Editing Dixie Carter

{{Short description|American actress (1939–2010)}}
{{About|the actress|the professional wrestling promoter|Dixie Carter (wrestling)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date = April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Dixie Carter
| image         = Dixie Carter 1977.JPG
| alt           = A black-and-white photo of a 38-year-old woman with curly dark hair looking into the camera
| caption       = Carter in 1977
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1939|5|25}}
| birth_place   = [[McLemoresville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| birth_name    = Dixie Virginia Carter
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|2010|4|10|1939|5|25}}
| death_place   = [[Houston]], Texas, U.S.
| resting_place = McLemoresville Cemetery
| alma_mater    =[[Rhodes College]], [[University of Tennessee at Knoxville]],<br>[[University of Memphis]]
| known_for     = ''[[Designing Women]]''<br>''[[Family Law (American TV series)|Family Law]]''<br>''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]''
| occupation    = Actress
| years_active  = 1960–2009
| spouse        = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Arthur L. Carter]]|1967|1977|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[George Hearn]]|1977|1979|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Hal Holbrook]]|1984<!--Omission is per Template:Marriage instructions-->}}
}}
| children      = 2
| awards        = [[#Awards and nominations|Full list]]
}}
'''Dixie Virginia Carter''' (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as [[Julia Sugarbaker]] on the sitcom ''[[Designing Women]]'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''[[Family Law (American TV series)|Family Law]]'' (1999–2002). She was nominated for the 2007 [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]] for her role as Gloria Hodge on ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' (2006–2007).

Carter made her professional stage debut in a Memphis production of the musical ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]'' in 1960 and made her Broadway debut in the 1974 musical ''Sextet''. After appearing for two years as District Attorney Brandy Henderson on the CBS soap ''[[The Edge of Night]]'' (1974–1976), she starred in the 1976 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] revival of the musical ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]''. Her other television roles included the sitcoms ''[[On Our Own (1977 TV series)|On Our Own]]'' (1977–1978), ''[[Filthy Rich (1982 TV series)|Filthy Rich]]'' (1982–1983) and ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'' (1984–1985). She returned to Broadway to play [[Maria Callas]] in the play ''[[Master Class]]'' in 1997 and to play Mrs. Meers in the musical ''[[Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical)|Thoroughly Modern Millie]]'' in 2004.

==Early life==
Dixie Virginia Carter was born May 25, 1939, to Esther Virginia (née Hillsman) and Halbert Leroy Carter in [[McLemoresville, Tennessee]]. Carter spent many of her early years in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]. She attended the [[University of Memphis]] and [[Rhodes College]].

In college, she was a member of the [[Delta Delta Delta]] sorority. In 1959, Carter competed in the [[Miss Tennessee]] pageant, where she placed first runner-up to Mickie Weyland. Carter won the Miss Volunteer beauty pageant at the [[University of Tennessee]] the same year.{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}}

==Career==
In 1960, Carter made her professional stage debut in a Memphis production of ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]'', co-starring [[George Hearn]], whom she would go on to marry 17 years later. She moved to New York City in 1963 and got a part in a production of [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Winter's Tale]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Dixie Carter - Biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0141581/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1967, she began an eight-year hiatus from acting, to focus on raising her two daughters;<ref name=":0" /> she returned to acting in 1974, when she filled in for actress [[Nancy Pinkerton]] as [[Dorian Lord|Dorian Cramer]] on ''[[One Life to Live]]'' while Pinkerton was on [[maternity leave]]. She subsequently was cast in the role of Assistant [[District Attorney|D.A.]] Olivia Brandeis "Brandy" Henderson on the soap opera ''[[The Edge of Night]]'' from 1974 to 1976. Carter took the role though some advised her that doing a daytime soap might negatively affect her career. However, she was first noticed in this role, and after leaving ''Edge of Night'' in 1977, she appeared in several episodes of another soap opera, ''[[The Doctors (1963 TV series)|The Doctors]]'' as socialite Linda Elliott. She relocated from New York to Los Angeles and pursued prime-time television roles. In 1976, she won the [[Theatre World Award|''Theater World'' Award]] for ''Jesse and the Bandit Queen''.

She appeared in series such as ''[[Out of the Blue (1979 TV series)|Out of the Blue]]'' (as Aunt Marion), ''[[On Our Own (1977 TV series)|On Our Own]]'' (as April Baxter), ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'' (as the first Maggie McKinney Drummond, Phillip Drummond's second wife), ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' (playing a [[KGB]] spy) and as the stuck up and conniving Carlotta Beck on ''[[Filthy Rich (1982 TV series)|Filthy Rich]]'' (1982).

