Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as
Julia Sugarbaker
''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason M ...
on the sitcom ''
Designing Women
''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason M ...
'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''
Family Law
Family law (also called matrimonial law or the law of domestic relations) is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations.
Overview
Subjects that commonly fall under a nation's body of family law include:
* Marriage, ...
'' (1999–2002). She was nominated for the 2007
for her role as Gloria Hodge on ''
Desperate Housewives
''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'' (2006–2007).
Carter made her professional stage debut in a Memphis production of the musical ''
Carousel
A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
'' in 1960 and made her Broadway debut in the 1974 musical ''Sextet''. After appearing for two years as District Attorney Brandy Henderson on the CBS soap ''
The Edge of Night
''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions.
It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that networ ...
'' (1974–1976), she starred in the 1976
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
revival of the musical ''
Pal Joey''. Her other television roles included the sitcoms ''
On Our Own'' (1977–1978), ''
Filthy Rich'' (1982–1983) and ''
Diff'rent Strokes
''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, r ...
'' (1984–1985). She returned to Broadway to play
Maria Callas
Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...
in the play ''
Master Class
A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
'' in 1997 and to play Mrs. Meers in the musical ''
Thoroughly Modern Millie
''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' is a 1967 American musical- romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay, by Richard Morris based on the 1956 British musical ''Chrysanthemum'', follows a naïve you ...
'' in 2004.
Early life
Dixie Virginia Carter was born May 25, 1939, to Esther Virginia (née Hillsman) and Halbert Leroy Carter in
McLemoresville, Tennessee
McLemoresville is a town in Carroll County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 352 at the 2010 census. It is notable primarily as the birthplace, and final resting place, of television star Dixie Carter and her husband, actor Hal Holbroo ...
. Carter spent many of her early years in
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
. She attended the
University of Memphis
}
The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...
and
Southwestern at Memphis.
In college, she was a member of the
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University by Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Isabel Morgan Breed, and Florence Isabelle Stewart.
Tri Delta part ...
sorority. In 1959, Carter competed in the
Miss Tennessee
The Miss Tennessee competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Tennessee in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.
Lauren Dickson of Parsons was crowned Miss Tennessee 2022 on June 25, 2022 at the Cannon Center ...
pageant, where she placed first runner-up to Mickie Weyland. Carter won the Miss Volunteer beauty pageant at the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...
the same year.
Career
In 1960, Carter made her professional stage debut in a Memphis production of ''
Carousel
A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
'', co-starring
George Hearn
George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre.
Early years
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before ...
, whom she would go on to marry 17 years later. She moved to New York City in 1963 and got a part in a production of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
The Winter's Tale
''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...
''.
In 1967, she began an eight-year hiatus from acting, to focus on raising her two daughters; she returned to acting in 1974, when she filled in for actress
Nancy Pinkerton
Nancy Pinkerton Peabody (May 7, 1940 – March 4, 2010) was an American actress.
Pinkerton is perhaps best known as the original actress to play Dr. Dorian Lord on the ABC daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'' from 1973 to 1977, a period whic ...
as
Dorian Cramer on ''
One Life to Live
''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' while Pinkerton was on
maternity leave
Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" and ...
. She subsequently was cast in the role of Assistant
D.A. Olivia Brandeis "Brandy" Henderson on the soap opera ''
The Edge of Night
''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions.
It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that networ ...
'' from 1974 to 1976. Carter took the role though some advised her that doing a daytime soap might negatively affect her career. However, she was first noticed in this role, and after leaving ''Edge of Night'' in 1977, she appeared in several episodes of another soap opera, ''
The Doctors'' as socialite Linda Elliott. She relocated from New York to Los Angeles and pursued prime-time television roles. In 1976, she won the
''Theater World'' Award for ''Jesse and the Bandit Queen''.
She appeared in series such as ''
Out of the Blue'' (as Aunt Marion), ''
On Our Own'' (as April Baxter), ''
Diff'rent Strokes
''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, r ...
'' (as the first Maggie McKinney Drummond, Phillip Drummond's second wife), ''
The Greatest American Hero
''The Greatest American Hero'' is an American comedy-drama Superhero fiction, superhero television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 1 ...
'' (playing a
KGB
The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...
spy) and as the stuck up and conniving Carlotta Beck on ''
Filthy Rich'' (1982).
