Carter, Dixie 1939–

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Carter, Dixie 1939–

PERSONAL

Full name, Dixie Virginia Carter; born May 25, 1939, in McLemoresville, TN; daughter of Halbert Leroy, Jr. (in retail and a realtor) and Virginia (maiden name, Hillsman) Carter; married Arthur Carter (a newspaper publisher [some sources cite involvement in business and in finance]), 1967 (divorced 1977); married George Hearn (an actor), 1978 (some sources cite 1977; divorced 1979); married Hal Holbrook (an actor and director), May 27, 1984; children: (first marriage) Ginna (an actress and screenwriter), Mary Dixie (an actress and screenwriter). Education: Memphis State University, B.A., English; also attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College); studied music, piano, and voice with Robley Lawson, James Quillian, and Jerome Robertson; also studied with John Wallowitch. Politics: Republican. Religion: Methodist.

Addresses: Contact—P.O. Box 1980, Studio City, CA 91614 (fan mail). Agent—Innovative Artists, 1505 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Career: Actress and singer. Concert performer at various venues in the United States, including Cafe Carlyle, New York City, beginning 1989, and the White House, Washington, DC, 1993, the Empire Plush Room, York Hotel, San Francisco, CA, 2006, and Upstairs at the Downstairs; appeared in advertisements and public service announcements. Participated in benefits and pageants. Worked in retail.

Member: Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Awards, Honors: Theatre World Award, for Jessie and the Bandit Queen, 1976; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding featured actress in a play, 1979, for Fathers and Sons; Distinguished Achievement Award in Creative and Performing Arts, University of Memphis, 1993; DramaLogue Award nomination, c. 1993, for Names; Afternoon Television Award; Shakespeare Theatre Millennium Recognition Award; Rhodes College, honorary degree; received awards from the National Corporate Theatre Fund and the Southeastern Theatre Conference; the Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center, in Huntington, TN, was named in Carter's honor.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series:

Assistant district attorney Brandeis "Brandy" Henderson, The Edge of Night (also known as Edge of Night), CBS, 1974–75, ABC, 1975–76.

April Baxter, On Our Own, CBS, 1977–78.

Aunt Marion McLemore, Out of the Blue, ABC, 1979.

Carlotta Beck, Filthy Rich, CBS, 1982–83.

Margaret "Maggie" McKinney Drummond, Diff'rent Strokes, NBC, 1984–85.

Julia Sugarbaker, Designing Women, CBS, 1986–93.

Peaches, Ladies Man, CBS, 1999–2000.

Randi King, Family Law, CBS, 1999–2002.

Also appeared in The Doctors, NBC, c. late–1970s.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Lillie Langtry, Gambler V: Playing for Keeps, CBS, 1994.

Lydie, Dazzle (also known as Judith Krantz's "Dazzle"), CBS, 1995.

Ann Dowaliby, Gone in the Night, CBS, 1996.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Nora Wing, OHMS, CBS, 1980.

Billie Webster, The Killing of Randy Webster, CBS, 1981.

Louise Archer, A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle, NBC, 1994.

Frederica Berry, Comfort and Joy, Lifetime, 2003.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NBC, 1989.

US Magazine—Live at the Emmys!, Fox, 1989.

Julia Sugarbaker, The Designing Women Special: Their Finest Hour, CBS, 1990.

Bob Hope's 1990 Christmas Show from Bermuda, NBC, 1990.

Ringmaster, Circus of the Stars # 16 (also known as The All New Circus of the Stars & Side Show), CBS, 1991.

(In archive footage) Herself, A Bob Hope Christmas, NBC, 1993.

Host, Cabaret, PBS, 1994.

(In archive footage) 50 Yeas of Funny Females, ABC, 1995.

The Kentucky Derby, ABC, 1996.

The Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade, ABC, 1996.

Host, Southern Living: Our Holiday Memories, Home and Garden Television (HGTV), 1998.

Host, The Washington Opera Production of "La Rondine" (opera), PBS, 1999.

Herself, Holidays with the Stars, E! Entertainment Television, 2000.

The Great American History Quiz: Heroes and Villains, History Channel, 2000.

Herself, CBS at 75, CBS, 2003.

Herself, The Designing Women Reunion, Lifetime, 2003.

