What was Dixie Carter’s Net Worth?
Dixie Carter, the American actress, had a net worth of $10 million at the time of her death. Best known for her roles on “Designing Women” and “Family Law,” she appeared on a range of other TV shows including “The Edge of Night,” “On Our Own,” “Filthy Rich,” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”
Carter was also a prolific stage performer, with credits including “Carousel,” “Sextet,” “Pal Joey,” “Master Class,” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Early Life of Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter was born on May 25, 1939 in McLemoresville, Tennessee. She spent her early childhood in Memphis and attended the University of Memphis and Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College). In 1959, she was the runner-up in the Miss Tennessee pageant.
Carter’s Acting Career
Dixie Carter started her professional career on stage in 1960 in a Memphis production of the musical “Carousel.” After moving to New York City, she landed a part in Shakespeare’s play “The Winter’s Tale.” She took a break from acting to raise her daughters and returned in 1974, making her television debut as a substitute for Nancy Pinkerton on the soap opera “One Life to Live.”
Dixie Carter’s Television Career
Dixie Carter began her television career with a regular role as Assistant D.A. Olivia Brandeis Henderson on “The Edge of Night.” She later played Dr. Linda Elliott on “The Doctors” and had main roles on sitcoms like “On Our Own,” “Out of the Blue,” “Filthy Rich,” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”
However, Carter’s biggest role came in 1986 when she starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the hit CBS sitcom “Designing Women.” The show ran for seven seasons and was a significant hit. After the show ended, Carter appeared in television films like “A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle” and “Gambler V: Playing for Keeps.”
Carter also had recurring roles on “Desperate Housewives” and “Ladies Man,” as well as a main role on the legal drama “Family Law.” Her performance as Bree Van de Kamp’s mother-in-law earned her an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Dixie Carter’s Film Career
Dixie Carter, known primarily for her work in television and stage, appeared in a few films during her career. Her first film was the 1983 comedy “Going Berserk,” starring John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Joe Flaherty. Carter’s next feature film wasn’t until 1999, when she appeared in “The Big Day.” Her final film, released in 2009, was the drama “That Evening Sun,” based on William Gay’s short story “I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down.” The film starred her husband Hal Holbrook, and also featured Ray McKinnon, Walton Goggins, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston, and Barry Corbin.
Notable Stage Roles of Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter made her Broadway debut in the musical “Sextet” in 1974. She starred in both “Jesse and the Bandit Queen” and the Broadway revival of the musical “Pal Joey” in 1976. In 1979, she starred in “Fathers and Sons,” for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress.
Carter’s notable later roles on stage include playing famed opera singer Maria Callas in Terrence McNally’s Broadway play “Master Class” in 1997. In 2004, she played Mrs. Meers in a production of the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Dixie Carter’s Personal Life
Dixie Carter married investment banker Arthur L. Carter in 1967 and had two daughters named Ginna and Mary. They got divorced in 1977. In the same year, she married actor and singer George Hearn, but they got divorced two years later. In 1984, she married her third and final husband, actor Hal Holbrook, whom she met on the set of the television film “The Killing of Randy Webster.” They divided their time between residences in Beverly Hills, California and Carter’s hometown of McLemoresville, Tennessee.
Dixie Carter passed away from cancer in April 2010 in Houston, Texas, at the age of 70. She was interred in McLemoresville, Tennessee.
Dixie and Hal’s Homes
Dixie and Hal resided in a large Beverly Hills mansion for the last few decades of their lives. The 8,400 square-foot home was put on the market by their heirs in February 2022 for an initial asking price of $8.4 million. They also owned a home in McLemoresville, Tennessee.
