Dixie Carter

Dixie Virginia Carter, (May 25, 1939, McLemoresville, Tennessee - April 10, 2010, Houston, Texas), was an American movie, television and stage actress. She was best known for playing Julia Sugarbaker in the television series Designing Women (1986-1993). She competed in Miss Tennessee pageants in 1959.

Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter 1977.JPG
Dixie Carter in 1977
Born
Dixie Virginia Carter

(1939-05-25)May 25, 1939
DiedApril 10, 2010(2010-04-10) (aged 70)
Cause of deathEndometrial cancer
Resting placeMcLemoresville, Tennessee
NationalityAmerican
EducationRhodes College
Alma materUniversity of Tennessee at Knoxville,
University of Memphis
OccupationActress
Years active1960–2010
Known forJulia Sugarbaker,
Randi King,
Gloria Hodge
Height5' 5" (1.65 m)
TelevisionDesigning Women,
Family Law,
Desperate Housewives
Spouse(s)
Arthur L. Carter (m. 1967–1977)
(divorced; 2 daughters)
George Hearn (m. 1977–1979)
(divorced)
Hal Holbrook (m. 1984–2010)
(her death)
ChildrenFrom Carter:
Ginna Carter,
Mary Dixie Carter
RelativesMelba Helen Heath
Websitehttp://www.dixiecarter.com

Early life

Carter was born in McLemoresville, Tennessee, and spent many of her early years in Memphis. She attended college at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College). She was a graduate of Memphis State with a degree in English.

Personal life

 
Carter in December 2007

She divorced Arthur Carter in 1977, and married Broadway and TV actor George Hearn the same year. Two years later, in 1979, she divorced Hearn. She married for the third time on May 27, 1984, to Hal Holbrook (14 years her senior), who is most noted for his appearances as Mark Twain. Carter renovated her old family home in McLemoresville with the designs of architect Hoyte Johnson of Atlanta.

She and Holbrook divided their time between their homes in Beverly Hills, California, and McLemoresville, Tennessee, where Carter's elderly father, Halbert, resided until his death in early 2007, at age 96.

Death

Carter died on April 10, 2010, in Houston, Texas.[1] Her death was announced by her husband, actor Hal Holbrook, who stated the cause as complications from endometrial cancer which was diagnosed earlier in 2010. In addition to Holbrook, she is survived by her daughters from her first marriage: Ginna Carter (of Los Angeles) and Mary Dixie Carter (of Brooklyn) as well as a sister, Melba Helen Heath (of San Anselmo, California) and several nephews and nieces. In addition to family, her funeral, held on April 15, 2010, was attended by Designing Women co-stars Delta Burke, Annie Potts and Jean Smart. Dixie Carter was interred in her hometown, McLemoresville, Tennessee.

Movies

Year Title Role Other notes
1963 The Doctors
1974 One Life to Live Dorian Cramer
1974–1976 The Edge of Night A.D.A Olivia Brandeis Henderson
1977 The Andros Targets Rita 1 episode " The Killing of a Porno Queen"
1977–1978 On Our Own April Baxter 22 episodes
1979 Out of the Blue Marion Richards 12 episodes
1980 OHMS Nora Wing
1981 The Killing of Randy Webster Billie Webster
1982 Cassie & Co. Evelyn Weller 1 episode "The Golden Silence"
Bret Maverick Hallie McCulloch 1 episode "Hallie"
Best of the West Mae Markham 1 episode "The Pretty Prisoner"
Quincy, M.E. Dr. Alicia Ranier 1 episode "The Face of Fear"
The Greatest American Hero Samantha O'Neill 1 episode " Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell"
Lou Grant Jessica Lindner 1 episode "Suspect"
1982–1983 Filthy Rich Carlotta Beck 15 episodes
1983 Going Berserk Angela
1984–1985 Diff'rent Strokes Maggie McKinney 28 episodes
1986 Crazy Like a Fox 1 episode "Fox on the Range"
1986–1993 Designing Women Julia Sugarbaker 163 episodes
1994 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle Louise Archer
Gambler V: Playing for Keeps Lillie Langtry
Christy Julia Huddleston 1 episode "The Sweetest Gift"
1995 Dazzle Lydie Kilkullen
Diagnosis: Murder D.A. Patricia Purcell 1 episode "Murder in the Courthouse"
1996 Gone in the Night Ann Dowaliby
1997 Fired Up Rita 2 episodes "The Mother of All Gwens" and "Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey"
1999–2000 Ladies Man Peaches 9 episodes
1999–2002 Family Law Randi King 68 episodes
1999 My Neighbors the Yamadas voice: English version
2000 The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus Necile voice
2001 The Big Day Carol
2003 Comfort and Joy Frederica
2004 Sudbury TV pilot
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Denise Brockmorton 1 episode "Home"
2005 Hope & Faith Joyce Shanowski 1 episode " A Room of One's Own"
2006–2007 Desperate Housewives Gloria Hodge 7 episodes
2008 Our First Christmas Evie Baer
2009 That Evening Sun Ellen Meecham

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Series or Play Result
1976 Theatre World Award Outstanding Actress Jesse and the Bandit Queen Won
1979 Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play Fathers and Sons Nominated
1989 Los Angeles Women in Film Festival Excellence in TV Episodic Comedy Designing Women Won
2007 Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series 'Desperate Housewives Nominated
2009 SXSW Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast That Evening Sun Won

References

Other websites