Matinee Classics - Carol Burnett Biography & Filmography

Carol Burnett ACTOR

CAROL BURNETT BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Carol Burnett was born on April 26th, 1933 in San Antonio, Texas with the middle name Creighton, born to Jodie and Louise Burnett. Her parents both suffered from alcoholism, therefore, she was raised by her grandmother. She relocated to Hollywood with her grandmother and lived in a number of boarding houses.

After Burnett graduated from high school she went on to study at the university of California and majored in theater. She never earned her college degree and instead dropped out early to pursue a career in the industry.

Soon she was appearing in a number of nightclubs which lead to the chance to work on the night-time variety shows with Jack Paar and Ed Sullivan.

Her first big break came in 1950 at the age of twenty two performing on, "The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show" followed by appearances on, "Stanley" (1956) and "Stump the Stars" (1958).

In addition to her night-club performing and television work, she really began to earn some respect for her stage work on Broadway appearing in such productions as, "Once Upon a Mattress".

As her career progressed she added such credits as the television series, "The Garry Moore Show" (1958), "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall" (1962) and the films, "Bewitched" (1964) and "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?" (1963).

In 1967 she was given the chance to have her own show, "The Carol Burnett Show" which in total earned 22 Emmy Awards and ran for eleven years. Alongside her highly successful show, Burnett still made time to add more film credits to her resume in, "Calamity Jane" (1963) starring Doris Day and Howard Keel, "Pete 'n' Tillie" (1972), "The Front Page" (1974) and "A Wedding" (1978) starring alongside Howard Duff, Mia Farrow and Lillian Gish just to name a few of the stars.

Burnett was also cast in a variety of television movies such as, "Friendly Fire" (1979) starring Ned Beatty, Timothy Hutton and Sam Waterston, "Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice" (1982), "Eunice" (1982) and "Between Friends" (1983) co-starring Elizabeth Taylor.

She tried to return to television with, "Carol & Company" (1990) and "The Carol Burnett Show" (1991), but this time, neither were as successful. However, Burnett did not slow down and continued to add more television appearances to her credits appearing on the series, "Magnum, P.I" (1980) starring Tom Selleck, "Touched By an Angel" (1994), "Mad About You" (1992), "Desperate Housewives" (2004) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2009).

Throughout her career in the industry she has won numerous awards such as a Woman in Film Crystal Award in 1980, The Kennedy Center Honors in 2003, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 and she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Carol Burnett has married three times during her lifetime, first to Don Saroyan in 1955, however by 1962, this marriage came to an end. She then wed Joe Hamilton in 1963 and they had three children before they divorced in 1984. Her current husband is Brian Miller and they wed in 2001. In 2002, she lost her daughter Carrie Hamilton at the young age of thirty eight to brain cancer.

Although, she does not work as frequently now, she still makes occasional appearances, most recently appearing on the soap Operas, "All My Children" (1983-2011) portraying, Mrs. Johnson also known as Verla Grubbs.