She came before all the white women who claimed that fame for themselves, including Mary Tyler Moore.
23
i always remember her in the "Naked City" episode, "A Horse Has a Big Head, Let Him Worry." Any Naked City fans out there?
10
Other than sports reporting by Tyler Kepner, there's not much in the NY Times these days that I'm in harmony with.
But I have to concede that this article by Margalit Fox and the subsequent op-ed piece by Nichelle Gainer are almost enough to reassure me that The Times knows what it's doing. These are two beautiful works of journalism.
In addition to the great line by Dr. Morton Clegley (played by Lloyd Nolan) quoted by Fox ("Have you always been a Negro?") there's an even better one from Episode 1. Julia phones Clegley to ask for a job interview as his nurse. But she adds that there's just one problem.
"What's that?" Clegley asks.
"I'm colored."
"Well, what color are you?"
Isn't that wonderful? Clegley knows darn well what Julia's implying, i.e., "Would you stick your neck out and hire a black woman for your medical practice?"
And Clegley's response, indicating that he doesn't give a damn what color she is, is absolutely perfect.
It's worth noting that "Julia" debuted on the NBC network on Sept. 17, 1968, about eight months after the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. She was widowed when her husband, an Army artillery captain flying O-1 Bird Dog spotter airplanes, was shot down and killed.
So at a time when our nation was turning irrevocably against the Vietnam War, "Julia" managed to evoke a small note of sadness in its story line, yet another courageous stance by the show's writers.
Bob Orkand
Lt. Col. U.S. Army, Infantry (Ret).
1st Bn, 7th Cav., 1st Cav Div., Vietnam
46
In the late 1980s, I hired Vic Damone to headline San Francisco's Festa Italiana. During the rehearsal and sound check, Vic was giving my sound guy a hard time about monitor levels. After several nonproductive minutes, Diahann pulled the demanding Vic aside and said, "Do you know who that guy is? He not only mixed my last Bay Area concert; he has worked successfully with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, in addition to many of our other friends and colleagues. You need to sing your songs and trust him to assist you in sounding your best; go back to work and let him do his." Justifiably chastised, he completed the rehearsal and his performances were stellar. Diahann was a true professional and personally, a kind and respectful soul.
54
I’m old enough to have watched, but never did. I knew that it was a corporate tv attempt to be relevant and of course it wasn’t because it was aimed at white middle America.
3
Carroll as Julia was the first professional woman I saw on television.
Ya' know how people say that when you see it to think to become it, well I aspired to be like Julia who seemed to be a well-educated, articulate, self-sufficient, medical professional and a beautiful woman. Julia was not a damsel in distress waiting to rescued nor a bimbo nor a man's adornment nor a Hera. Diahann Carroll had the class and character to bring her to life.
As I child, I had no understanding of how unusual it was. 50+ years later, I do.
Ever since then, Carroll has always been one of my favorite actresses.
31
Diahann Carol will always be in a class few others can share any stage with on earth or in heaven.
19
One word, CLASS -
RIP
26
A classy lady. And a really good actress. While some might have criticized JULIA as not representing reality, that show along with Gail Fisher in MANNIX the same year, paved the way for other shows in the early '70s. Think of THE JEFFRESONS and SANFORD AND SON to name a few.
These two women were "everyday" working women who happened to be black.
23
in 1962 I worked briefly at Jacobi hospital in the Bronx on our unit 2 staff members shone out , Ms Carrol's mom was a nurse working in the pediatric Psych service and the Sister of the great Jazz musician James Moody was a Nurses Aide.
18
A lovely woman.
8
My first boyhood crush was on Diahann Carroll as "Julia". Coolest, prettiest mom ever! This little white boy was in love from the start. That crush shaped my "type" for my entire life.
Gonna miss ya Diahann.
23
I hired Vic Damone in the late 1980s to perform at San Francisco's Festa Italiana. Diahann accompanied him to the rehearsal and sound check. Vic, gifted and finicky, was giving my audio guy a difficult time about the monitor mix and Diahann graciously intervened. "Vic, do you know who that guy is? He mixed my last Bay Area concert and has worked successfully with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and many of our other friends and colleagues. Just sing your songs and let him do his job." Justifiably chastened, Vic finished the rehearsal and his performances that weekend were stellar. Professionally, the gifted Ms. Carroll displayed equanimity, and personally was a kind and caring soul.
29
Thank you NYT for this beautiful write-up. I’m so thankful to Ms. Diahann Carroll for setting the bar for class, grace & excellence at a time when it was hard to even BE a fully realized black woman — much less a model, singer or actor. She dealt with many obstacles including blatant discrimination and used them to inform her choices — many of which became life lessons for future generations. I hope today’s younger women (specifically those in entertainment) will take a moment to learn more about Ms. Carroll’s journey. When they do, they’ll realize that you don’t have to lower your standards in order to be successful. Grateful to Miss Carroll for always showing us the “possibilities”. RIP Legend.
30
All the attention to Julia, her views on public issues and her glamour caused her singing to go under the radar. She was a fantastic singer.
25
"Julia" may not have been a perfect representation of the "typical" single, black mom of the day but make no mistake about the color barriers that it helped to break down. As a young, white, middle-class girl I watched the show and loved it and her; even added a Julia doll to my all-white Barbie collection. I have no doubt that it widened my world view that frankly was pretty limited at the time. RIP Ms Carroll.
50
i watched. i thought the show was very well acted, 20 years ahead of its time and
believable.
We have lost a fine talent.
rest in peace..
17
She was talented and classy and unapologetically black in a challenging time & industry; i knew about her work in films from 'Carmen Jones' to 'Claudine' to 'Eve's Bayou' and, of course, Dynasty on TV - i've been reading various obits on her and grateful to see YouTube videos of her singing in her Broadway days with Judy Garland -- truly a revelation! She'll be missed but her talent lives on!
16
Such a great singer. It feels like the end of an era. Godspeed to a lovely lady.
25
Not simply in the TV series, 'Julia', I'll never forget Diahann Carroll's portrayal of a modern woman and single black Mother facing challenges with relatable humanity, and dignity in a film with James Earl Jones called 'Claudine'.
I also remember her talents as a singer and dancer on afternoon variety shows, which I watched after school. What a marvelous, multi-talented performer and personality!
With much appreciation -- RIP -- from one of you many (worldwide) fans.
22
I remember first seeing Diahann Carroll on "Dynasty" so regal, majestic, and powerful. Her role in Claudine was strong and memorable. It's all too often that articles like this miss the impact on artist true fans and those who admire them, and even the industry as a whole. Growing up I always dreamed of women knowing what they wanted, being as strong, beautiful, classy, talented, free, confident and as powerful as she was.
24
My mother, an RN and, for a time, single mother, was a Diahann Carroll fan. She thought Ms. Carroll was one of the most beautiful and talented women of their generation.
33
This hurts. Especially since we've already lost Toni Morrison and Jessye Norman.
I related to Julia because my mother was a nurse, a widow and we were comfortably middle-class. I know it wasn't a accurate depiction of Black life at the time but it felt accurate to me. I adored Corey. It wasn't until the Cosby show that I saw another Black family that I identified with as closely as I did with 'Julia'.
I don't think 'Claudine' gets the respect it deserves. Once again, Ms. Carroll plays a single mother, this time closer to the stereotype. But 'Claudine' played with the stereotype too. Ms. Carroll and James Earl Jones gave a fine depiction of Black love and the family was dysfunctional, but managed to stick together.
Like so many Black women who blazed the trail for others, Ms. Carroll didn't get the career she was capable of or deserved.
It meant so much to me to see her beautiful face every week, doing her job and raising her boy.
