Diahann Caroll Dies

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Diahann Caroll Dies

A legendary actress has unfortunately passed away. Journalist Susan Kay, daughter of Diahann Caroll, confirmed that star died Friday in her Los Angeles home after a bout with cancer. She was 84-years-old.

A barrier breaker, Caroll was known for becoming the first black woman to star in a non-servant TV role. Caroll played Julia Baker, a widowed nurse whose husband had been killed in Vietnam, in the comedy “Julia” that aired from 1968 to 1971.

She earned a Tony Award for the musical “No Strings” and an Oscar nomination for “Claudine” and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2011.

She’s also revered for her role on “Dynasty” as Dominique Deveraux. Another groundbreaking role, Devereaux was the first prominently featured African-American character on a primetime soap opera and Carroll also starred in the spinoff “The Colbys.”

More recently Diahann played Jasmine Guy’s mother on NBC’s “A Different World” and Isaiah Washington’s mom on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Tributes to Diahann are rolling in as people remember the legend’s legacy.

R.I.P. to a true ICON.