Carter's appearance in ''Filthy Rich'' paved the way for her most notable role, that of sharp tongued liberal interior decorator Julia Sugarbaker in the 1986–1993 television program ''Designing Women'', set in Atlanta. ''Filthy Rich'' was created by
Linda Bloodworth Thomason
Linda Joyce Bloodworth-Thomason (born April 15, 1947) is an American writer, director, and television producer. She is best known for creating, writing, and producing several television series, most successfully with the series ''Designing Women'' ...
, who also created ''Designing Women''. (In the beginning, without knowing the content of the show, Bloodworth-Thomason's only idea was to create a show starring Carter and fellow castmates
Delta Burke
Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30, 1956) is an American actress, producer, and author. From 1986 to 1991, she starred as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom ''Designing Women'', for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstan ...
,
Annie Potts
Anne Hampton Potts (born October 28, 1952) is an American actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ''Corvette Summer'' (1978) and won a Genie Award for '' Heartaches'' (1981), before appearing in ''Ghostbusters'' (1984), ''Pretty i ...
and
Jean Smart
Jean Elizabeth Smart (born September 13, 1951) is an American actress. After beginning her career in regional theater in the Pacific Northwest, she appeared on Broadway in 1981 as Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play '' Piaf''. Smart was l ...
. ''Filthy Rich'' also featured fellow ''Designing Women'' cast member Delta Burke in its cast.) After much persuasion from creators Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and her husband
Harry Thomason
Harry Zell Thomason (born November 30, 1940) is an American film and television producer and director, best known for the television series ''Designing Women''. Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, are close friends of President Bil ...
,
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...
, Carter's real-life husband, had a recurring role as attorney Reese Watson. Carter's daughters Ginna and Mary Dixie Carter also had guest star roles as Julia Sugarbaker's nieces Jennifer and Camilla in the episode "The Naked Truth" in 1989.
In 1997, Carter starred as
Maria Callas
Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...
in
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter.
Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...
's play ''
Master Class
A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
''. She played the role from January to June. The role previously had been played by
Zoe Caldwell
Zoe Ada Caldwell, (14 September 1933 – 16 February 2020) was an Australian actress. She was a four-time Tony Award winner, winning Best Featured Actress in a Play for '' Slapstick Tragedy'' (1966), and Best Actress in a Play for '' The Pri ...
and
Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fa ...
.
Noted for portraying strong-minded Southern women, Carter provided the voice of Necile in Mike Young Productions' cartoon feature ''
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' is a 1902 children's book, written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark.
Setting
Plot
As a baby, Santa Claus is found in the Forest of Burzee by Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World ...
''. She was also in the voice cast of ''My Neighbors the Yamadas'', the English language dub of Studio Ghibli's 1999 anime movie
of the same.
From 1999 to 2002, she portrayed Randi King on the legal drama ''
Family Law
Family law (also called matrimonial law or the law of domestic relations) is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations.
Overview
Subjects that commonly fall under a nation's body of family law include:
* Marriage, ...
''. From 1999 to 2000, she was a cast member on the short-lived sitcom ''
Ladies Man
A ladies' man or lady's man is a man who enjoys spending time socially with women, who strives to please them and that women find attractive.
Ladies' man or lady's man may also refer to:
Literature
* ''Ladies' Man'' (novel), a 1978 novel by R ...
,'' appearing as a regular on both ''Ladies Man'' and ''Family Law''. In 2004, she made a guest appearance on ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', playing a defense attorney named Denise Brockmorton in the episode called "Home", in which she defended the paranoid mother of two children (
Diane Venora
Diane Venora is an American stage, television and film actress. She graduated from the Juilliard School in 1977 and made her film debut in 1981 opposite Albert Finney in '' Wolfen''. She won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Support ...
) who had manipulated her older son to kill the younger son after breaking her home rules.
Carter starred in several Broadway musicals and plays. She appeared on- and off-Broadway as well, playing the role of Melba Snyder in the 1976 revival of ''
Pal Joey'' and
Maria Callas
Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...
in ''
Master Class
A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
''.
In 2006–2007, Carter found a resurgence of fame with a new generation of fans portraying
Gloria Hodge
'' Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama series that aired on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). It focuses on the residents living on the fictional Wisteria Lane as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda St ...
, Bree Van de Kamp's disturbed (and scheming) mother-in-law on ''Desperate Housewives''. Creator
Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry (born March 23, 1962) is an American television writer and producer. He is best known for creating the ABC dramedy series ''Desperate Housewives''.
Personal life Early life
Marc Cherry was born in Long Beach and lived briefly in ...
started in Hollywood as Carter's assistant on the set of ''Designing Women''. Her first and only
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination was for the
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 16, 2007, honoring the best in U.S. prime time television programming at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ...
under the category of
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Gloria Hodge.
