Diana Sands

Diana Sands
Carl Van Vechten portrait of Sands, 1963.
Born	(1934-08-22)August 22, 1934 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Leiomyosarcoma
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1952–1974
Spouse(s)	Lucien Happersberger (m. 1964–70)

Diana Sands (August 22, 1934 – September 21, 1973) was an American actress, perhaps most famous for her portrayal of Beneatha Younger, the sister of Sidney Poitier's character in the original stage and film versions of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (1961). She also appeared in a number of dramatic television series in the 1960s and 1970s such as I Spy, as Davala Unawa in the 1967 The Fugitive episode "Dossier on a Diplomat", Dr. Harrison in the Outer Limits episode "The Mice", and Julia. Sands also starred in the 1963 film An Affair of the Skin as the narrator and photographer, Janice.

Biography

A member of the Actors Studio, Sands' performance in the Studio's 1964 production of James Baldwin's Blues for Mr. Charlie was a highlight of that show, and one which would be sorely missed during its subsequent London engagement when Sands had already committed to co-starring with Alan Alda in the original Broadway production of The Owl and the Pussycat (1964) for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Sands was culled eight years later to provide a track for the Original New York Cast album of Free to Be... You and Me. Unfortunately, she had died by the time the ABC Afterschool Special had begun production and her previously recorded vocal track was not selected for inclusion. In 1970, Sands co-starred in the film The Landlord, and then appeared in Doctors' Wives and Georgia, Georgia. In his memoirs, Bob Dylan tells of meeting Ms. Sands at a party and states that she was, "an electrifying actress who I might have been secretly in love with..."

As Beneatha Younger with Claudia McNeil and Sidney Poitier in the Broadway version of A Raisin in the Sun in 1959.

In 1974 she starred in Willie Dynamite and Honeybaby, Honeybaby, and was set to star in the film Claudine with James Earl Jones. However, she was too ill to accept the role and it went to her friend Diahann Carroll. She was twice nominated for a Tony Award, and twice nominated for an Emmy Award as well. She died of leiomyosarcoma at aged 39.

Junior High School 147, located in the Bronx, New York, was named in Sands' honor.

Selected Credits

Theatre

Year	Production	Role	Theatre(s)	Notes
1969	The Gingham Dog		John Golden Theatre
1968	Saint Joan	Joan	Vivian Beaumont Theater
	Tiger at the Gates	Cassandra	Vivian Beaumont Theater
	We Bombed in New Haven	Ruth	Ambassador Theatre
1965	The Premise		The Premise	Improvisational theatre with material by the performers.
1964	Blues for Mister Charlie	Juanita	ANTA Playhouse	Tony Award nomination, Best Featured Actress in a Play
	The Owl and the Pussycat	Doris W.	ANTA Playhouse Royale Theatre	Tony Award nomination, Best Actress in a Play
1963	The Living Premise			Obie Award, Distinguished Performance
1962	Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright	Adelaide Smith	Booth Theatre	Theatre World Award
1959	A Raisin in the Sun	Beneatha Younger	Ethel Barrymore Theatre Belasco Theatre	Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Drama Performance

Filmography

• A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
• An Affair of the Skin (1963)
• Ensign Pulver (1964)
• The Landlord (1970)
• Doctors' Wives (1971)
• Georgia, Georgia (1972)
• Willie Dynamite (1974)
• Honeybaby, Honeybaby (1974)

External links

• Diana Sands at the Internet Movie Database
• Diana Sands at the Internet Broadway Database
• Diana Sands at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Diana Sands at Find a Grave
• Yale University article with photo