|
Inside White Collar with Diahann Carroll
by Troy Rogers
One of the most beautiful talents in Hollywood
over the past five decades, Diahann Carroll has
done it all. From Broadway to film and television
to her own music career as a singer and dancer,
Diahann Carroll has been one of the most versatile
talents in the business. With five Emmy nominations,
an Oscar Nomination, a Tony Award, and a Golden
Globe win to go along with numerous other nominations,
Carroll has been one of the most visible and consistent
actresses in Hollywood.
From her Emmy winning role on the series Julia in the late '60s to The Star Wars Holiday Special and Roots: The Next Generation in the '70s to Dynasty in the '80s, Lonesome Dove in the '90s and a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy (to name only a few), Diahann Carroll now returns to TV in White Collar on USA, as the landlady of Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer).
Leading up to the February 9 White Collar episode, "Home Invasion", at 10pm on USA, which sees Peter (Tim DeKay) and Neal on the trail of an elusive femme fatale who is stealing pieces of a valuable collection, we managed to score a few minutes with lovely legend, Diahann Carroll to get her thoughts on the appeal of White Collar and how much her character will factor into the White Collar season.
THE DEADBOLT: What is it about White Collar that you think draws in the viewers?
 DIAHANN
CARROLL: Oh, so many things. Not only is
Matt beautiful, and his partner Tim is a very
handsome man also, the writing is outstanding.
And the look of it brings you into it immediately.
You want to know what is going on in that set
and you want to know who these people are that
operate. It grabs you, as we say on the [set].
It's a grabber. Once again, I must make comment
about the writing, it's really wonderful.
THE DEADBOLT: Have you learned anything interesting about the FBI, or con men, since being on the show?
CARROLL: No. I knew a great deal about that before, and in particular, con men. But I think every week we all learn a little something. But more than anything, I think the characters - who they are - is more important than the FBI.
THE DEADBOLT: How much will June factor into the remaining episodes for this season, and will she return next season?
CARROLL: Well, we'll have to ask the person who [runs the show]. But this season, yes, she has some very interesting things to do this season. I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag. She has lots of things to do.
Other Conference Call Highlights
I do enjoy your character
on White Collar. It's fun to see that relationship
with Matt Bomer. I was wondering, is he as good
looking in real life as he is on TV?
CARROLL: If it's possible, he's better looking in real life and also very charming, and I think this is going to catapult him into the kind of stardom that he deserves. He is very hard-working and it's a delight to watch him in front of the camera. I think the character is perfect for him. He is really a bad boy who has good instincts and he looks the part. I'm enjoying it very much.
How did the role come
about on White Collar?
 CARROLL:
The creator, actually, is the person who approached
us about doing this role and he really understood
the period of time that was-my character, June-that
was her hey-day and I thought, well, this is
going to be really great fun because it goes
back to the period of the Rat Pack and she was,
obviously, a part of it to the degree where
she was married to one of the musicians, or-it's
not exactly clear what he wants to do with that
area of it and that's another thing that I love-the
creativity as you go along. That's how she meets
the main character, getting rid of some of the
clothing that she has kept, her memorabilia
from that period that was a wonderful time in
her life, but actually, he has a great feeling
for that period of time, and so it's been, really,
a joy being there and doing it.
In your career you seem
to have done it all. Is there anything that
you still have yet to accomplish?
CARROLL: That's a great question. I appreciate that question and I really have not done it all, but, I mean, in terms of-I've done theater and television and film and nightclubs, that is true, but I really would love another opportunity to do something as fascinating as Dynasty was, on television. I really enjoyed doing that and I'd like to see something like that come about again. Something that is totally absurd and fun.
As the first black woman
to star in your own TV show, what are your feelings
about how it's changed for, not just black women,
but for minority women, today?
 CARROLL:
Well, I would have to say that I have a positive
feeling about that. There are so many shows
on the air that I'm not really familiar, but
I do believe that the stereotypical woman that
was dominating television when I started, we've
done away with that, for all of but what we
call third world women-people-and that's very
gratifying that we've done that. The integrating
is still not on a level that I would like to
see it, but I do think it's coming. I do feel
that we are trying and that it's getting better.
You were part of the
Star Wars Holiday Special. Can you talk a little
bit about how you got that role, your feelings
about the holiday Special, and if you've had
any Star Wars fan experiences regarding that
role?
CARROLL: You know, I think it's the biggest secret in the world. I don't know that ... I ever was, much less that I was ever a part of it. I think it was co-produced by a friend of mine, who called and asked if I would be a part of it and I had never done anything like that before. The fascination with Star Wars and what compiled Star Wars was sort of "in the air" and I was intrigued by it and, yes, I decided to be a part of it. As I recall, I was practically nude on ... That's my recollection.
|
