The pioneering actress Diahann Carroll passed away today at the age of 84. The Oscar nominee was the first black woman to win a Tony award and the first African-American woman to star in a non-stereotypical lead role on television in NBC’s Julia, which ran from 1968-1971. She got her first film role in 1954’s Carmen Jones, alongside Dorothy Dandrige, and then went on to act in films like Porgy and Bess and Paris Blues before winning the Tony in 1962 for the musical No Strings. She won a Golden Globe and was Emmy nominated for Julia, and was then nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for 1974’s Claudine. She joined the cast of Dynasty from 1984-87 as Dominique Deveraux, and was nominated for a third Emmy for her recurring role on A Different World in the late 80’s. She went on to guest star on television into the 2010’s and was finally inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2011.
Opening credits of Julia (1968-71):
