It’s sad news today as the world loses yet another leading lady. Dixie Carter, “Designing Women” actress has reportedly died. Find out more saddening details and see photos and a video here.
Actress Dixie Carter was just 70 years old before she reportedly died on April 10, 2010 and no details were given on the manner of death.
As a biography, Dixie Virginia Carter was born in McLemoresville, Tennesse on May 25, 1939 so her age is 70. She is an actress best-known for her role as Southern interior designer Julia Sugerbaker in “Designing Women”. As a child, she had dreams of becoming an opera singer, however, a tonsillectomy ended her hopes of ever pursuing a singing career. She continued to sing and play the piano, trumpet, and harmonica. Following high school, she attended the University of Tennessee and Southwestern at Memphis earning an English degree. Carter was also a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. In 1960, landed a professional role in the production of “Carousel”. A few years later, she moved to New York and also participated in Joseph Papp’s Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale”. After marrying Arthur Carter, she took a break from acting to raise their two daughters, Ginna and Marie Dixie Carter. Eight years later, she returned to the business and was offered a role in Los Angeles for “On Our Own” and the family quickly moved to California. She can be seen in the following television, screen and stage appearances: Desperate Housewives (2006), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2004), Family Law (1999), Ladies Man (1999), notably, Designing Women (1986), Diff’rent Strokes, (1984), and Filthy Rich (1982). She was married to her first husband Arthur Carter from (1967-1977), George Hearn from (1977-1979) and on May 27, 1984 she married Hal Holbrook. In her honor, the Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center opened in December of 2005 in Huntington, Tennessee. In April of 2007, Dixie received both the Tennessee Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and the Evangeline Booth Award for representing the Salvation Army.
Hal Holbrook, Dixie’s husband, shared this of her tragic death:
“This has been a terrible blow to our family … We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy. Thank you.”
It is said that the Designing Women actress met Holbrook in 1981 on the set of the CBS-TV movie, “The Killing of Randy Webster”. In 2006, they also appeared together in a Broadway play called, “Southern Comforts”.
In 2007, Dixie Carter was accepted an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series” for her role as an evasive mother-in-law of “Desperate Housewives” Bree Hodge (Marcia Cross).
She is survived by her husband, Hal Holbrook of almost 26 years, and her two daughters, Ginna and Marie Dixie Carter.
You will be missed! My condolences go out to all loved ones of Dixie Carter. You may leave your sympathies for the Designing Women actress in the comment box. Also, see pictures and a film below.
Photos: www.wenn.com/Starbux/Adriana M. Barraza/Nikki Nelson
