This Comedy Legend And Award-Winning Actress Recently Celebrated Her 90th Birthday, And She’s One Of Television’s Most Beloved Figures
Comedy legend and award-winning actress Carol Burnett recently celebrated her 90th birthday in a star-studded live tribute special on NBC.
As one of television’s most beloved figures, it’s no wonder big names were in attendance like Julie Andrews and Cher, who once shared the stage with her decades ago.
In honor of her recent big birthday, here is everything you need to know about the life of Carol Burnett.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1933, Carol had a passion for film and performing at a young age. Her mother was a publicity writer for movie studios, and her father was a movie theater manager.
Their family moved to Hollywood, California, when she was a little girl. They lived in a boarding house in an impoverished neighborhood.
As a kid, Carol loved spending time in movie theaters and quickly picked up on how to entertain people. She loved making people laugh and singing with her family.
She worked as an usher at a movie theater until she graduated high school. Then, she decided to study theater arts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1950s and excelled in comedy.
Making her classmates laugh while performing scenes came very naturally to her. She performed in many school productions and received lots of praise around campus.
In 1955, Carol longed to move to New York City to become an actress and eventually received a loan from an anonymous donor with enough money to send her there. During her first year in New York, Carol lived in a boarding house for women pursuing acting careers.
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She eventually landed a role on the comedic television show, The Winchell-Mahoney Show, playing the girlfriend of a ventriloquist’s dummy.
From 1956-1957, Carol played a role on the television sitcom Stanley but had trouble finding work afterward.
However, she eventually found success in NYC’s cabaret and nightclub scene, performing parody songs like “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles,” which caught the attention of late-night show scouts.
Carol was cast in the original Broadway cast of the musical Once Upon A Mattress in 1959 and was nominated for a Tony Award. After making more small television appearances and gaining more attention, Carol was cast in The Garry Moore Show that same year.
She became an instant hit with her slapstick comedy and hilarious characters. She won an Emmy Award for her performances on the show in 1962.
Carol started grabbing attention all over the film and television industry and made friends with other icons like Julie Andrews, who she performed with at Carnegie Hall in 1962, and Lucille Ball.
Then, Carol was finally given her own variety show, The Carol Burnett Show, which debuted on CBS in 1967, historically making her the first woman to host a variety show on American television.
Along with fabulous costars like Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, and Lyle Waggoner, the cast of The Carol Burnett Show had audiences all over America laughing weekly.
Each show would open with Carol having a Q&A with her studio audience before the cast performed some of their iconic sketches and parodies.
When you watch her famous Gone With The Wind parody sketch, “Went With The Wind,” you won’t be able to stop laughing.
The Carol Burnett Show featured many special guests like Julie Andrews, Lucille Ball, Ella Fitzgerald, Burt Reynolds, The Jackson 5, etc. The variety show won 23 Emmy Awards and ran from 1967 to 1978.
After The Carol Burnett show, Carol continued to act and perform in film, on television, and on Broadway. She is well known for her performance as Miss Hannigan in the original 1982 Annie film and made guest appearances on big shows like Glee and Better Call Saul.
Carol’s long and successful career has tremendously impacted the entertainment industry, and she continues to be recognized for her talent.
She was given a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003, has won Lifetime Achievement awards, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and even has a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Congratulations, Carol, on your recent birthday, and thank you for the laughs!
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