Nell Carter

Born Nell Ruth Hardy in Birmingham, Alabama, Carter won a Tony Award for her work in Ain't Misbehavin and appeared in Annie on Broadway and in the television shows Gimme a Break[?] and The Match Game[?].

Carter died from heart disease complicated by diabetes in 2003. She was the mother of two adopted[?] teenagers. When she died, friends and family were surprised to discover barely $200 in her bank account. They were further shocked to discover that Carter had been living as a closeted lesbian, and that custody of her children had been left to her domestic partner.

Carter is interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.