I'd really appreciate it if 2019 would leave Black icons alone. I don't how much more I can take.
72
Ms Carroll made a huge impression on me as a young girl. As Julia, she was beautiful and smart and had an important job. I didn’t know at the time what a break through character she was for Black women. I was a little white girl in backwoods Oklahoma, but Julia was a role model for me.
63
A great lady and a great talent.
It was only a few years ago that I became acquainted with her stellar talent as a (sadly underutilized) singer. (The only other female singers I know that composer Richard Rogers -- who famously fell in love with Ms. Carroll both personally and professionally -- wrote scores for were Mary Martin and Julie Andrews).
Two of her albums were combined as "Fun Life/The Fabulous Diahann Carroll," and it is one of my all time favorites; every song -- and there are 22 of them -- is a winner, some interpretations are definitive (even those associated with other famous artists like Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich), and the cumulative effect shows a singer of nuance, humor, style, feeling, versatility, taste and technical virtuosity.
Her interpretation of Rodgers & Hart's "Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me" is particularly sublime. I urge anyone who loved Ms. Carroll, and her talent, to check it out.
RIP Ms. DC.
39
http://www.oprah.com/own-master-class/diahann-carroll-you-are-hopelessly-powerless-video
Thank you Miss Diahanne Carroll.
11
@MGK Thank you for posting the video.
4
How sad.
3
I would have hoped that the NY Times at least would have noted that she was a signer of the Heed Their Rising Voices letter/ad that led to the most famous free press case in American history, Sullivan v. NYT, and of course, protested the jailing of MLK.
30
My very best memory of Diahann Carroll was when she played opposite the great James Earl Jones in "Claudine", back in the 1970's.
What a great movie, and what a great, classy actress! "Make yours a happy home," indeed.
R.I.P., Diahann Carroll, you will be missed but you will always be remembered.
51
@Jo
hn128: yes, the film soundtrack is wonderful, written and produced by Curtis Mayfield and featuring vocals by Gladys Knight and the Pips.
18
@DD Yes... The soundtrack to Claudine is another Curtis Mayfield masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned. A great music to compliment a great story with great performances. Ms. Carroll brought a level of class and steadfastness to her roles. What a gift, Ms. Carroll will always be.
12
Another star has gone to heaven.
10
I was startled when I read of her death. She was ageless.
17
Worth mentioning that in "House of Flowers" she got to introduce two Harold Arlen/Truman Capote songs that have since become standards in the great American Songbook - "A Sleepin' Bee" and "I Never Has Seen Snow"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry4frYxipqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCMXfD5QV30
8
I was a publicist and had the absolute pleasure of working with Diahann Carroll when she was starring on Broadway in "Agnes of God" and had just been cast in "Dynasty". She was a lovely woman and a total class act.
64
What does it say about diversity that underrepresented ground-breakers must nevertheless be confined to the delicacies of the white guys who run everything?
Still, she was lovely and "Julia" was refreshing. RIP.
4
A beautiful woman. Julia was a great show. RIP Carol Diann Johnson
5
Best line ever, from “Dynasty”, “This champagne is burned”
14
She was as classy as the unique spelling of her name.
Elegant doesn't even begin to describe this incredibly beautiful woman - inside and out.
20
It's heartbreaking to know we are losing an entire generation of Black artists. Honor them by consuming and sharing their work. Make sure our posterity knows their names!
14
She was my first tv crush.
11
Simply put - the woman had class. RIP.
14
Fabulous woman. RIP.
10
I remember three shows with Black characters from that era along with Diahann Carroll's 'Julia.Star Trek had Lt.Ohura,Mission Impossible had Greg Morris and Mod Squad had 'Linc.I was impressed by them All.My aunt was a nurse at the and was quite dignified and distinguished in her starched white uniform and hat.Ms Carroll always impressed me with her class.I equated her with Sidney Poitier's style and elegance..Her show was a big deal at the time and will forever echo memories of the era...Thank you,Diahann,for EVERYTHING.
23
Loved her in Julia and on Dynasty! She went toe-to-toe with Alexis. But she was hardly “conniving”.
4
Ok, I get the criticism, but for this 11 year old white boy from the suburbs of Boston, it was a depiction of a strong black woman that was important for me to see.
37
What better way to fight the hate that should be long gone: To show the face of this beautiful woman across the country's televisions.
16
What an amazing person!
6
Black viewers loved the tv show Julia. We had no expectations that the character would represent anything other than herself. She was just fine with us.
21
I lived with my single parent black African American mother who worked in a small black African American hospital on the South Side of Chicago all of her life. My reality was made into ' Julia' fiction.
Diahann Carroll never shamed nor embarrassed black folks. She was an icon of artistic acting class, talent, dignity and beauty.
43
White people do not usually act, live or dress like they are portrayed on TV. Most shows are a unrealistic representation of real life and are for entertainment purposes only. Can we just just sit back and enjoy and not over-analyze?
32
So sorry to hear this. I adore Diahann Carroll. I remember seeing her in a film or TV show, and thinking "What a gorgeous woman she is!" Nobody could wear a slinky dress like Diahann! For me, as a teenage girl coming into my femininity, she epitomized a kind of smooth, sexy glamour, plus strength of character. So she was something of a mentor in matters of "how to be a sensual, smart woman," which I aspired to be myself, and still do. I mourn the passing of a talented artists I admire, and she is no exception. Sweet dreams, pretty woman.
15
Thank you, Ms. Carroll. For everything.
7
I loved watching “Julia” as a child — it was groundbreaking not only for race. Julia’s husband was in the military, presumably killed in Vietnam, and she was suddenly faced with being a single mother who had to support her son. The son, Corey (as I recall), kept a portrait of his father in his room, and often spoke about how much he missed him. In the perfect family sit-com world if the 1960s, this was heavy stuff. (As an aside, I had a “Julia” coloring book, too.)
Later, I always thought Ms, Carroll was one of the most breathtakingly beautiful and elegant women I had ever seen.
Safe passage, Ms. Carroll.
27
@MDB Her 'son,was played by Marc Copage,I believe...
I'm saddened and inspired.
Rest in prace Ms. Carroll. Your legacy will live on.
6
Although Diahann’s performance singing Barry Manilow’s song “All The Time” on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show is not available on YouTube, if you get a chance to see it you will be blown away. Not only does she look amazing her performance is out of this world.
6
One of the cities in the south that refused to air Julia was Savannah. This was even though the creator, Hal Kanter was born and raised there. As a child my family cherished out of town trips so we could watch Uncle Hal’s show.
22
As a 60 something, I remember Diane Carroll as a beautiful talented actress. My parents were wonderful people who didn’t differentiate based on skin color. I considered this lovely black actress as a wonderful movie star. The white elitism that I didn’t see then is in my face today and it makes me sick.
11
May her memory always be for a blessing.
8
I was a child TV Junkie in the era of The Flying Nun, Gillian’s Island, Bewitched, My Three Sons, Mayberry RFD, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, That Girl, and of course, Julia.
In my Cuban household there wasn’t a hint of racism, and I remember our whole family watching Julia. All I remember about the show now was Dihanne Carroll’s endlessly comforting, beautiful face. Her gentle voice and a feeling of kindness, compassion...a tender wisdom, and patience for the other characters in the show, none of whom reside so permanently in my memory as does she.
Those eyes. Her TONE....one more example of what is high, noble, and dignified, lost in the embers of our presently crashing society overrun by vacuity, tedious baseless, and base narcissism - the heartbreaking endurance of racism as America’s main character trait.
How sad in our age of “reality TV” run by a monstrous and decidedly racist “President” to be reminded that there was a time when our culture was striving to exemplify the dignity, grace and beauty of a talented black woman who comforted us in our home all those years ago.
