Diahann Carroll Net Worth

Diahann Carroll: A Look at Her Net Worth, Career, and Legacy

What Was Diahann Carroll’s Net Worth?

Diahann Carroll, a trailblazing actress, singer, and model, left behind a legacy of remarkable achievements. At the time of her passing in October 2019, at the age of 84, her net worth was estimated at $20 million, a testament to her successful and enduring career across multiple entertainment mediums. This article delves into the life and career of Diahann Carroll, exploring her impact on the entertainment industry and her lasting influence.

Early Life and Education

Born Carol Diann Johnson on July 17, 1935, in the Bronx, New York City, Diahann Carroll’s journey to stardom began in a nurturing environment. Her parents, Mabel, a nurse, and John, a subway conductor, recognized and supported her talents from a young age. Growing up in Harlem, she attended the prestigious Music and Art High School, which provided a foundation for her artistic pursuits. Carroll’s parents enrolled her in dance, singing, and modeling classes, fostering her multifaceted abilities. By the age of 15, she was already making strides in the modeling world, appearing in Ebony magazine, a significant platform for African-American talent. Following her high school graduation, Carroll pursued sociology at New York University, but her passion for show business ultimately led her to leave the program and embark on a career that would redefine the landscape of entertainment.

Career Beginnings

At 18, Diahann Carroll’s talent was recognized when she competed on the DuMont Television Network’s talent show, “Chance of a Lifetime.” Her rendition of “Why Was I Born?” earned her the top prize, catapulting her into the spotlight. This exposure led to engagements at various nightclubs in New York City, allowing her to hone her performance skills and captivate audiences with her vocal prowess and stage presence. These early experiences were crucial in shaping her as a performer and laying the groundwork for her future success.

Film Career

In 1954, Diahann Carroll made her feature film debut in the all-black musical “Carmen Jones,” a bold adaptation starring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and Pearl Bailey, and directed by Otto Preminger. This marked the beginning of a significant film career, and she would later reunite with Preminger in 1959 for his adaptation of Gershwin’s musical “Porgy and Bess,” which also starred Dandridge and Sidney Poitier. Throughout the early 1960s, Carroll took on several roles, including a brief appearance in Anatole Litvak’s romantic drama “Goodbye Again” and a more substantial supporting role in Martin Ritt’s musical romance “Paris Blues,” alongside Sidney Poitier and Paul Newman. She continued to work with Preminger later in the decade, starring in his drama “Hurry Sundown” with Jane Fonda and Michael Caine. Adding depth to her filmography, Carroll also starred in the neo-noir crime drama “The Split.”

In 1974, Carroll delivered one of her most celebrated film performances in the dramedy “Claudine,” co-starring James Earl Jones. In this film, she portrayed the titular character, a single black mother from Harlem navigating the challenges of raising six children on welfare. Her portrayal earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, making her only the fourth black woman to receive a nomination in this prestigious category at the time. Following this success, Carroll’s film appearances became less frequent. She returned to the big screen in 1991 in the musical drama “The Five Heartbeats,” followed by a role in the acclaimed Southern Gothic drama “Eve’s Bayou” in 1997. Her final film roles included appearances in the 2013 romantic comedy “Peeples” and the 2016 biographical drama “The Masked Saint.”

Mark Davis/Getty Images

Television Career

Following her success on “Chance of a Lifetime,” Diahann Carroll ventured into television, making appearances on shows like “The Red Skelton Hour” and “General Electric Theater.” In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, she became a regular presence on talk and variety shows, including “The Jack Paar Tonight Show,” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and “The Garry Moore Show.” In 1968, Carroll began what would become her most iconic television role, playing the title character in the NBC sitcom “Julia.” The show was a groundbreaking achievement, being the first weekly series to star an African-American actress in a role that was not a domestic worker. As Julia Baker, an aerospace company nurse, Carroll won a Golden Globe Award and received an Emmy Award nomination for her performance. “Julia” ran for three seasons, ending in early 1971.

In the later part of the 1970s, Carroll appeared in the miniseries “Roots: The Next Generations” and the television film “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” showcasing her range as an actress. She also hosted “The Diahann Carroll Show,” a series of four musical variety specials that allowed her to share her singing talents and connect with her audience on a personal level. In 1982, Carroll starred in the television film “Sister, Sister.” In 1984, she joined the cast of the primetime soap opera “Dynasty” at the end of its fourth season, portraying the mixed-race diva Dominique Deveraux. She remained on the show until its seventh season in 1987. Concurrently, she reprised her role as Deveraux in the short-lived spin-off series “The Colbys.” In 1989, Carroll took on a recurring role as Marion Gilbert in the sitcom “A Different World,” earning another Emmy Award nomination for her performance. The following decade saw Carroll in several television films, including “Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years.” She also played Ida Grayson in “Lonesome Dove: The Series.” In the 2000s, Carroll appeared in the television film “Livin’ for Love: The Natalie Cole Story.” She also had recurring roles in series like “The Court,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “White Collar.” In 2010, Carroll appeared in two Lifetime movie adaptations of novels by Patricia Cornwell: “At Risk” and “The Front.”

Theater Career

In the same year that she made her film debut, Diahann Carroll made her Broadway debut in the musical “House of Flowers.” She followed this with a role in the 1962 musical “No Strings,” for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, a significant achievement as the first African-American woman to win this award. After a hiatus from the stage, Carroll returned in the late 1970s, appearing in “Same Time, Next Year.” Her sole Broadway credit in the following decade was “Agnes of God.” In the 1990s, Carroll continued to grace the stage, appearing in a Los Angeles production of “Love Letters,” a Toronto production of “Sunset Boulevard,” and an off-Broadway production of “The Vagina Monologues.” Her final theater credits included “Bubbling Brown Sugar,” “On Golden Pond,” and “Both Sides Now,” solidifying her legacy as a versatile performer across different mediums.

Relationships

Diahann Carroll’s personal life was marked by several significant relationships. She was married four times throughout her life. Her first husband was record producer Monte Kay, whom she married in 1956. They had a daughter named Suzanne before divorcing in 1963. During her marriage to Kay, Carroll began a nine-year affair with actor Sidney Poitier, who was also married at the time. Carroll also dated British television host and journalist David Frost from 1970 to 1973. They were engaged but ultimately called off the wedding.

In February 1973, Carroll married her second husband, Fred Glusman, but they divorced in June due to physical abuse. She subsequently married Jet magazine managing editor Robert DeLeon in 1975, relocating to Chicago to be with him. Following DeLeon’s job change, the couple moved to Oakland. Tragically, DeLeon died in a car crash in 1977. Carroll’s fourth and final marriage was to singer Vic Damone in 1987. Their relationship was turbulent, leading to a legal separation in 1991, a subsequent reconciliation, and finally, a divorce in 1996.

Death

In 1997, Diahann Carroll was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent nine weeks of radiation therapy and was declared cancer-free. Unfortunately, in October 2019, Carroll passed away from cancer at her home in West Hollywood, California. She was 84 years old at the time of her death, leaving behind an indelible mark on the entertainment industry.