(In archive footage) TV's Greatest Sidekicks, Lifetime, 2004.

Herself, CMT: The Greatest—20 Greatest Country Comedy Shows, Country Music Television (CMT), 2006.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 41st Annual Emmy Awards, NBC, 1989.

Host, Soap Opera Awards, NBC, 1990.

The 44th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1990.

The 43rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Presentation, Fox, 1991.

Presenter, The Ninth Annual Soap Opera Awards, NBC, 1993.

Presenter, The 51st Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1997.

Presenter, The 54th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2000.

Presenter, The 27th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 2001.

Presenter, The 2001 Genesis Awards, Animal Planet, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Rita, "The Killing of a Porno King," The Andros Targets, CBS, 1977.

Dr. Alicia Rainer, "The Face of Fear," Quincy (also known as Quincy, M.E.), NBC, 1982.

Evelyn Weller, "The Golden Silence," Cassie & Co., NBC, 1982.

Hallie McCulloch, "Hallie," Bret Maverick, NBC, 1982.

Jessica Lindner, "Suspect," Lou Grant, CBS, 1982.

Mae Markham, "The Pretty Prisoner," Best of the West, ABC, 1982.

O'Neil, "Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell," The Greatest American Hero, ABC, 1982.

"Fox on the Range," Crazy Like a Fox, CBS, 1986.

Herself, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (also known as The Best of Carson), NBC, 1991.

Voice, "Come a Tide," Reading Rainbow, PBS, 1992.

Julia (some sources cite Elinor) Huddleston, "The Sweetest Gift," Christy (also known as Catherine Marshall's "Christy"), CBS, 1994.

District attorney Patricia Purcell, "Murder in the Courthouse," Diagnosis Murder, CBS, 1995.

Rita, "Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey," Fired Up (also known as Fired), NBC, 1997.

Rita, "The Mother of All Gwens," Fired Up (also known as Fired), NBC, 1997.

Herself, The Martin Short Show, syndicated, 1999.

Narrator, Intimate Portrait: Sharon Lawrence, Lifetime, 2000.

Herself, Intimate Portrait: Dixie Carter, Lifetime, 2001.

Herself, Intimate Portrait: Lisa Hartman-Black, Lifetime, 2001.

Herself, The View, ABC, 2003, 2004.

Denise Brockmorton, "Home," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order's Sex Crimes, Law & Order: SVU, and Special Victims Unit), NBC, 2004.

Joyce Shanowski, "A Room of One's Own," Hope & Faith, ABC, 2005.

Gloria Hodge (Orson's mother), "Beautiful Girls," Desperate Housewives, ABC, 2006.

Gloria Hodge (Orson's mother), "Children and Art," Desperate Housewives, ABC, 2006.

Gloria Hodge (Orson's mother), "The Miracle Song," Desperate Housewives, ABC, 2006.

Gloria Hodge (Orson's mother), "Come Play Wiz Me," Desperate Housewives, ABC, 2007.

Herself, Entertainment Tonight (also known as Entertainment This Week, E.T., ET Weekend, and This Week in Entertainment), syndicated, 2006.

Herself, The Tony Danza Show, syndicated, 2006.

Appeared in episodes of other series, including Face to Face with Connie Chung, CBS; and The New Hollywood Squares, syndicated.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Carlotta Beck, Filthy Rich, CBS, 1982.

Julia Sugarbaker, "Designing Women" (also known as "The Pilot"), Designing Women, CBS, 1986.

Addie Riddle, Morning Glory, S.C., CBS, 1996.

Peaches, Ladies Man, CBS, 1999.

Randi King, Family Law, CBS, 1999.

Sudbury (also known as Colderon and Practical Magic), CBS, 2003.

Stage Appearances:

Julie, Carousel (musical), Front Street Theatre, Memphis, TN, 1961.

Perdita, A Winter's Tale, New York Shakespeare Festival, Central Park, New York City, 1963.

Ann, Sextet (musical), Bijou Theatre, New York City, 1974.

Belle Starr, Jesse and the Bandit Queen, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theater, New York City, 1975–76.

Actress two, nurse, stripper, and woman, Gogol: A Mystery Play (also known as Gogol), Public Theater, Little Theater, then Public Theater, Anspacher Theater, both New York City, 1976.