Pity that wasn’t the effort that triumphed and endured as our zeitgeist, but that we inhabit a tragic, soulless environment run amok by what is ugliest in human nature.
I miss those turbulent but striving sixties. I miss Julia. I will never forget her. May she Rest In Peace, and comfort to her beloveds who must surely be quite heartbroken if I myself am awash in tears for her, for us all.
30
To this little white girl in Canada Miss Carroll was the epitome of beauty, talent and grace. My Julia doll was a prized possession. RIP divine woman.
17
One of the most beautiful ladies of all time. She earned her fame. She performed all over the country early in her career in some pretty small burgs. She got her just reward.
7
So sad to read this. I was quite young when this show aired and was very impressed with Diahann Carroll and Julia. Two women of substance.
3
I am a 56-year old white man. Despite any criticism from any community about "Julia" that show was pivotal to helping prevent me from becoming a racist. "Julia" along with Bill Cosby in "I Spy", Nichelle Nichols, Percy Rodriquez, and William Marshall in "Star Trek", Greg Morris in "Mission: Impossible", Clarence Williams III in "The Mod Squad", Lloyd Haines in "Room 222", and Georg Sanford Brown in "The Rookies" - in these programs, the fact that the black actors were black was irrelevant and, believe it or not, that helps prevent racism because, in the mind of a child, seeing these actors in these roles instructs the child that their skin color is irrelevant and that it shouldn't be a barrier to positions in society. In short, what "Julia" and these other programs did by not focusing on the realities of black life was illustrate the insanity of racism.
36
Ms. Carroll was an inspiration to so many young entertainers, especially black women. I remember picking her out of the crowd in the movie Carmen Jones and watching her and James Earl Jones play well off each-other in the movie Claudine.
I will also never forget her acting as the upper-class mother of one Whitley Gilbert.
This woman bought an element of class, talent, beauty and distinction to the small and big screen.
Yes, she has died but let us not forget the beautiful life she lived.
RIP Diahann Carroll
16
As a kid I saw her in NO STRINGS. Wow! What a performer. Memorable. Mesmerizing... "and the sweetest sounds in all the world are waiting somewhere for me... are waiting somewhere ... somewhere for me..." Yes, they are Diahann... Yes, they are.
7
What a truly lovely and talented woman she was! I still own and treasure the original cast album of House of Flowers, in which she sings the classic, "I Never Has Seen Snow" and other Harold Arlen songs. And I remember her as one of a most photogenic quarter -- along with Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier and Joanne Woodward -- in Paris Blues. Not to mention Julia. Yes, I know she was a racial pioneer, but to me that is secondary . . . what a truly lovely and talented woman she was!
10
Diahann Carroll became my idol when she played Julia. I was attending an inner city junior high school at the time and had never seen a TV actress who looked like me. She made my friends and me incredibly proud! I have loved her ever since and only regret that she didn't receive more roles. However, Claudine will remain close to my heart. It shows her range. I'm so sorry to hear her cancer had returned. Godspeed Diahann. Thank you for the lift. Rest In Peace.
20
I vividly recall Ms. Carroll on stage in Cincinnati in the mid-70's. What a singer and what a stage presence! When she bent forward and looked me in the eyes while singing one of her numbers I almost fainted.
12
Ms. Carroll - A legend and an icon. Thank you. Rest in Peace.
10
I am of north-eastern European heritage. I was born in south Texas. My parents moved our family of 4 to a desert town in California in search of a better life.
My mother was very racist. She didn't mind if a nonwhite woman cleaned her house or picked up the trash on Tuesdays, but as far as she was concerned there should not be one non-pale skinned person in any public school I attended. I had several friends that I could not invite into our home.
Then there was Julia. It came on when Daddy was doing his bowling night. That was because Daddy always controlled the TV from his LazyBoy Recliner and he always chose Sports or Crime shows. But on his bowling night, Mom allowed us girls to choose one show and we chose Julia. Guess what. Mom may have huffed and puffed, I don't recall. But Mom worked for a doctor and she was handicapped. She could identify with Julia. She ended up buying several of Diahann Carroll's records which she would play quite loudly at 7am on Saturday morning, much to my sister's and my own exasperated selves.
I believe that show did more to change my mother from racist to curious and then to accepting and tolerant than anything else.
It may have been wrong in some ways to some people, I understand that, but it was very helpful to a great many more I'm betting.
76
What Jackie Robinson did for baseball, Diane Carroll did for television. Both are legends.
29
While a poor graduate student at UCLA in the mid-1970s, I had the privilege of sitting in a L.A. Jazz club at a table next to Ms. Carroll during a performance by Etta James. Both were incredible, and it wasn't easy to take my eyes off of either one. Afraid I ignored my date that night, and don't blame her for...
19
Diahann Carroll was a pioneer for black women in entertainment, and gorgeous and classy to boot. I loved her in Paris Blues, Sister, Sister (much respect to her costar, the late great Rosalind Cash), and of course, Julia. Rest in power Ms Carroll.
30
Such beauty. Such talent. Such style. Such integrity.
Readers should google the pictures of her with James Garner, Paul Newman, and Marlon Brando at the March on Washington. The photo of her leading Garner by the hand through the crowd is wonderful.
41
I watch Julia as a little girl and thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Rest in Peace, Ms Carroll.
34
@shelley I did, too. My sister and I, white farm girls from Canada, had a Julia barbie doll. She was so gorgeous, we didn’t even fight over her.
9
Thanks to my Mom for encouraging us to watch this show as youngsters. Always admired Diahann Carroll’s body of work and her determined work ethic. RIP
19
I remember watching "Julia" with my parents (who let me stay up past my bedtime) and being mesmerized that someone who looked like my mom was on TV. It blew my little mind. Ms. Carroll had so much grace and class...she was elegance and strength personified.
40
The article failed to mention her absolutely delightful run on all five seasons of the series "White Collar". She played June, the elegant, cultured 'landlady' of Matt Bomer's Neil Caffrey. AND she sang in a couple of episodes. A great lady!
25
As a white kid back then, I watched "Julia" each week with my sister and parents. I thought Diahann Carroll was awesome, beautiful, smart, soothing, and funny, especially pitted opposite the cantankerous Lloyd Nolan character. Among her accomplishments was to promote harmony and normalize American life for all. I truly regret her passing, but she made her mark all those years back.
26
I am reminded of a visit with a chap who was like a second father to me and he was a classical clarinetist, a jax saxophonist, and a chemical engineer. I arrived at his house in the late 70s and he said, "Pour yourself a drink--I'm putting a new album on the turntable." And it was Diahann Carroll's Tribute to Ethel Waters with the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Mercer Ellington. Track One was "After You've Gone" and we were hooked. She was simply a superb talent.
31
In a wonderful documentary about Richard Rodgers, Ms. Carroll speaks about her experience starring in "No Strings" and singing that beautiful lyric, "The sweetest sounds I'll ever hear/Are still inside my head."
What a lady.
32
@B.
Another "No Strings" fan here. She, Richard Kiley and Richard Rogers were my first introduction to live, Broadway level theater - at the Shubert Theater in New Haven. Then a try-out town before NYC. I still have the record album.
May her wonderful voice, strength and elegance live on in minds and YouTube. Thank you NYT for an inclusive obituary of a stellar performer.
****************
Several years later while living in NYC, I saw Richard Kiley nightly while at a temp job when "Man of LaMancha" opened east of the Village. Those musicals were the golden age of Broadway.
2
In 2003, when Halle Berry presented the TVLand Award to Diahann Carroll, Ms. Carroll told the audience and the TV cameras that she knows everyone is counting all her facial wrinkles. No I wasn’t. I was admiring her ageless beauty and grace.
