
She definitely broke ground for other actors of color.
Corey must have gotten through with another emergency that couldn’t wait.
RIP, Julia.
Obligatory IMDb link. Busy up until a few years ago.
The last thing I remember seeing her in where she stood out was as “Mama” Burke on Grey’s Anatomy for a few episodes. A very … forceful character.
While certain aspects of her starring role in Julia were new, remember that there were several minorities in starring TV roles well before that. It’s a shame to see her listed as “the first …” with no or inadequate qualifiers.
Other than knowing who she was from general pop culture osmosis, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out what role I specifically was associating her with. Finally checked IMDb: She was Whitley’s mother on A Different World, which was perfect casting.
Me too. She was a great actress and an incredibly beautiful woman. RIP.
^ When I was eight years old, I was going to marry her, but then Denise Nicholas came along. Sorry, Diahann, I’m fickle.
Dianne Carroll was also a fine stage actor. She originated the role of Norman Desmond in the Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, opposite Rex Smith’s Joe Gillis.
Me 3. I woulda been 7-8 when it came out, and I remember it being one of my favorite shows. I think I really liked the relationship between her and her son.
My favorite character that she played was Whitley Gilbert’s mother on “A Different World”.