Carter gave an interview in 2006 for the feature-length documentary ''That Guy: The Legacy of
Dub Taylor
Walter Clarence "Dub" Taylor Jr. (February 26, 1907 – October 3, 1994),Dub Taylor, 87, Actor in Westerns, The New York Times, October 5, 1994, Section B, Page 12 was an American character actor who from the 1940s into the 1990s worked extens ...
'', which received support from Taylor's family and many of Dub's previous coworkers, including
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
,
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...
,
Don Collier
Donald Mounger Collier (October 17, 1928 – September 13, 2021) was an American actor best known for Western films and NBC television shows such as ''The High Chaparral'', ''Bonanza,'' ''Gunsmoke'', and ''Outlaws'' as Marshal Will Foreman.
E ...
, Cheryl Rogers-Barnett and many others. The project was scheduled to have its world premiere at Taylor's childhood hometown of
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...
on April 14, 2007.
Her final film was ''
That Evening Sun
"That Evening Sun" is a short story by the American author William Faulkner, published in 1931 in the collection '' These 13'', which included Faulkner's most anthologized story, "A Rose for Emily". The story was originally published, in a slight ...
'', which she filmed with her husband Hal Holbrook in East Tennessee in summer 2008. The film, produced by Dogwood Entertainment (a subsidiary of DoubleJay Creative), is based on a short story by
William Gay. ''That Evening Sun'' premiered at
South By Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
, where it competed for the narrative feature grand jury prize.
Personal life
![Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter at the 41st Emmy Awards](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Hal_Holbrook_and_Dixie_Carter_at_the_41st_Emmy_Awards.jpg)
In 1967, Carter married businessman
Arthur Carter (no relation). Following the birth of her daughters, Carter left acting for eight years to raise her children with Arthur's three children, Jon, Whendy and Ellen Carter.
She divorced Arthur Carter in 1977 and married theater and TV actor
George Hearn
George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre.
Early years
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before ...
the same year. Two years later, she divorced Hearn.
She was married for the third time on May 27, 1984, to fellow actor
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...
whom she met on the set of ''The Killing of Randy Webster''. She and Holbrook divided their time between their homes in
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...
and
McLemoresville, Tennessee
McLemoresville is a town in Carroll County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 352 at the 2010 census. It is notable primarily as the birthplace, and final resting place, of television star Dixie Carter and her husband, actor Hal Holbroo ...
where she cared for her father until his death.
In 1996, Carter published a memoir titled ''Trying to Get to Heaven'', in which she talked frankly about her life with Hal Holbrook, ''Designing Women'' and her plastic surgery during the show's run. She acknowledged, along with other celebrities, having used human
growth hormone
Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in h ...
for its antiaging properties.
Political views
![Dixie Carter 2000](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Dixie_Carter_2000.jpg)
Carter was a registered
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
who described her political views as
libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
. She was interviewed by
Bill O'Reilly along with
Pat Boone
Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...
at the
2000 Republican National Convention, and once jokingly described herself as "the only Republican in show business". However, Carter's ''Designing Women'' character, Julia Sugarbaker, was known for her
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
political views and related speeches, for which she was nicknamed "The Terminator." Carter disagreed with many of her character's beliefs, and made a deal with the show's producers that if Julia delivered a "Terminator" monologue, she would get to sing a song in a future episode.
Death and legacy
Carter died on April 10, 2010, in Houston, Texas. Carter's husband said her death was caused by complications from
endometrial cancer
Endometrial cancer is a cancer that arises from the endometrium (the lining of the uterus or womb). It is the result of the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. The first sign is most o ...
, diagnosed earlier in 2010. Dixie Carter was interred in McLemoresville, Tennessee.
The Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center (informally called "The Dixie") in
Huntingdon, Tennessee
Huntingdon is a town in Carroll County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,439 at the 2020 census and 3,985 in 2010. It is the county seat of Carroll County.
History
European-American settlers named Huntingdon for Memucan Hunt, who f ...
, is named in honor of Carter.
A public service announcement made by Carter in 2003 describing and offering outreach to sufferers of
spasmodic torticollis/cervical dystonia began appearing in New York and New Jersey and then across the United States in 2010.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Dixie
1939 births
2010 deaths
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Activists from California
Actresses from Tennessee
American film actresses
American libertarians
American soap opera actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American voice actresses
Cabaret singers
California Republicans
Deaths from cancer in Texas
Deaths from endometrial cancer
American LGBT rights activists
People from Carroll County, Tennessee
Rhodes College alumni
University of Memphis alumni