Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer, whose career spans seven decades of television. She is best known for her groundbreaking comedy variety show, The Carol Burnett Show, originally aired on CBS. It was the first of its kind to be hosted by a woman. She has achieved success on stage, television and film in varying genres including dramatic and comedic roles. She has also appeared on various talk shows and as a panelist on game shows. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Burnett moved with her grandmother to Hollywood, where she attended Hollywood High School and eventually studied theater and musical comedy at UCLA. Later she performed in nightclubs in New York City and had a breakout success on Broadway in 1959 in Once Upon a Mattress, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She soon made her television debut, regularly appearing on The Garry Moore Show for the next three years, and won her first Emmy Award in 1962.
Birth name: | Carol Creighton Burnett |
Born: | April 26, 1933, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
Medium: | Television, theater, film, writing |
Education: | UCLA |
Genres: | Parody, satire, slapstick |
Children: | 3, including Carrie and Erin Hamilton |
Notable works and roles: | The Carol Burnett Show, Miss Agatha Hannigan in Annie, Eunice Harper Higgins on Mama's Family |
IMDb: | Carol Burnett's IMDb |
About Carol Burnett
Hosted The Carol Burnett Show on CBS for a decade after winning Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards for her work in various genres.
Before Fame
She worked as an usherette and hat-check girl while living in a boarding house for women pursuing an careers in acting, and starred in the theater hit Once Upon a Mattress.
Achievement
She appeared on The Twilight Zone as Agnes Grep in an episode titled "Cavender Is Coming" and appeared in Get Smart as "Ozark" Annie Jones in an episode titled "One of Our Olives Is Missing."
Family Life
She got married to Don Saroyan on December 15, 1955, then to Joe Hamilton on May 4, 1963, and to Brian Miller on November 24, 2001. She and Joe had three daughters named Carrie, Erin and Jody.
Associations
She made her television debut on the Garry Moore show, which she appeared on from 1959 to 1962.
Information related to Carol Burnett
- Back Stage West Garland Award recipients
- Mark Twain Prize recipients
- Hollywood High School alumni
- Actresses from San Antonio
- Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners
- Kennedy Center honorees
- American sketch comedians
- UCLA Film School alumni
- Peabody Award winners
- American women comedians
- Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
- Primetime Emmy Award winners