Carter's appearance in ''Filthy Rich'' paved the way for her most notable role, that of sharp tongued liberal interior decorator Julia Sugarbaker in the 1986–1993 television program ''Designing Women'', set in Atlanta. ''Filthy Rich'' was created by [[Linda Bloodworth Thomason]], who also created ''Designing Women''. (In the beginning, without knowing the content of the show, Bloodworth-Thomason's only idea was to create a show starring Carter and fellow castmates [[Delta Burke]], [[Annie Potts]] and [[Jean Smart]]. ''Filthy Rich'' also featured fellow ''Designing Women'' cast member Delta Burke in its cast.) After much persuasion from creators Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and her husband [[Harry Thomason]], [[Hal Holbrook]], Carter's real-life husband, had a recurring role as attorney Reese Watson. Carter's daughters Ginna and Mary Dixie Carter also had guest star roles as Julia Sugarbaker's nieces Jennifer and Camilla in the episode "The Naked Truth" in 1989.

In 1997, Carter starred as [[Maria Callas]] in [[Terrence McNally]]'s play ''[[Master Class]]''. She played the role from January to June. The role previously had been played by [[Zoe Caldwell]] and [[Patti LuPone]].

Noted for portraying strong-minded Southern women, Carter provided the voice of Necile in Mike Young Productions' cartoon feature ''[[The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (2000 film)|The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus]]''. She was also in the voice cast of ''My Neighbors the Yamadas'', the English language dub of Studio Ghibli's 1999 anime movie [[My Neighbors the Yamadas|of the same]].<ref name=obit>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2010/scene/news/dixie-carter-dies-at-70-1118017532/ |title=Dixie Carter dies at 70 |first=Shalini |last=Dore |date=April 11, 2010 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=August 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802150533/https://variety.com/2010/scene/news/dixie-carter-dies-at-70-1118017532/ |archive-date=August 2, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

From 1999 to 2002, she portrayed Randi King on the legal drama ''[[Family Law (American TV series)|Family Law]]''. From 1999 to 2000, she was a cast member on the short-lived sitcom ''[[Ladies Man (1999 TV series)|Ladies Man]],'' appearing as a regular on both ''Ladies Man'' and ''Family Law''. In 2004, she made a guest appearance on ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]'', playing a defense attorney named Denise Brockmorton in the episode called "Home", in which she defended the paranoid mother of two children ([[Diane Venora]]) who had manipulated her older son to kill the younger son after breaking her home rules.

In 2006–2007, Carter found a resurgence of fame with a new generation of fans portraying [[Acquaintances of Bree Van de Kamp#Gloria Hodge|Gloria Hodge]], Bree Van de Kamp's disturbed (and scheming) mother-in-law on ''Desperate Housewives''. Creator [[Marc Cherry]] started in Hollywood as Carter's assistant on the set of ''Designing Women''. Her first and only [[Emmy Awards]] nomination was for the [[59th Primetime Emmy Awards]] under the category of [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress – Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]] for her role as Gloria Hodge.

Carter gave an interview in 2006 for the feature-length documentary ''That Guy: The Legacy of [[Dub Taylor]]'', which received support from Taylor's family and many of Dub's previous coworkers, including [[Bill Cosby]], [[Peter Fonda]], [[Don Collier (actor)|Don Collier]], Cheryl Rogers-Barnett and many others. The project was scheduled to have its world premiere at Taylor's childhood hometown of [[Augusta, Georgia]] on April 14, 2007.

Her final film was ''[[That Evening Sun (film)|That Evening Sun]]'', which she filmed with her husband Hal Holbrook in East Tennessee in summer 2008. The film, produced by Dogwood Entertainment (a subsidiary of DoubleJay Creative), is based on a short story by [[William Gay (author)|William Gay]]. ''That Evening Sun'' premiered at [[South By Southwest]], where it competed for the narrative feature grand jury prize.<ref>[https://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117999404&categoryid=1061 SXSW unveils lineup], ''Variety''</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter at the 41st Emmy Awards b.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter at the 41st Emmy Awards, Sunday September 17, 1989]]
In 1967, Carter married businessman [[Arthur L. Carter|Arthur Carter]] (no relation). Arthur published  [[New York Observer]].  Following the birth of their daughters-- Mary Dixie (1968) and Ginna(1970)-- Carter left acting for eight years to raise the girls and with Arthur's three children, Jon, Whendy and Ellen Carter{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}}.
<ref>https://www.nydailynews.com/1996/05/19/moms-design-for-living-dixie-carters-daughter-ginna-says-her-mamas-strict-rules-put-her-on-the-road-to-success/</ref>
She divorced Arthur Carter in 1977 and married theater and TV actor [[George Hearn]] the same year. Two years later, she and Hearn divorced.{{Citation needed |date=October 2023}} She married [[Hal Holbrook]] in 1984.<ref name = CNN>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/10/dixie.carter.obit/index.html |title=Designing Women' star Dixie Carter dies from cancer complications |date=April 11, 2010 |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=August 3, 2023}}</ref>

