Actor Carol Sutton, who appeared in well more than 100 movies, plays and television shows, died Thursday in New Orleans of complications from the coronavirus. She was 76 years old.
“Carol Sutton was practically the Queen of New Orleans theater, having graced the stages across the city for decades,” shared the Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell. “The world may recognize her from her performances in movies and on TV — whether it’s ‘Treme’ or ‘Claws,’ or ‘Runaway Jury’ or ‘Queen Sugar.'”
“But we will always remember her commanding stage presence, her richly portrayed characters, and the warm heart she shared with her fellow cast and crew in productions such as ‘4000 Miles’ and ‘A Raisin in the Sun.’ May she rest in God’s perfect peace.”
In 1974, Sutton made her television debut in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” then went on to feature films, starring theatrical roles and more television work.
Though she refused to relocate from her hometown, she worked steadily, winning roles in movies, including “The Big Easy,” “The Pelican Brief,” Monster’s Ball,” “Ray,” “Steel Magnolias,” “The Help,” and “Poms.” Sutton was diagnosed with the virus and hospitalized in November.
But the theater is where Sutton really honed her acting abilities.
Beginning in 1968, she joined one of the rare African-American theatrical troupes in the Deep South, The Dashiki Project Theatre.
The troupe was founded by students at Dillard University and other historically black colleges and universities in Louisiana and was based in New Orleans.
They produced plays that reflected the complexities of African-American life.
Many say that kind of real-life acting work came easily to Sutton, in part, because her mother, Marguerite Bush, was a community activist in the city whose passion for helping others was a guiding light for Ms. Sutton.
In recent years, Sutton’s television work included roles in “Tremé,” “True Detective,” “Queen Sugar,” and “Lovecraft Country” where she was celebrated by fans and colleagues alike for her ability to transfer emotion on-screen.
Ava DuVernay, creator of the OWN series “Queen Sugar,” also celebrated the career of Sutton, tweeting, “It was our honor to welcome this veteran actress of stage and screen to our show as Aunt Martha in Episode 409, ‘Stare at the Same Fires.’ May she rise and rest in peace and power.”
Ms. Sutton was born Carol Joan Dickerson in New Orleans on Dec. 3, 1944.
She was the oldest of three siblings. Her father, Amos Dickerson, was largely absent from her childhood, but her love for her city became stronger as she grew up.
“I never wanted to go to L.A. or New York,” she told her friend Tommye Myrick, a director, writer and producer, in an interview last year. “In those places, there were hundreds of people trying to do the same things I wanted to do. If I wanted to get onstage or get in a movie, I was able to do that right here.”
Survivors include a son, Archie; a daughter, Aunya; a brother, Oris Buckner; a sister, Adrienne Jopes; and five grandchildren.
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