Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett

Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is a titan of American entertainment, a multifaceted talent whose career has spanned decades, encompassing comedy, acting, singing, and writing. Her distinctive brand of humor, often infused with a touch of pathos and an uncanny ability to tap into the universal human experience, has earned her a place in the pantheon of comedic legends. Burnett’s extensive list of accolades, including seven Golden Globe Awards , a Grammy Award , seven Primetime Emmy Awards , twelve People’s Choice Awards , two Peabody Awards , and a Tony Award , speaks volumes about her enduring impact. Further cementing her status, she has been honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2013, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2015.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas , Burnett’s early life was marked by a move to Hollywood, positioning her just a stone’s throw from the iconic Hollywood Boulevard . Her formative years included attendance at Hollywood High School , followed by studies in theater and musical comedy at the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It was in New York City, however, that Burnett honed her craft in the vibrant nightclub scene, leading to a breakout performance on Broadway in 1959’s Once Upon a Mattress , a role that earned her a Tony Award nomination. Her transition to television was swift and impactful, with a memorable run on The Garry Moore Show that lasted three years and culminated in her first Emmy Award win in 1962.

The move back to Los Angeles heralded an era that would redefine television comedy. From 1967 to 1978, Burnett captivated audiences as the star and co-creator of the CBS variety-sketch show, The Carol Burnett Show . As the first woman to host a comedy-variety series, she carved a unique path, blending the tradition of vaudeville with innovative sketch comedy , musical numbers, and memorable characterizations. The show, celebrated for its parody of films and its beloved recurring characters, became a cultural touchstone, garnering numerous awards for both Burnett and the program itself.

Burnett’s cinematic contributions are equally noteworthy, with performances in films such as Pete ’n’ Tillie (1972), The Front Page (1974), A Wedding (1978), The Four Seasons (1981), Annie (1982), Noises Off (1992), and the animated Horton Hears a Who! (2008). On the small screen, she earned an Emmy Award for her guest appearance on Mad About You and shared memorable moments with Julie Andrews in a series of acclaimed specials. Her return to the stage was marked by a Tony-nominated performance in Moon Over Buffalo (1995). More recently, she has demonstrated her continued relevance and talent in series like Better Call Saul (2022), Palm Royale (2024), and Hacks (2025). Her memoir, In Such Good Company (2016), which she narrated herself, earned her a Grammy Award .

In recognition of her profound influence on television, the Golden Globes established the Carol Burnett Award in 2019, an honor that celebrates lifetime achievement in the medium, with Burnett herself being its inaugural recipient. Her 90th birthday was commemorated with an NBC special, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love , a testament to her enduring legacy.

Early life and education

Carol Creighton Burnett entered the world on April 26, 1933, at Nix Hospital in San Antonio, Texas . Her mother, Ina Louise (née Creighton), was a publicity writer for movie studios, and her father, Joseph Thomas Burnett, managed a movie theater. Her maternal grandparents were William Henry Creighton and Mabel Eudora “Mae” Jones. The family’s trajectory shifted in the late 1930s when her parents divorced. Both parents subsequently relocated to Hollywood, California , and young Carol moved with her grandmother to a modest one-room apartment, a world away from the glitz and glamour. They resided in an impoverished section of Hollywood, sharing a boarding house with Burnett’s younger half-sister, Chrissie.

During her second year of elementary school, Burnett conjured an imaginary twin sister named Karen, complete with dimples reminiscent of Shirley Temple . She recounted a childhood game of deception, where she’d “frantically switch clothes and dash in and out of the house by the fire escape and the front door” to maintain the illusion. This imaginative play eventually gave way to exhaustion, and Karen “mysteriously vanished.” By the age of nine, Burnett had taught herself the iconic “Tarzan yell ,” a skill she later recognized as a valuable vocal exercise for projecting her voice. Music was a frequent presence in her childhood; her grandmother, a trained musician, would play the piano (though the family didn’t own one), and her mother strummed the ukulele. These moments often involved singing popular songs in harmony around the kitchen table. Her grandmother also frequently took Carol and Chrissie to the movies, a practice that often involved collecting spare toilet paper rolls from the theater, a detail that would later subtly influence the content of her own sketch show. The cinematic experiences of her youth were a profound inspiration for the comedic sketches featured in The Carol Burnett Show .