35
It is very hard to to learn of the death of another beautiful and accomplished African American cultural figure. The character of Julia was a fine and much-needed character to be seen on the American TV screen. For young black women coming of age, such as myself, she was an example (albeit not entirely based in reality) of how to carry oneself in a society that was not always welcoming to us. Even if we could not look like Julia, we could still aspire to the qualities she displayed. Thank goodness we have the ability to look back at those old shows. May she rest in peace.
37
A major highlight of my working career was being able to stage manage this lady in a play called Blue at the Pasadena Playhouse. The entire cast was amazing. But to be able to meet Diahann and watch her work was life changing. She was a powerful spirit to be around. I admired her guts and can still remember her laugh. I send her daughter, grandkids and family good thoughts. She lit up when she talked about them.
35
I'm grateful to TV stars of the time like Diahann Carroll, Nichelle Nichols, Gail Fisher, Flip Wilson, Greg Morris, Clarence Williams III, Lloyd Haynes, Ivan Dixon and other African American trailblazers in ways that weren't conscious to a little boy gaining awareness of the world in the late '60s-early '70s. I'm lucky to have come of age then. I grew up never feeling that African Americans were anything less than equal.
47
In the era of "Julia" there weren't too many sitcoms that were planted in reality, but the program showcased Ms. Carroll's beauty, grace and class. She played a professional woman who earned the respect and friendship of her TV family and in those days, that was no small thing. Any time someone breaks down a barrier, as Ms. Carroll did, it's a triumph for all of us. RIP. Ms. Carroll.
35
Absolutely gorgeous, incredibly talented, and pure class. May she Rest In Peace.
30
“Julia” needs to be looked at in the context of the times. In 1968, we were a few short years beyond when black actors/entertainers could appear in any significant starring role at all. White families were also highly scripted as well because advertisers and others wanted TV to be aspirational.
I remember watching this show as an early teen white male. I knew from my experiences in an integrated school that Julia’s middle class success was probably not typical of a black household at the time. Many of my classmates, black and white, were not middle class and the black children were much worse off economically. However, there were enough exceptions to this rule, so Julia was not as rare as many imply.
My wife is black and her upbringing with her mother shares a fair amount of overlap with Julia in terms of aspiration and class. The missing elements in the show are that the day-to-day challenges of a discriminatory society were largely glossed over.
35
@Jazz Paw Julia wasn't perfect but it was important for Black women and girls to at least see an image of themselves on television. That meant the world to so many.
12
Wow! What a tremendous loss! She was a woman of considerable talent, elegance and remarkable career stamina Diahann Carroll was pioneer in so many respects and served as an inspiration to so many of today's more popular Black actresses Halle Berry, Sanaa Latham, Kerry Washington, Angela Bassett and others have attributed her as a major influence.
She was constantly breaking barriers whether it as the first Black woman to have er woman prime time series, Julia. The first Black woman to replace a Black actress on Broadway in 1983 in Agnes of God. The first Black person to star as a major soap opera character, wealthy business woman Dominque Deveraux, in the wildly popular ABC night time 1980s soap Dynasty sty as nemesis to the sadistically wicked Alexis Carrington Colby played by Joan Collins and later on a a wealthy widow in the USA series White Collar. She was also a fantastic singer!
For the most part, with a few exceptions, she played, well heeled, well connected, upwardly mobile , Black characters. This was in stark contrast to many Black woman and men of her era who tended to play more lower income, much less powerful people. She was a remarkable woman. The entertainment world has lost a true talent. RIP Ms. Carroll!
18
. She was a beautiful and elegant woman. Rest in Peace.
23
Back in 1978 or 1979, I worked as Essence Magazine's West Coast Editor. The editors wanted a photo shoot using some Hollywood stars. Diahann Carroll was gracious enough to agree to be in our shoot. I drove to her house to meet the photographer. As we discussed how we would get to the shoot location, Ms. Carroll suggested she ride with me. I was mortified because I drove a not so beautiful pea green Fiat, which on that day desperately needed a good washing. But ride together we did, making small talk as we worked out way to the shoot location. I was a very nervous 20-something year old driving the legendary Diahann Carroll but I never forgot the experience and how taken I was with her beauty - both inner and outward. So sad to learn of this dear woman's passing.
54
I watched Julia as a very young girl growing up in Baltimore. In my household the show was mandatory. The whole family crowded around the TV in the den and watched. My favorite character was Julia's son Corey and I recall his best friend was a White boy who lived in the same apartment building and his name was Earl J Waggedorn. The two boys got into all kinds of mischief together. This friendship as depicted on television was such a pleasant break from all the social uproar and political animus over busing and integrating neighborhoods which was very prevalent at the time. It was also nice to see a woman without a husband portrayed as educated self sufficient competently raising a child and really enjoying her life. Also not the norm at the time. The fact that said woman was Black , just really icing on that cake. Ms. Carroll put out an autobiography some years ago and I went right out and purchased it. Such a great read. I learned so much and she was so honest but not hurtful. I have to mention how beautiful Diahann Carroll was always so perfectly and stylishly dressed. A role model for ALL young women no matter the background or race. Rest in Peace Ms. Carroll and thank you soo much for all your contributions to our culture and always setting the bar at the highest possible level. You will be sorely missed.
39
As a young boy I fell in love with Diahann Carrol for her role in Julia. A rare gift for humanity. RIP
15
Rest in Peace. A class act! Great talent. Absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word.
15
Isn't it interesting. Diahann Carol, like so many great Americans, attended one of the much reviled NYC Specialized High Schools.
Music and Art is now the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and the Performing Arts. And now that the incompetent principal, Lisa Mars is gone, may it return to its glory. Go to any performance at the school and you will see a concert or play that will approach Broadway or Lincoln Center levels.
23
@Eugene She was my mom's student. Even then, Diahann Carol was working.
3
I remember watching the show Julia as a young boy.
As a young viewer, I loved Julia.
I remember her character as a nurse and a mom.
I remember watching a kind, gentle and beautiful woman.
I was conscious of the warmth and beauty that
Diahann Carroll conveyed through Julia.
As a boy I was not conscious of the evil of racism.
30
Diahann was the first to sing "A Sleepin' Bee" in 'House of Flowers', one of several songs in Harold Arlen's gorgeous score. Capote said hers was the best, although Barbra Streisand's is more well-known. I like them both, Streisand's is out-of-context, so she can turn it into a '3-act opera' as Capote said. She also sang "I Never Have Seen Snow" in that show with Pearl Bailey as the madam.
I hadn't known "No Strings" was written for her, although I knew she was the star. "The Sweetest Sounds" by her is very lovely. I would have loved to have seen it.
21
@Dr. Rocco Peters
WIt was a wonderful show!
3
@Dr Rocco Peters: check out Nancy Wilson's version of "A Sleepin' Bee" (accompanied by Cannonball Adderley).
1
The obit neglected to mention her amazing, screen-dominating cameos in the brilliant and underrated 'Eve's Bayou' ...
31
Beautiful Diahann Carroll now gone is hard to imagine. She was one I thought to be underutilized as an actor. Among all the roles I remember, I particularly liked her in "The Five Heartbeats". Ironically, two months ago I saw "Paris Blues" for the first time and was impressed by her performance and loved seeing her playing the love interest of Sidney Poitier.
She will be missed.
15
Indeed! She was stunningly charasmatic !
2
As a boy growing up in the Caribbean, I first saw "Julia" as a re-run in the early 1980s, almost 15 years after it ended its run in the USA.
I remember nothing about the script, the other characters or the episodes. I remember only Miss Caroll and being memorized by her.
