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.

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. 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 1963The Doctors   1974One Life to Live  Dorian Cramer  1974–1976The Edge of Night  A.D.A Olivia Brandeis Henderson  1977The Andros Targets Rita1 episode " The Killing of a Porno Queen"  1977–1978On Our Own April Baxter22 episodes 1979Out of the Blue Marion Richards12 episodes  1980OHMS Nora Wing   1981The Killing of Randy Webster Billie Webster  1982Cassie & Co.  Evelyn Weller1 episode "The Golden Silence"Bret Maverick Hallie McCulloch1 episode "Hallie"  Best of the WestMae Markham 1 episode "The Pretty Prisoner"  Quincy, M.E.Dr. Alicia Ranier  1 episode "The Face of Fear"  The Greatest American HeroSamantha O'Neill 1 episode " Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell"  Lou GrantJessica Lindner  1 episode "Suspect" 1982–1983Filthy Rich Carlotta Beck15 episodes 1983Going Berserk Angela   1984–1985Diff'rent Strokes Maggie McKinney28 episodes  1986Crazy Like a Fox 1 episode "Fox on the Range"  1986–1993Designing Women Julia Sugarbaker163 episodes 1994A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle Louise Archer  Gambler V: Playing for KeepsLillie Langtry  Christy Julia Huddleston 1 episode "The Sweetest Gift" 1995Dazzle Lydie Kilkullen   Diagnosis: MurderD.A. Patricia Purcell 1 episode "Murder in the Courthouse" 1996Gone in the Night Ann Dowaliby  1997Fired Up  Rita2 episodes "The Mother of All Gwens" and "Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey"  1999–2000Ladies Man Peaches9 episodes 1999–2002Family Law Randi King68 episodes 1999 My Neighbors the Yamadas voice: English version2000  The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus Necilevoice 2001The Big Day  Carol   2003Comfort and Joy Frederica  2004Sudbury TV pilot  Law & Order: Special Victims UnitDenise Brockmorton 1 episode "Home"  2005Hope & Faith  Joyce Shanowski1 episode " A Room of One's Own" 2006–2007Desperate Housewives Gloria Hodge7 episodes 2008 Our First Christmas Evie Baer 2009That Evening Sun Ellen Meecham

Awards and nominations

 Year Award Category Series or Play Result1976  Theatre World Award Outstanding ActressJesse and the Bandit Queen1979  Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play Fathers and Sons1989 Los Angeles Women in Film Festival Excellence in TV Episodic ComedyDesigning Women2007 Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series'Desperate Housewives| 
|-
|2009
|  SXSW Film Festival
| Best Ensemble Cast
|That Evening Sun''

References

Other websites

 Official site 




Category:American movie actors
Category:Deaths from endometrial cancer
Category:American television actors
Category:American stage actors
Category:Actors from Tennessee
Category:1939 births
Category:2010 deaths