Burnett found employment as an usherette at the Warner Brothers Theater, now known as the Hollywood Pacific Theatre . Her tenure there ended abruptly when, after watching Alfred Hitchcock ’s Strangers on a Train (1951), she attempted to prevent two latecomers from entering during the film’s climax. Despite her well-intentioned advice to wait for the next showing, the manager, witnessing her refusal, summarily fired her, stripping her epaulettes on the spot. Years later, having achieved stardom, when the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce offered her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , she requested its placement directly in front of the former Warner Brothers Theater, at Hollywood and Wilcox, where it remains today.

Upon graduating from Hollywood High School in 1951, Burnett received an anonymous envelope containing $50, intended to cover a year’s tuition at UCLA . Initially, she intended to study journalism, but during her freshman year, she shifted her focus to theater arts and English, with aspirations of becoming a playwright. A mandatory acting course, required for the playwright program, proved to be a pivotal turning point. She later recalled her initial apprehension, admitting, “I wasn’t really ready to do the acting thing, but I had no choice.” It was during this required acting class, in front of an audience, that an unexpected impulse struck her. “Don’t ask me why,” she confessed, “but when we were in front of the audience, I suddenly decided I was going to stretch out all my words and my first line came out ‘I’m baaaaaaaack!’” The resulting laughter from the audience was a revelation:

They laughed and it felt great. All of a sudden, after so much coldness and emptiness in my life, I knew the sensation of all that warmth wrapping around me. I had always been a quiet, shy, sad sort of girl and then everything changed for me. You spend the rest of your life hoping you’ll hear a laugh that great again.

Her comedic and musical talents began to shine in university productions, though her mother harbored reservations about her daughter’s acting ambitions. “She wanted me to be a writer,” Burnett recalled. “She said you can always write, no matter what you look like. When I was growing up she told me to be a little lady, and a couple of times I got a whack for crossing my eyes or making funny faces. Of course, she never, I never, dreamed I would ever perform.” The sting of her mother’s words, “You can always write, no matter what you look like,” resonated deeply with Burnett, who later acknowledged in her memoir, “God, that hurt!”

During her junior year at UCLA in 1954, a professor organized a party performance as a substitute for a canceled final exam. Following the performance, a man and his wife approached Burnett. Instead of criticism, they offered her and her boyfriend, Don Saroyan, an interest-free loan of $1,000 each. The benefactor, a millionaire from La Jolla, California with no ties to show business, had made his fortune in shipbuilding . His only stipulations were that the loan be repaid within five years, his name remain confidential, and that Burnett, should she achieve success, would pay forward the kindness by helping other aspiring artists. Burnett accepted, and she and Saroyan left UCLA to pursue their dreams in New York. Tragically, that same year, her father succumbed to complications related to his alcoholism.

Career

1955–1966: Rise to prominence

Burnett’s initial year in New York was spent working as a hat-check girl while tirelessly pursuing acting roles. Alongside other aspiring actresses residing at the Rehearsal Club , a boarding house for women dedicated to their craft, she participated in “The Rehearsal Club Revue” on March 3, 1955. The event, advertised to agents, drew notable industry figures, including Celeste Holm and Marlene Dietrich , opening doors for many of the young performers.

Her first television appearance came in 1955 on The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show, where she played the girlfriend of a ventriloquist’s dummy. This role led to her first starring part in the short-lived sitcom Stanley (1956–1957), opposite Buddy Hackett .