In 1996, Carter published a memoir titled ''Trying to Get to Heaven'', in which she talked frankly about her life with Holbrook, ''Designing Women'' and her plastic surgery during the show's run. She acknowledged, along with other celebrities, having used human [[growth hormone]] for its antiaging properties.<ref>[http://www.physioage.com/news/usa_today.php ''USA Today''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127213833/http://www.physioage.com/news/usa_today.php |date=November 27, 2010 }} November 15, 2000</ref>

Carter was a lifelong [[Methodist]] and a member of the McLemoresville United Methodist Church.<ref>https://juicyecumenism.com/2010/04/29/methodist-dixie/</ref>

=== Political views ===
[[File:Dixie Carter 2000.jpg|thumb|upright|Carter in 2000]]
Carter was a registered [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] who described her political views as [[Libertarianism|libertarian]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/dixie-carter.html |title=Dixie Carter – Libertarian |first=Bill |last=Winter |work=Advocates for Self-Government |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230092218/http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/dixie-carter.html |archive-date=December 30, 2006 }}</ref> She was interviewed by [[Bill O'Reilly (commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]] along with [[Pat Boone]] at the [[2000 Republican National Convention]], and once jokingly described herself as "the only Republican in show business".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dixiecarter.com/Trans/TR011.html|title=The View|date=January 31, 2001|work=Official Website|access-date=March 9, 2005|archive-date=January 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124142622/http://www.dixiecarter.com/Trans/TR011.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>  However, Carter's ''Designing Women'' character, Julia Sugarbaker, was known for her [[modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] political views and related speeches, for which she was nicknamed "The Terminator." Carter disagreed with some of her character's beliefs, and made a deal with the show's producers that if Julia delivered a "Terminator" monologue, she would get to sing a song in a future episode. In later years she was also a libertarian Republican who supported civil rights and same-sex marriage.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/apr/10/designing-women-actress-dixie-carter-dies-70/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722130101/http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/apr/10/designing-women-actress-dixie-carter-dies-70/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 22, 2012|title='Designing Women' actress Dixie Carter dies at 70; had roots in West Tennessee|date=April 11, 2010|publisher=[[The Commercial Appeal]]|access-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
On April 10, 2010, Carter died in [[Houston]] at the age of 70, from complications of [[endometrial cancer]].<ref name = CNN/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ew.com/article/2010/04/10/dixie-carter/ |title='Designing Women' star Dixie Carter dies at age 70 |last=Young |first=John |date=April 10, 2010 |url-status=live |access-date=September 19, 2021 |website=EW.com |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611221117/http://www.ew.com/article/2010/04/10/dixie-carter |archive-date=June 11, 2015}}</ref> She was interred in McLemoresville, Tennessee.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.actionnews5.com/story/12319685/family-friends-say-goodbye-to-dixie-carter/ |title=Family, friends say goodbye to Dixie Carter |first=Justin |last=Hanson |date=April 15, 2010 |work=[[WMC-TV]] |access-date=August 3, 2023}}</ref>

The Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center (informally called "The Dixie") in [[Huntingdon, Tennessee]], is named in honor of Carter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=HISTORY & MISSION |url=https://www.dixiepac.net/history-and-mission |access-date=June 4, 2022 |website=The Dixie |language=en-US}}</ref>