Even in 1980, we rarely saw black people on television and even then they were not depicted as "aspirational" figures.
Television is a powerful medium...it comes to you in your private moments and with images and sounds can change your perspectives and expectations.
Diahann Caroll proved that with an iconic performance in a short-lived sitcom that people still remember 50 years later.
As the middle passages of this article suggests, it is still a problem for (some) people to see a black woman depicted this way.
But for me, it was an inspiration.
God bless you Miss Caroll.
I won't ever forget you.
32
Everything that I feel has been expressed in the comments here. I remember thinking as a child of how glamorous and effortlessly talented Ms. Carroll was; I think I was aware of her before I knew about Lena Horne (my eventual image of perfection).
I am bereft with the loss of Diahann Carroll and Jessye Norman (my Diva) in the same week, but I'm comforted by the incontestable fact that they both will live on and continue to inspire the generations and generations to come.
29
Saddened to learn of Ms Carroll's passing; condolences to her family and friends and all who loved her performances. I recall her as a gracious, smiling, Broadway treasure. A wonderful person.
17
Rest in Power Ms. Carroll! She will always be Dominique Deveraux on the campy show, Dynasty to me. I was mesmerized by her character and have been with her ever since.
13
"Black women, when they were seen at all in series television, had long been relegated to marginal roles. The few larger parts that came their way were invariably those of domestics."
Alas, this entry overlooks the contributions of the fabulous Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in the original Star Trek, immediately prior to Julia starting in 1966. This doesn't at all dimish Ms. Carroll's legacy or the grief at her passing, but it's always good to remember the work of our pioneers!
32
I can completely understand the negative press about "Julia" being more white than black when it was running on tv; however, I watched the show, thought she was gorgeous, her clothes too, and as a child of the end of the Civil Rights Movement, that show made me realize that the little African American girl who sat next to me in class, something that happened due to Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, 1954, and the Civil Rights Movement, could be my friend, and Jackie and I became friends. Media gave me a window to see something I hadn't seen before. That show made me realize, as a child, that color was well color but nothing else. And, having Mr. Ellison as my teacher, an African American male, helped too, for he saw our friendship develop and allowed us to do team projects together, and this also helped in the classroom in general, for others in the team got to know Jackie as a classmate.
63
So classy...May she rest in peace.
20
I was 14 years old when I saw her in "No Strings." She was elegance personified. That's what she defined for me: Pure elegance and class. RIP.
18
As a boy, I first saw her perform on the short-lived Nat "King" Cole weekly variety show. I was both captivated by the beauty of her voice and smitten by her looks. The rest of her career was just up, Up, UP from there.
She was a national treasure. May she rest in peace.
30
She was stunning!
16
Loved her show "Julia" when I was little! Loved Diahann Carroll!
18
Rest in peace Ms. Carroll, I will always remember you fondly.
15
Controversy or not, I was 7 years old (and white--I'm actually still white, but far from 7!) in 1968 and I remember being entranced watching Ms. Carroll in "Julia." She was so poised and beautiful. I think I wanted to be her.
Sometimes I'm unfazed when I read about the passing of older actors, etc., but remembering Ms. Carroll and the show makes me nostalgic for that part of my life (when I lived in pre-"luxury" Peter Cooper Village in NYC, which was paradise for a city kid), and the people and things that had more of a lasting influence on me than I would have been able to imagine then. I thank her for that.
59
Not old enough to have seen Julia, but I definitely remember her in Dynasty. For folks my age THAT was monument. There was no one like her on prime time dramas. It was amazing.
21
I echo all the praises of Ms. Carroll's talents and beauty.
Three roles that were particularly meaningful for me to watch as an African American girl as well as in my mature years are Ms. Carroll's portrayal of Claudine, which put to rest for me all the chatter that Carroll did not want to be viewed as having any connection to the black masses; Carolyne in the superb drama, Sister, Sister, written by Maya Angelou, in which Carroll plays a socially upstanding teacher, church leader and model older sister whose righteousness is ultimately compromised by the same passions that her sisters contend with more openly (Carroll's strong measured performance held the dramatic tension of the program among a talented ensemble that included the great Rosalind Cash); and finally, Carroll's role on the tv show Different World was a delight to watch, especially as paired with Patti LaBelle. In their intonations, facial expressions and gestures, these two ladies evoked familiar and cherished aspects of black humor and cultural ways than their lines along could ever convey. Through her performance on Different World, Diahann Carroll had come full circle in a way that allowed her to represent the inspirational aspects of Julia, while flaunting her signature penchant for glamour, wealth, and -- this time --ease with her black cultural identity on a sitcom that represented her within an unapologetically black social arena.
40
@Lisa - James Earl Jones was so tremendously sexy in "Claudine". Ms. Carroll portrayed such a tightly-wound, self-conscious woman yet even she succumbed to his strong appeal (you could see it coming in the plot). Those actors had so much chemistry together.
13
Julia was an historic event when placed in context. Seeing Ms. Carroll as the star was amazing and welcome. A pretty good show, too. Appreciate Ms. Carroll's work.
15
While of course not the title character, SF fans could make an argument she was preceded in 1966 by Nichelle Nichol's "Lieutenant Uhura", who was shown at every bridge station, as well as communications. A Lieutenant, she was senior to "Ensign Chekov" and fourth in line to command a starship. (Had a plot ever taken out Spock, Scotty and Sulu. This happened in the 1973 cartoon version.)
But Julia happened in our world, and she was the star of the show, everybody's paycheque depending on whether the audience bonded with Ms. Carroll. And she brought home those paycheques and showed it could be done.
22
Miss Carroll had a special impact on my life but I cannot tell you why. As a young boy in the far north of Canada watching her show made me feel good about her and about the world. I guess that's it. Thank you. My condolences to her loved ones. And to those whom she touched.
62
My brother and I watched "Julia" when we were in the early years of grade school. It was one of the few programs we were allowed to watch, and expressly because Ms. Carroll portrayed a smart and kind person in a professional role. Aspects of the story line may have been far from the reality of the time, but the character of Julia was not. Ms. Carroll will be missed for her wide-ranging talent, and the break-through represented by "Julia."
28
Dignified. That was Ms. Carroll.
In spite of the horrific treatment, the names, the indignities launched at her every minute of every day, she behaved with the utmost dignity.
She was my role model.
My depest sympathy to her family and friends.
51
She had a unique and powerful voice. Although it was a hit, "No Strings" was one of the most under-rated musicals of the 1960s. Beautiful lyrics and melodies.
18
@Whole Grains - I was fortunate to see "No Strings" on Broadway with my family when I was a little boy (I watched very little TV, so am not familiar with the TV shows much discussed here). But my vivid memory of Diahann Carroll was when I was in my early 20's. A jazz musician (guitarist) saving up money to move to NY, there was a period when I would play any reasonably paying gig around Colorado, and I found myself accompanying Ms. Carroll for a week or so at the Fairmont hotel in Denver. What a pleasure! With her beautiful voice, professionalism, and wonderful attitude, every night was a treat. I had no idea beforehand that she was so musically strong (some of the stars who came through were not - the other person was terrific and surprised me in a positive way was the late Frank Gorshin). I felt she was quite charismatic, yet had that real unpretentious confidence that comes from deeply understanding the music. With all the comments about her acting her, I'm glad that you pointed out how fine a singer she was!
33
If I had to pick my favorite Diahann Carroll moment, it was watching her sing a Natalie Cole song on her own show. Second would have to be as Whitley Gilbert's mother on A Different World. She was drop dead perfect in that role, haughty mannerisms and all, and she accurately portrayed a Richmond African American of means and position. She and Patti LaBelle were great divas together. The Thanksgiving episode of A Different World is one of my favorite holiday moments in television history.
