'Housewives' actress dies

Dixie Carter was nominated for an Emmy for 'Desperate...

09:05 12 April 2010

Dixie Carter, a veteran actress who received an Emmy nomination for her guest role in 'Desperate Housewives', has died at the age of 70.

Publicist Steve Rohr confirmed to the Associated Press that Carter died in Houston of complications of endometrial cancer.

Carter became a recognised regular on TV screens with her starring role in TV drama 'Designing Women', which ran on CBS between 1986 and 1993.

She played an acid-tongued woman working at an interior design company alongside three other women and one put-upon man.

In 1984, Carter married fellow actor and Oscar nominee Hal Holbrook whom she had met doing a 1980 television film, The Killing of Randy Webster.

Holbrook said: "This has been a terrible blow to our family.

"We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy."

In 'Desperate Housewives', she played the devious mother-in-law of Marcia Cross's character, Bree Hodge.

In addition to her extensive TV credits (which also included 'Diff'rent Strokes' and 'Family Law'), Carter was also an accomplished stage actress.

Her final Broadway appearance was in 2004, playing Mrs Meers in 'Thoroughly Modern Millie'.