- Born
- Died
- Birth nameDixie Virginia Carter
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- Dixie is the middle of three children. Her father owned several small retail stores. Early on, she dreamed of being an opera singer, but a botched tonsillectomy at age 7 spoiled any chances for that dream. Still, she sang regularly and studied classical music. She can play the piano, trumpet, and the harmonica. She graduated from Memphis State with an English degree. In 1960, she made her professional debut in a local production of "Carousel". Three year's later, she moved to New York and landed a role in Joseph Papp's production of Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale". When she married businessman, Arthur Carter, she left the stage for eight years to raise two daughters, Ginna Carter - now an actress and Mary Dixie Carter, a screenwriter. At age 35, she returned to acting, but found that no agent wanted to give her a chance. A second marriage to Broadway actor, George Hearn, quickly ended.
- IMDb mini biography by: John Sacksteder <jsack@ka.net> - A talented actress in both stage and screen and television and also a singer of opera and dancer, Dixie Carter is best known for her portrayal as the soft spoken Southerner Julia Sugarbaker in Designing Women (1986). She's been known for performing in a number of Broadway plays and with her marriage to actor Hal Holbrook, nothing seems to slow Dixie down. Recently, she's been in the television series Family Law (1999) and, for two years in 1982 and 1983, before Designing Women (1986), she played Carlotta Beck in Filthy Rich (1982) up until it was canceled.
- IMDb mini biography by: Blythe379@cs.com
- SpousesHal Holbrook(May 27, 1984 - April 10, 2010) (her death)George Hearn(December 15, 1977 - 1979) (divorced)Arthur Lloyd Carter(December 2, 1967 - 1977) (divorced, 2 children)
- ParentsHalbert Leroy CarterEsther Virginia Hillsman
- Dixie Carter's daughters, Mary Dixie Carter and Ginna Carter, played her nieces in the Designing Women (1986) episode, The Naked Truth (1989).
- Was valedictorian of her high school class.
- The Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center, also known as "The Dixie", was named in honor of Carroll County's most famous resident. Dixie performed her cabaret show to raise funds for the center, which also features a museum honoring the cultural contributions of both Dixie Carter and her husband, Hal Holbrook. Mr. Holbrook served as a consultant to the architect and gave so much attention to the design and development of the theatre in the Dixie, that the local arts council bestowed the name, "The Hal Holbrook Theatre" on the new venue in honor of his assistance. As a result of the couple's contributions and hard work, residents from the area are being exposed to everything from "The Velveteen Rabbit" to a Samurai style rendition of "Macbeth".
- Carter is her birth name, and her first husband was no relation.
- Attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville before transferring to Rhodes College in Memphis TN.
- Certainly if we hope to enhance and extend whatever natural assets we were given, we must expect to make an effort, if not actually great labor.
- It takes a mighty good man to be better than no man at all.
- What a great relief not to try so hard to be pleasing in one's life. At one time it used to matter to me if I were attractive to people. I tried to be pretty and tried all those products on the commercials, and all the magazine beauty hints.
- Designing Women had seven years and that's history -- I call that history, and I miss my companions on that show all the time. I don't watch the reruns because it makes me sad.
- Before Designing Women: I was doing my cabaret act and I remember one day getting a call from Linda, asking me if she could use my name in a show. The next day she called back saying the show would go ahead.
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