24
I saw her in a performance in Vegas with Vic Damone. They were outstanding.
9
At 65 I am old enough to remember just how monumental Ms. Carroll's role in "Julia" was to most Americans at the time. A time when African Americans weren't represented anywhere except on variety shows.
Many were enraged they had to watch the life of a woman of color played out on prime time TV. Others were exposed, for the first time to the idea that people of color had experiences, lives and dreams not at all different than their own.
She was a trailblazer--like Hattie McDaniel, Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne. She paved a path that made it easier for others to travel toward success and opportunity. Someone we should all be grateful for having known.
94
In 2000, I had the pleasure of seeing “The Lion King” on Broadway. One of the cast members was one of my mother’s former students, and she secured a ticket for me right down front. I was absolutely speechless when I discovered that Diahann Carroll was sitting a seat away. I still remember how breathtaking she looked, but most of all, I remember how nice she was to everyone who was sitting near her, including star struck me. Whenever anyone asks me “who is the nicest celebrity you’ve ever met?” I say Diahann Carroll, hands down!
53
One great LADIES of Show Business.
She will be missed.
33
R.I.P. and thank you for the decades of entertainment. My deep sympathy to Ms
Carroll's family.
25
In the mid-80s Ms. Carroll replaced Elizabeth Ashley in the leading role in Agnes if God in Broadway. She was triumphant, memorable even 35 years later. Thank you, Ms. Carroll, for your versatility and great artistry.
32
I had forgotten..but I loved the show as a child, oh the innocence. She was so lovely and comforting as I remember..In these maddening times it's too bad we only have the memories...
22
Diahann Carroll introduced one of the greatest love songs in Broadway musical theater history when she starred in Richard Rodgers' first effort (sans Hart and Hammerstein) as both composer and lyricist : "No Strings" (1962).
That show's titular song was the curtain opener and can be heard in all its glory on the original cast album : a lone flute starts playing the intro and Diahann Carroll , an American in Paris fashion model begins to sing one of the most touching, yearning love songs in the Broadway canon. And she sings it with great feeling, her voice convincingly evoking the loneliness and hope of finding true love.The show's book was compromised by its gingerly handling of the mixed- race love affair between Carroll's Barbara Woodruff and Richard Kiley's expatriate novelist David Jordan. A false, unhappy ending between the lovers was seen as a cop out , catering to largely white, upper middle class audiences. As a result, "No Strings" is rarely if ever revived, except perhaps in occasional concert versions of the show.
But getting back to Diahann Carroll : as with the gifted opera singer Jesse Norman, Carroll blended beauty, confidence and grace into a stunning singing and acting talent. Both women will be remembered as great stars from a Golden Age of entertainment rarely seen , or heard , anymore.
38
@mikeo26
In point of fact, the opening song in the show No Strings is not the title song, but rather The Sweetest Sounds.
Just sayin'...
12
@Richard Riskin You are so right! I knew that but in the writing of the above I kept thinking of the title of the show. Thanks for pointing it out, wish I could edit it!
11
@mikeo26
The lovely yearning opening song to No Strings is entitled The Sweetest Sound. Seek it out!
1
Julia came on when I was 11 and I watched it faithfully every week.
It wasn't so much that Julia was black. It was that she was a single working woman who was having fun while trying to figure out life and adult responsibilities. To me (young white girl), Julia was like "That Girl" and (later) "Mary Tyler Moore." Sure she had cute clothes and cuter boyfriends, and I liked those too. But - she also had adventures and dilemmas to solve.
84
This was a particularly good article/obit even by NYT standards. Though I lived there for four years I had no idea about the TV blackouts in Mississippi, just as I'm only now realizing the challenges and costs of race to me personally and to this nation: I watched the original run of "I Love Lucy" as a kid and was thoroughly dismayed at Ricky's foreign accent: how could such a marriage be possible or permissible, I wondered.
I did grow up some, but still learning. Thank you, NYT and Ms Carroll.
21
Icon. A real beauty and one of the first black female faces I remember seeing on TV as a young girl. She was magical! May she Rest in Power.
48
I am so sorry to hear of Ms. Carroll's passing. She was a great talent, great actress, and since we r more or less of the same generation, "Never ask for whom the bell tolls, for it tolls for thee!"Very respectful, well written obituary."La vie va vite, n'est pas?"
17
And all this time I thought she was a singer, never heard of the show.
1
@Rich Murphy I loved the show Julia and just now learned she was a singer too! :)
I watched "Julia" when I was an 8-year-old kid. The racial stuff was lost on me - I just liked the show because it featured a mother and child. I would hope that viewers would feel the same way about a similar show today.
69
@Steve
Your comment just proves how universal the premise of the show was .... A mother raising her child.. We can all relate to that.
We can see ourselves in those who look like nothing like us .. That is the beauty of seeing something .. or someone through the eyes of a child.
We all are members of the same race.. Human.
27
@Steve
I too was 8 when I started watching and the color of Julia's skin did not matter to me. Never gave it any thought. I saw a Professional, competent woman who worked and brought home groceries and did what my working mom did every day. She ran the medical office and gave Dr. Chegley what for on a regular basis. Clearly, Julia was trying to figure things out as was I. 1968 was a tumultuous year and a time of tumult generally. We tuned in on our black and white television to escape the times just like we do today. We watched Bewitched, I Dream of Genie, The Brady Bunch,Mary Tyler Moore, All in the Family, as an escape. All were Unconventional representations of family living unlike the nuclear family living arrangements of the 1950s. Times were changing and television helped bring the outside world in before we had devices to do this. Still an escape from our own lives. Different than what we may know or have been living in our own everyday lives. Simple yet profound. Entertainment. And we watched in my darkened bedroom on a tiny TV my grandparents bought for me because Bewitched was on at 8:00 and that was bedtime for us kids. Always admired Diahann Carroll in all her roles. Love her even more, knowing she was born in The Best Borough in NYC,,,,,The Bronx.
18
She was wonderful in the movie 'Paris Blues' filmed in 1961. At that time I was in my second year of overseas military assignment in France. Excellent acting by Ms. Carroll, Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman and his wife.
31
@Tonjo "His wife"? You mean Joann Woodward? The one who was nominated for an Oscar four times? And nine times for an Emmy? That one?
3
@Tonjo - That would be Joanne Woodward. I would never refer to her as "Paul Newman's wife." Woodward was a force of nature.
4
@Tonjo, If you are referring to Newman's wife that would be Joanne Woodward
1
Ms. Carroll was a great and beautiful actress and, by my estimation, a beautiful person on the inside, whose life cannot and should not be determined by Julia, or any other single event. From the obituary you can see this woman had many talents and touched many lives. So, look at the whole picture and see her for what she was, a talented, beautiful person who made a significant contribution to American culture.
45
I'm not so sure that leading Diahann Carroll's obituary with her 1970s TV series is fair to her.
She was an Academy Award nominated actress, a Tony winner, and spent decades as a touring entertainer with a great singing voice.
Yes, "Julia" was unusual for its time, but her body of work eclipsed that.
75
@Baba I'm reading Sally Field's memoir right now. When I mentioned that to my mother, she replied, "Oh, Sally Field: the Flying Nun!" Ms. Field, who has won two Academy Awards, writes in her book about how painful it was to spend three years on that dopey TV show. I'm sure she'd be bummed that was the first thing my mother thought of when her name came up! All-in-all, Ms. Carroll's being remembered for playing the elegant Julia isn't so bad.
42
@NYC Woman
No.
The Julia focus is related to racial/cultural issues and there is no comparison to Sally Field on "The Flying Nun."
1
@Baba
It's the power of television.
