A photo of Diahann Carroll in the title role of her tv series "Julia". Born Carrol Diahann Johnson in the Bronx in 1935, her father (John Johnson) was a subway conductor and her mother (Mabel (Faulk) Johnson) was a nurse. By age 15, she was already a model in Ebony magazine. A sociology major in college, she was always interested in acting, dancing, and singing and left college to pursue a career in entertainment (promising her parents that if she didn't make it in 2 years, she'd return to college). Well, "make it" she did - beginning with singing roles (her first film role was in 1954 in "Carmen Jones") and then adding acting. She was the first black actress to win a Tony for a leading role on Broadway and the first to be nominated for best actress for an Oscar in 1974. From 1968 - 1971, she starred in "Julia" - "the first African-American actress to star in her own television series where she did not play a domestic worker." This doesn't sound like much today but at the time it was groundbreaking since her presence carried the show - she played a professional (nurse) widowed mother of a son . She went on to play a major role in the tv show "Dynasty" as well as many other tv shows, films, and Broadway plays - winning 3 Emmys, a Tony, and a Golden Globe as well as numerous other nominations. Married 4 times (she had a daughter from her 1st marriage and her last marriage was to Vic Damone), she also had long-term relationships with Sidney Poitier and David Frost. She died of cancer on October 4, 2019.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.

This is a photo of Diahann Carroll added by Amanda S. Stevenson on June 12, 2020.