A public service announcement made by Carter in 2003 describing and offering outreach to people with [[Spasmodic torticollis|spasmodic torticollis/cervical dystonia]] began appearing in New York and New Jersey and then across the United States in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spasmodic Torticollis / Cervical Dystonia Public Service Announcement featuring Dixie Carter|url=http://healthznews.com/spasmodic-torticollis-cervical-dystonia-public-service-announcement-featuring-dixie-carter.html|publisher=Healthznews.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711160525/http://healthznews.com/spasmodic-torticollis-cervical-dystonia-public-service-announcement-featuring-dixie-carter.html|archive-date=July 11, 2011}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1974
| ''[[One Life to Live]]''
| [[Dorian Lord]]
| Temporary recast
|-
|1974–1976
|''{{sortname|The|Edge of Night}}''
|D.A. Olivia Brandeis Henderson
|Regular role
|-
|rowspan=2|1977
|''{{sortname|The|Andros Targets}}''
|Rita
|"The Killing of a Porno Queen"
|-
|''{{sortname|The|Doctors|The Doctors (1963 TV series)}}''
|Dr. Linda Elliott
|Regular role
|-
|1977–1978
|''[[On Our Own (1977 TV series)|On Our Own]]''
|April Baxter
|Main role (21 episodes)
|-
|1979
|''[[Out of the Blue (1979 TV series)|Out of the Blue]]''
|Marion Richards
|Main role (12 episodes)
|-
|1980
|''[[OHMS (1980 film)|OHMS]]''
|Nora Wing
|rowspan=2|TV film
|-
|1981
|''{{sortname|The|Killing of Randy Webster|}}''
|Billie Webster
|-
|rowspan=6|1982
|''Cassie & Co.''
|Evelyn Weller
|"The Golden Silence"
|-
|''[[Bret Maverick]]''
|Hallie McCulloch
|"Hallie"
|-
|''[[Best of the West]]''
|Mae Markham
|"The Pretty Prisoner"
|-
|''[[Quincy, M.E.]]''
|Dr. Alicia Ranier
|"The Face of Fear"
|-
|''[[The Greatest American Hero]]''
|Samantha O'Neill
|"Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell"
|-
|''[[Lou Grant (TV series)|Lou Grant]]''
|Jessica Lindner
|"Suspect"
|-
|1982–1983
|''[[Filthy Rich (1982 TV series)|Filthy Rich]]''
|Carlotta Beck
|Main role (15 episodes)
|-
|1983
|''[[Going Berserk]]''
|Angela
|Feature film
|-
|1984–1985
|''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]''
|Maggie McKinney Drummond
|Regular role (27 episodes)
|-
|1986–1993
|''[[Designing Women]]''
|Julia Sugarbaker
|Main role (163 episodes)
|-
|1987
|''Rosie''
|Nancy Barker
|Episode: "Valentine of Life"
|-
|rowspan=3|1994
|''[[Perry Mason (TV film series)|A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle]]''
|Louise Archer
|rowspan=2|TV film
|-
|''[[The Gambler (film series)#Gambler V: Playing for Keeps|Gambler V: Playing for Keeps]]''
|[[Lillie Langtry]]
|-
|''[[Christy (TV series)|Christy]]''
|Julia Huddleston
|"The Sweetest Gift"
|-
|rowspan=2|1995
|''Dazzle''
|Lydie Kilkullen
|TV film
|-
|''[[Diagnosis: Murder]]''
|D.A. Patricia Purcell
|"Murder in the Courthouse"
|-
|1996
|''[[Gone in the Night (1996 film)|Gone in the Night]]''
|Ann Dowaliby
|TV film
|-
|1997
|''[[Fired Up (TV series)|Fired Up]]''
|Rita
|"Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey", "The Mother of All Gwens"
|-
|rowspan=2|1999
|''[[My Neighbors the Yamadas]]''
|Lady #1 (voice)
|Animated feature film
|-
|''The Big Day''
|Carol
|Feature film
|-
|1999–2000
|''[[Ladies Man (1999 TV series)|Ladies Man]]''
|Peaches
|Recurring role (9 episodes)
|-
|1999–2002
|''[[Family Law (American TV series)|Family Law]]''
|Randi King
|Main role (68 episodes)
|-
|2000
|''[[The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (2000 film)|The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus]]''
|Necile (voice)
|Direct-to-video
|-
|rowspan=2|2003
|''[[The Designing Women Reunion]]''
| Herself
| TV special
|-
|''[[Comfort and Joy (2003 film)|Comfort and Joy]]''
|Frederica
|TV film
|-
|2004
|''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]''
|Denise Brockmorton
|"Home"
|-
|2005
|''[[Hope & Faith]]''
|Joyce Shanowski
|"A Room of One's Own"
|-
|2006–2007
|''[[Desperate Housewives]]''
|[[List of Desperate Housewives characters#Gloria Hodge|Gloria Hodge]]
|Recurring role (7 episodes)
|-
|2008
|''Our First Christmas''
|Evie Baer
|TV film
|-
|2009
|''[[That Evening Sun (film)|That Evening Sun]]''
|Ellen Meecham
|Feature film (final role)
|}

==Awards and nominations==

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! 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''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1989
| ''Los Angeles Women in Film Festival''
| Excellence in TV Episodic Comedy
|''Designing Women''
|{{won}}
|-
|2007
| [[Emmy Awards]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series]]
|''Desperate Housewives''
|{{nom}}
|-
|2009
| [[SXSW Film Festival]]
| Best Ensemble Cast
|''That Evening Sun''
|{{won}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{commons}}
* {{IMDb name|0141581}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{iobdb name|16122}}
* {{Find a Grave|50931886}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Dixie}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Tennessee]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American libertarians]]
[[Category:American soap opera actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American voice actresses]]
[[Category:American cabaret singers]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Texas]]
[[Category:Deaths from endometrial cancer]]
[[Category:LGBTQ rights activists from California]]
[[Category:People from Carroll County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rhodes College alumni]]
[[Category:University of Memphis alumni]]
[[Category:American Methodists]]