1
I was so impressed seeing her in The Schubert Theater in New Haven in “No Strings.” Glamor, poise, and stage presence, and Richard Kiley was a suave match. Musical was ahead of its time, for sure!
21
This 63-year old white woman loved Ms. Carroll from Julia forward. I came to appreciate the strength and force of her will, her talent, her hope, and her ability to navigate the ugly, mean, and racist United States. She was a lot like my own mother—a fighter and a good person. May heaven watch over her.
59
What a class act throughout her long and marvelous career. Her accomplishments are all the more astonishing because Afro American women were invisible and roundly ignored for 70 years of her lifetime.
29
Wow I was born in 1967 and this is quite simply one of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen...to this day...
26
A fitting tribute to a remarkable woman and it's good to consider the complex issues "Julia" raised in its portrayal of race. It's true that she and others were presented as what Ms. Carroll called a "white Negro," but to the ten-year-old suburban white boy I was in 1968, that may have been the only viable presentation and I bet that probably applied to many; we weren't quite ready for "The Wire."
I haven't seen the show since it left the air, but I still remember Ms. Carroll's portrayal well and I can still hear the measured, calm voice she used when talking to her TV son, Corey.
36
Wow, not 10 minutes ago, I finished watching Marlon Rigg's fabulous documentary "Color Adjustment," in which Ms. Carroll is featured prominently (and in which she is quite critical of the role she played in "Julia"). Then this. RIP, beautiful lady.
21
I watched this show growing up and had a Diahann Carroll Barbie doll in a nurses outfit as well. Her show and others from my youth like To Sir With Love taught me about the inherent dignity and humanity of every person, regardless of Southerners' efforts to deny it, even to this day.
55
@Sherry
I still have my dolls. I collected them from the 1960s on. I lived in an apartment building near Einstein and Jacobi Hospitals in the Bronx. There were Medical Residents from all over the world living in my building. They would travel home to India and France and Bermuda and bring me beautiful dolls from all over the world. Nice to mentally melt into the memories from those good times now and again.
10
@Sherry I had the Julia Barbie, too, she was my favorite! In 1968, in small town South Jersey, the other little girls always wanted her to be the other Barbies’ maid. That didn’t fly for me. I’ve been scrolling the comments to see if anyone would make note of my very favorite Barbie!
10
I have always been a fan of hers. Even later in life, she was absolutely perfectly cast for her role as "June" on "White Collar". She sometimes even got to sing, which was great. Rest in peace.
12
@Easy Goer Though I remember Diahann Carroll in *Julia* growing up, like many others here, I think the image of her that will stay with me is her portrayal of June in *White Collar* -- mature, thoughtful, wise, with the sense of humor and depth of experience of a life well lived and the elegance of a bygone age. I am so grateful that she was able to keep on working as long as she did, and to leave behind such a capstone to her storied career.
2
I was young when she was on Chance of a Lifetime and my family and I rooted for her every week. We followed her career and I continued to Rest after my folks were gone. We all saw her in No Strings, and last year I bought the CD of the original cast recording. Rest in Peace and thanks for the music.
16
Saw her just the other day in "The Split" (1968) and fell in love all over again. Thanks for the memories. Rest in Peace, Beautiful.
17
She was beautiful and talented. She was an inspiration.
28
Why criticize something for what it isn't, instead of appreciating it for what it is? "Julia" was a situation comedy of the 1960's. It wasn't intended to be a realistic drama, just as "I Love Lucy" wasn't intended to depict prejudice against Hispanics or the rise of feminism. If Julia had been portrayed as living in a slum, there would have been an outcry about stereotyping. She wasn't wearing designer clothes, she just dressed professionally. Maybe her husband left her some life insurance. Why not?
Sit-coms about white people popular in the 1950's and 1960's, such as "Father Knows Best," "The Donna Reed Show," "Leave It to Beaver," and "The Nelsons" provided idealized depictions of middle-class "white" life unlike that lived by most people. But viewers liked them anyway, perhaps precisely because they were idealized. Everybody wanted the big house in the suburbs, financial security, the traditional nuclear family, and problems that could be solved in half an hour. And nobody was yelling.
192
@Linda
Seinfeld also never dealt with anti-Semitism, in spite of being, in some circles, a homage to all things Jewish. Even to the point of conversion. (?? I live in Arkansas now. It's a weird place.) You are right, if put in a slum, there's outcry. A lot of people just live in the suburbs. And they are, in fact, horrifyingly the same. By horrifying, I mean it's creepy to walk into the same house over and over and over again.
And then to put an unanswerable faux debate into an obituary, particularly while admitting that she was famous before (not many unknown, black actresses running around in Givenchy now, never mind 50 years ago) and, especially amongst the younger generations, more famous later. (I didn't watch White Collar, but know Carroll from it.)
Sometimes I think it's a great time to be alive (modern pads are nearly a miracle and I get all this nice entertainment while in an air conditioned place), but then this kind of thing happens and I wish I weren't.
Come on, Times. It's an obituary for an extraordinary woman!
8
@Linda Exactly. Because surely there were hard working,middle class, single black mothers working in the country who very much identified with the character.
14
I was 8 years old when "Julia" debuted on NBC. Being an African-American boy and seeing a black family on television was remarkable during that time, and "Julia" was one of the few shows my parents allowed me to stay up and watch. Come to think of it, we all watched as a family, which was unusual as this wasn't my dad's kind of show. Diahann Carroll was a treasure, and "Julia" was groundbreaking.
103
@Maryland Chris
I am young enough to remember ' The Nat King Cole Show', ' I Spy', ' Julia' ' Good Times', ' The Flip Wilson Show' and ' The Richard Pryor Show'.
5
This is sad news. I loved Diahann Carroll in Julia. I even had a Julia doll. She also was great in Claudine and Eve's Bayou. Her memoir The Legs are the Last to Go was a great read. Wonderful actress with great beauty. She will be missed.
35
Just re-watched her legendary performance in the Star Wars Holiday Special. RIP.
7
I was between the ages of 5 and 8 during Julia's run on television. I recall even to this day watching the program as a young boy. I have to say, the show's depiction of the title character made an impression on me and helped me see that we all have the same hopes and dreams as humans looking for happiness and success. Diahann Carroll's brilliant performances on the program no doubt were essential to conveying its positive message, no matter how much the show was constrained by the television sensibilities of that era.
Too bad the obituary did not spend as much space commenting on Ms. Carroll's later delicious turn on the 1980s nighttime soap opera Dynasty which was no less a reflection of the 1980s zeitgeist!
45
Wow, we black women have taken a hit this week, losing two of our performance arts giantesses back to back -- first Jessye Norman, and now Diahann Carroll. Both women were synonymous with courage, talent, grace, and beauty as they broke barrier after barrier thriving in spaces traditionally off-limits to black women. While their loss saddens me, I'm also encouraged as a youngish black woman to keep pushing, to let their struggles and achievements inform my own pathway to creating black art and beauty. An MFA candidate, I'm the first college graduate in my family, so much of my experience also has felt pioneering, to an extent. When I look to the lives of Ms. Norman and Ms. Carroll, I am inspired to turn my fears and doubts into the fuel necessary to fire my creative engines. I'm thankful for their examples.
251
@Nita Your tribute to Dihann Carroll put tears in the eyes of this 65-year'old white man. Keep pushing (and pull us all along).
57
@Nita I am white and feel the loss of both these amazing talents as well.
5
@Nita
You go, girl!
3
Diahann Carroll. Beauty, elegance, grace and talent. A first class lady.
90
@Peter You forgot intelligent. She attended NYU.
3
My wife were having lunch at small restaurant in Venice, CA, about 40 years ago when we saw Ms. Carroll across the room. She was casually dressed in white, and she literally glowed from across the room. We still talk about it from time to time. She was a very beautiful woman and a great talent. RIP.
