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 in 1977 | |
| Born | Dixie Virginia Carter May 25, 1939 |
| Died | April 10, 2010 (aged 70) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Endometrial cancer |
| Resting place | McLemoresville, Tennessee |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Rhodes College |
| Alma mater | University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of Memphis |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1960–2010 |
| Known for | Julia Sugarbaker, Randi King, Gloria Hodge |
| Height | 5' 5" (1.65 m) |
| Television | Designing 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) |
| Children | From Carter: Ginna Carter, Mary Dixie Carter |
| Relatives | Melba Helen Heath |
| Website | http://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
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 |