Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Carroll was the recipient of numerous nominations and awards for her stage and screen performances, including a 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 and Porgy and Bess. She received an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for her title role in the romantic comedy-drama film Claudine. Carroll's other notable film credits include Paris Blues, The Split, Eve's Bayou, and Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years.
She starred in the title role in Julia, 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. In the show Carroll played a nurse and single mother. She played the role of Dominique Deveraux, a mixed-race diva, in the prime time soap opera Dynasty from 1984 to 1987. She also had roles in Naked City, A Different World, and Grey's Anatomy.