Biographie

Release of her autobiography, "The Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, Mothering and Other Things I Learned Along the Way" by Diahann with Bob Morris.

Once enrolled at New York University, where she intended to study psychology, in honor of her parents' wishes that she complete her education. She lasted one term; her passion for a career in singing won out.

In 1984, it was pointed out to the producers of Dynastie (1981) that, despite having one of the largest casts on television, the series did not feature a single African-American character. As a result, she was cast as Blake Carrington's illegitimate half-sister Dominique Devereaux, who sued for her share of the family fortune. Carroll's character lasted through two seasons (and 87 episodes) and made several guest appearances in the "Dynasty" spin-off Dynastie II: Les Colby (1985).

Her romantic relationships were turbulent. In the early 1970s, she became romantically involved with David Frost, a popular British talk show host. In November 1972, she and Frost became engaged but she called it off and married another man, Freddie Glusman, a week later. That marriage was short-lived.

Best known by the public for her starring role as the title character in Julia (1968).

[on filming Que vienne la nuit (1967) in St. Francisville, LA, home of the Ku Klux Klan, amid death threats to the cast and crew] You can cut the hostility here with a knife. I'm not a fighter. I usually smile and then go into my room and cry my eyes out. But down here, the terror has killed my taste for going anywhere.

I'm always getting involved in the wrong relationship. I do that very well.

I like to think I opened doors for other women, although that wasn't my original intention.

I learned quickly that almost any time a third world face became prominent on TV, we became responsible for the whole minority community.

In the beginning, I found myself dealing with a show business dictated by male white supremacists and chauvinists. As a black female, I had to learn how to tap dance around the situation. I had to ... find a way to present my point of view without being pushy or aggressive. In the old days, the only women I saw in this business were in makeup, hairdressing, and wardrobe departments. Now I'm surrounded by women executives, writers, directors, producers, and even women stagehands.