How did dorothy died

1. Biography of Dorothy Dandridge
2. Early Life and Career
3. Personal Life and Success
4. Death and Legacy

Biography of Dorothy Dandridge

Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and singer, who became the first African American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She was born on November 9, 1922, in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents, Cyril Dandridge and actress Ruby Dandridge, divorced shortly before Dorothy's birth. After their divorce, Dorothy and her sister Vivian stayed with their mother. Ruby soon formed a musical duo with her daughters called "The Wonder Children" and they toured extensively in the southern states of the USA for the next five years.

Early Life and Career

With the onset of the Great Depression, Dorothy's performances with her sister came to a halt, and they moved to Hollywood with their mother, who started working in radio and occasionally appeared in films. It was decided to reform the duo, this time as "The Dandridge Sisters." Their performances became more successful, often being invited to various clubs and filming musical numbers. In the following years, Dorothy continued to appear in films in minor roles, but her singing career developed more actively than her presence on the big screen. Dorothy began performing regularly in various clubs across the country.

Personal Life and Success

In September 1942, Dandridge married dancer Harold Nicholas, who became the father of her daughter born in 1943 with a brain disorder. Their marriage lasted until their divorce in 1951. Dorothy's greatest popularity came in 1954, after she played Carmen in the film "Carmen Jones." This role earned Dorothy an Academy Award nomination, making her the third African American to be nominated for the award (after Hattie McDaniel and Ethel Waters) and the first for Best Actress. Her subsequent successful roles included Margo Channing in the film "Island in the Sun" (1957) and Bess in "Porgy and Bess" (1959), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

In 1959, Dandridge married Jack Denison, but due to frequent arguments and financial problems, they divorced in 1962. Soon after, Dorothy discovered that her financial agent had embezzled $150,000 from her, leaving her with a debt of $139,000. She had to sell her home in Hollywood to provide for her daughter's psychiatric care and buy herself a small apartment in West Hollywood. Due to lack of work, she suffered from nervous disorders, but she eventually managed to return to the stage as a singer with the help of her new agent, Earl Mills.

Death and Legacy

On September 8, 1965, Dorothy informed her friend Jerry Brenton over the phone that she was planning to fly to New York the next day for performances at a cabaret. Shortly after that, her agent Earl Mills found Dorothy dead in her apartment. She was 42 years old. Two months later, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office determined that she died from an excessive dose of antidepressants. She was cremated and buried in the Glendale Cemetery in California. For her contribution to the film industry, Dorothy was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6719 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 1999, Halle Berry portrayed Dorothy in the biographical TV film "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," for which she received Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.