in 1967, she began an eight-year hiatus from acting, to focus on raising her two daughters; she returned to acting in 1974, when she filled in for actress nancy pinkerton as dorian cramer on "one life to live" while pinkerton was on maternity leave. she subsequently was cast in the role of assistant d.a. olivia brandeis "brandy" henderson on the soap opera "the edge of night" from 1974 to 1976. carter took the role though some advised her that doing a daytime soap might negatively affect her career. however, she was first noticed in this role, and after leaving "edge of night" in 1976, she relocated from new york to los angeles and pursued prime-time television roles. in 1976, she won the "theater world" award for "jesse and the bandit queen".