105
Another pioneer gone to her reward. She was talented and beloved and beautiful. She endured many disappointments of the heart with divorces and a particularly terrible death of one of her husbands, Robert DeLeon.
She was treasured by black Americans in particular for her successful essaying of a role out of the-then (1960’s) strict and limiting stereotypical confines.
She will be missed and remembered as a woman of dignity whose complex and multilayered personality was nevertheless able to cross over and deliver to audiences something that they may have resisted long before the Cosby show: the warmth and humor of a single mother and her willingness to raise a single child in a loving environment despite its many stress points.
It’s a thousand pities that she wasn’t more widely appreciated.
87
@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
I simply love your precious comment.
It was as classy as Ms. Carroll.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and words.
18
As a child I was struck by the dignity and intelligence of the actress in "Julia." Although the show may have been aspirational, Ms. Carroll's contributions as a multi-faceted woman will live on. R.I.P.
48
Such a stunning, elegant, first class lady across the board.
Every week I so looked forward to her TV show, "Julia".
Her acting style was simply superb.
Condolences to her daughter, sister and grandchildren.
62
I was a little girl and watched Julia with my mother mostly because I liked to follow the stories around her son and his best friend. I was just a little older than they were, and while I was white, my best friend was black, so it was a situation similar to what we saw in the show. As a little kid, I thought it was a common thing for white and black people to be friends, and I didn't think about it. This show reinforced this view of the world for me. It was only a few years later that, unfortunately, I became aware that racism existed. I wish we had more shows like that nowadays.
156
Julia is the first TV show I remember watching and loving. Kids love shows where the stories portray them with love and respect. Like you, I was a white kid. I can’t imagine how special it must have been watching it as an African American child during that era.
44
@HLN
I had a similar experience growing up in Rio de Janeiro in the early seventies. My two best friends were blond kids (a boy my age and a younger girl), and I am mixed race and dark skinned. We loved to roleplay using themes from different TV shows (Julia, Lost in Space, and the time tunnel). I used to play Corey and one of my two friends would be Earl J. Waggedorn. It was the most natural thing to do, given our skin complexions. But there was no negative connotation of race. The three of us idolized Julia for being such a great mom; for certain a lot more easygoing than my own mom :-)
18
Very talented and a simply gorgeous woman. A good long life with many achievements. Ms. Carroll was a role model for young women and girls, and we know that genuine role models don’t come along every day. Rest In Peace.
46
A marvelous talent and a marvelous career, Diahann Carroll will be missed.
34
I'm saddened to read that we've lost another great performer. For all the nameless and faceless TV shows of the 69s and 70s that have disappeared (many rightly so), I would always think of "Julia" every time I heard Ms Carroll's name. But that was just a part of a much larger talent and career she had. So RIP Ms. Carroll, you brought joy to generations of your fans.
37
It was very exciting for me as a young white woman, grown in Lubbock, Texas, to see beautiful Carroll showcased in a television series that let America see the loveliness of black women and their families. It may have been glamorized and not representative of most African American lifestyles of a single mother, but her strong commitment to her son is representative of the African American values of that era and beyond.
97
My immediate thought was "How can this be? She's far too young!" and then realized that I had captured her in my mind's eye, frozen in time. She was more than a success as a actress, but in life as well. We were enriched with her in a midst, and her dparture from us in this life will make her absence all the more stark.
92
An American Icon. She defined beauty and grace for many African Americans in her day. Her talent seemed to grow with time. Beautifully showcased in "Five Heartbeats" and "Eve's Bayou" in minor roles. An icon. RIP.
55
A wonderful, talented, beautiful woman. RIP, DIAHANN CARROLL.
60
It takes a unique lady to stand up to Joan Collins in Dynasty, and Diahann rose to the occasion over and over again. To quote one of Dominique Devereux's lines, "Ciao...for now."
145
All class.
171
The first Broadway musical I saw as a young girl was the original cast of "No Strings" with Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley. I waited for her after the show to thank her; she was very gracious and very beautiful. Richard Rodgers wrote the part for her and she nailed it. Race had nothing to do with the story and it made a big impression on me in that era of Dr. King and police violence against civil disobedience. RIP.
116
I remember this show and I remember her. Her skin color made no difference to me. As young white girl I was thrilled to be able to watch any woman in a role that included work and a child. It meant the world to me at that age. Julia was educated, a responsible parent, and an excellent role model. It's a shame that there weren't more like her on television or in the movies when I was a child. Girls back then were forced into roles that didn't suit them. Even now girls are pressured to be sexual long before their bodies tell them to be.
While this show might have been too rosy for many, for others it was a relief. I loved watching a show where a mother didn't yell at, emotionally or physically hurt her child. It was the first time I had an inkling that not all parents beat their children, pulled their hair, or called them names.
Diahann Carroll, thank you for "Julia" and every other role you played.
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@hen3ry
As a young Canadian fan of the show, those episodes dealing with discrimination (it's not called that today? It certainly is in Canada) were a revelation to me.
Just as for you, Julia was a real role model to me.
46
Same here. I was a lonely preteen girl in New Jersey, living in a precarious and dysfunctional fatherless family. I loved watching “Julia.” It was an escape into a world where there lived a warm, caring and rational mother. I am Caucasian but Julia’s race never mattered . I simply longed for normalcy and decency in my life, and TV shows like Julia gave that to me. Rest In Peace, Ms. Carroll. And thank you.
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@Michele K
Thanks for speaking up for "discrimination". It's a word that has not lost its usefulness. It is also different from racism. Discrimination is an act. Racism is an attitude. Racism tends to show up in discriminatory behavior, of course, but it's the acts that we make or should make illegal.
48
An extremely beautiful, talented person. She will be missed.
51
Lovely, beautiful, great actress, one of so few that this young black child could look up to from "Julia" to "Dynasty" and many, great movies before, during and after. May she rest as well in peace. Thank you Ms. Caroll.
59
This lovely obituary neglects to mention Ms. Carroll's unforgettable role as Dominique Devereux on the aeries "Dynasty" -- the one and only equal match to Alexis Carrington, played by Joan Collins.
38
@Leah Daughtry It does mention it, high up in the story:
In films, she starred opposite the likes of Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, James Earl Jones and Michael Caine. On television, she played the scheming, moneyed Dominique Deveraux on ABC’s prime-time soap opera “Dynasty” in the 1980s.
7
@Leah Daughtry The obituary briefly mentions "Dynasty," but I am too puzzled why Diahann Carroll's role on this show was not discussed more prominently in this article. She had a pretty substantial role on "Dynasty" as "Dominique Deveraux," the and her scenes with "Alexis Colby" played by Joan Collins were iconic. Classic 1980s.
24
@Leah Daughtry
Dart '84?
Lovely lady and a good actress. God Bless her family. RIP.
28
Carroll and Kiley took No Strings on the road. They performed at Shady Grove Music Theater in Gaithersburg Maryland and the impression I had of her, a lovely woman with a beautiful, rich voice, has stayed with me. I feel fortunate to have seen her in person.
7
@Carolyn I too saw Diahann as a teenager on Broadway in No Strings. Years later after playing the role pf 'Lionel' on the tv series The Jeffersons Diahann played my step mother when I assumed the role of Alex Hailey in Roots: There Next generation. I loved her and she was so classy!
5
@Damon Evans
Damon, How lucky for you to have worked with Diahann. My comment was the first I've even done and I subscribe to many online newspapers, so this is kind of magical to submit a comment and get a reply. I've looked you up on Wiki and am impressed by all you've accomplished. I'll look into Roots. Thanks.