Melba, Pal Joey (musical), Circle in the Square, New York City, 1976.

Martha "Calamity Jane" Canary, Fathers and Sons, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theater, 1978–79, also produced in Los Angeles.

Dixie Avalon, Taken in Marriage, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theater, Newman Theater, New York City, 1979.

Hannah Mae Bindler, A Coupla White Chicks Sitting around Talking, Astor Place Theatre, New York City, c. 1980–81.

Liz Conlon, Buried inside Extra, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theater, Martinson Hall, New York City, then Royal Court Theatre, London, both 1983.

Vera Simpson, Pal Joey (musical), Los Angeles, 1991.

Stella Adler, Names, Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles, 1992.

Blanche DuBois, A Streetcar Named Desire, Memphis, TN, 1993.

Maria Callas, Master Class, John Golden Theatre, New York City, 1997.

Mrs. Arbuthnot, A Woman of No Importance, Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC, 1998.

Melissa Gardner, Love Letters (benefit), Shakespeare Theatre, 1999.

Jacqueline Susann, Paper Doll, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 2003.

Mrs. Meers, Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical), Marquis Theatre, New York City, 2004.

Maud Kinch, Be My Baby, Alley Theatre, Hubbard Stage, Houston, TX, 2005.

Mrs. Erlynne, Lady Windemere's Fan, Shakespeare Theatre, 2005.

Amanda Cross, Southern Comforts, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami, FL, 2006.

Appeared as Kate in the musical Kiss Me Kate and in the musicals Brigadoon, The King and I, A Little Night Music, Mame, and Oklahoma!, and in the operettas The New Moon and The Student Prince, all Matrix Theatre; appeared as Blanche DuBois, A Streetcar Named Desire, and in The Apple Cart, Much Ado about Nothing, Romeo & Juliet, and Twelfth Night (also known as Twelfth Night, or What You Will), and in the musical theatre piece Babes in Arms, all Matrix Theatre. Appeared in the musicals Carousel and The King and I and the operetta The Merry Widow, all Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City. Appeared in other productions, including productions of the Memphis Shakespeare Festival.

Film Appearances:

Angela, Going Berserk, Universal, 1983.

Carol Kendrick, We Met on the Vineyard (also known as The Big Day), Monarch Films/Menemsha Entertainment, 1999.

Wallowitch & Ross: This Moment (documentary), First Run Features, 1999.

Voice of Necile, The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (animated), Universal Studios Home Video, 2000.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

Dixie Carter Sings John Wallowitch Live at the Carlyle (also known as Dixie Carter Sings John Wallowitch Live at the Cafe Carlyle), DRG, c. 1983.

John Wallowitch, My Manhattan, DRG, 1993.

Videos:

Dixie Carter's Unworkout (also known as Unworkout), MCA/Universal, 1992.

Dixie Carter's "Yoga for You: Unworkout II" (also known as Dixie Carter "Unworkout II," Unworkout II, and Yoga for You: Unworkout II), MCA/Universal, 1994.

Video Executive Producer:

Dixie Carter's "Unworkout" (also known as Unworkout), MCA/Universal, 1992.

Dixie Carter's "Yoga for You: Unworkout II" (also known as Dixie Carter "Unworkout II," Unworkout II, and Yoga for You: Unworkout II), MCA/Universal, 1994.

WRITINGS

Videos; with Others:

Dixie Carter's Unworkout (also known as Unworkout), MCA/Universal, 1992.

Dixie Carter's "Yoga for You: Unworkout II" (also known as Dixie Carter "Unworkout II," Unworkout II, and Yoga for You: Unworkout II), MCA/Universal, 1994.

Nonfiction:

Liner notes, Dixie Carter Sings John Wallowitch Live at the Carlyle (also known as Dixie Carter Sings John Wallowitch Live at the Cafe Carlyle), DRG, c. 1983.

Trying to Get to Heaven: Opinions of a Tennessee Talker, Simon & Schuster, 1996, released in paperback, 1997.

Contributor to periodicals, including Traditional Home.

SIDELIGHTS

Dixie Carter told CTFT that she accompanied husband Hal Holbrook with their children on a world tour of his solo show, Mark Twain Tonight, for the U.S. State Department.