Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett
A six-time Emmy winner, Carol Burnett has played a variety of characters in films and television shows. She starred in “Pete ‘n’ Tillie” (1972), “The Four Seasons” (1981), and the film Annie (1982). Burnett’s dramatic skills were displayed in the television movie “Friendly Fire,” for which she received a second Tony nomination. Burnett has also starred in the films “Annie” and “The Four Seasons.” In addition, she voiced the character of Chairol Burnett in Toy Story 4.
Carol Burnett studied acting at UCLA, where she discovered her natural talent for arousing laughter. After graduating in 1954, Burnett moved to New York City, where she found work in shows such as the Winchell-Mahoney Show and Stanley, a short-lived comedy. She married Don Saroyan, her long-term boyfriend, and became a celebrity. She married Don Saroyan, an actor she met at a university party.
After her television career ended, Carol McElroy worked on several film projects. She was Miss Hannigan in the famous “Fresno-Coop” and also appeared in the 1982 film version of Annie. In the early 1990s she starred in the comedy musical Noises off …,, which featured her as Miss Hannigan. Carol McElhenney, a decade later, returned to her stage roots and began appearing in supporting roles on films.
Carol Burnett was also a huge fan of All My Children. She was cast in 1976 as Verla Grubbs (a long-lost child of Langley Wallingford). She posed as her stepmother and threw Phoebe Tyler-Wallingford under the bus. Her role was very well-liked, and she sometimes returned to the role of Verla Grubbs. Burnett continued to appear on the show throughout the decades, hosting the 25th anniversary special in 1995. In 2011, she reprised her role as Verla Grubbs in the final episode.
Despite her fame as a comedian, Burnett remained a vocal advocate for social justice. In 1986, Burnett won a lawsuit against NBC and donated the proceeds to journalism departments at two colleges. She also wrote “One More Time,” her autobiography that provides a behind-the scenes look at the show’s production. While she continues to pursue her career, her political opinions are more than merely entertaining.
After the show aired its final episode in March 1978, Carol Burnett moved on to more challenging ventures. She started acting in TV-movie shows and was nominated twice for Emmy Awards. Despite her success in TV-movie, Burnett kept her dream of creating a variety program alive. The Carol Burnett Show became a smash hit and won 22 Emmy Awards during its 11-year run.
Burnett worked in nightclubs, as well as local shows. She was also featured on the Jack Paar television shows and Ed Sullivan. In 1959, she made it big on the Broadway stage by landing a role in “Once Upon a Mattress”. Adapted from the fable, “The Princess And the Pea,” the show’s success was guaranteed, and Carol Burnett would become a household name. Once upon a Mattress was first performed in a small theater on Broadway, but it was later transferred to a bigger Broadway venue.