Following the cancellation of Stanley, Burnett experienced a period of unemployment. However, she quickly rebounded, gaining significant traction on the New York cabaret and nightclub circuit. Her signature parody number, “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles ” (the then-Secretary of State ), became a sensation. She performed this controversial yet popular piece on both The Tonight Show and The Ed Sullivan Show in 1957. When questioned about the song on Meet the Press , Dulles humorously responded, “I never discuss matters of the heart in public.” During this period, Burnett was also a regular on the game show Pantomime Quiz . Her nascent success was shadowed by the death of her mother on January 10, 1958. By October 1960, Burnett had debuted at New York’s esteemed Blue Angel Supper Club , where she was discovered by scouts for The Jack Paar Show and The Ed Sullivan Show .

Burnett’s Broadway debut in the 1959 musical Once Upon a Mattress marked her first significant breakthrough. The role earned her a Tony Award nomination. In that same year, she repaid her anonymous benefactor the $1,000 loan, precisely on time, fulfilling her promise. Her role in Once Upon a Mattress also led to her becoming a regular on The Garry Moore Show from 1959 to 1962. Her performance on the show, particularly her portrayal of a downtrodden cleaning woman—a character who would evolve into her iconic alter ego—earned her an Emmy Award in 1962 for “Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series.” This success catapulted Burnett to headliner status, leading to the highly successful television special Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall (1962), a collaboration with her close friend Julie Andrews . The special, produced by Bob Banner , directed by Joe Hamilton (whom she would later marry), and written by Mike Nichols and Ken Welch, garnered an Emmy for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Music, with Burnett also winning an Emmy for her performance. She also made guest appearances on various television programs, including an episode of The Twilight Zone titled “Cavender Is Coming ”. In July 1963, Burnett starred as Calamity Jane in the Dallas State Fair Musicals production of Calamity Jane , which was subsequently aired by CBS on November 12, 1963.

Burnett’s foray into film began in 1963 with a role in the comedy Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed? , starring opposite Dean Martin and Elizabeth Montgomery . Reflecting on the experience, Burnett admitted, “I should have been given the award for “Worst Performance Ever Given in Movies by an Actress.” I was confused, bored and I missed the [live] audience. Nothing was spontaneous.” In 1964, she starred in the Broadway musical Fade Out – Fade In , but a neck injury sustained in a taxi accident forced her to withdraw. She briefly returned but ultimately left the production to participate in the variety show The Entertainers , alongside Caterina Valente and Bob Newhart . The producers of Fade Out – Fade In initiated a lawsuit against Burnett for breach of contract due to her absences, which ultimately led to the show’s demise. The suit was later dropped, and The Entertainers concluded after a single season. During this period, Burnett forged a close friendship with Jim Nabors , then a star of the popular series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. . This friendship led to her recurring role as a tough corporal and later a gunnery sergeant on Nabors’ show, beginning with the episode “Corporal Carol” . Nabors became a regular guest on Burnett’s own variety show, considered her good-luck charm.

A significant mentorship began in 1959 when Lucille Ball took Burnett under her wing. The two appeared together on Burnett’s special, Carol + 2 (1966), and Burnett reciprocated with a guest spot on The Lucy Show (1966–1967). While rumors circulated about Ball offering Burnett her own sitcom, the reality was that CBS executives had offered Burnett a sitcom titled Here’s Agnes, which she declined. Their friendship remained strong until Ball’s passing in 1989; Ball continued to send Burnett flowers every year on her birthday, even sending a bouquet with a note reading “Happy Birthday, Kid. Love, Lucy” on the day Burnett learned of her friend’s death. In 1966, Burnett also appeared in an episode of the Mel Brooks and Buck Henry created spy comedy series Get Smart .

1967–1978: The Carol Burnett Show

In 1967, faced with the offer of Here’s Agnes from CBS, Burnett exercised a clause in her ten-year contract, which allowed her five years from the end of The Garry Moore Show to “push the button” on hosting a thirty-episode, hour-long music-comedy variety show. This stipulation paved the way for the creation of The Carol Burnett Show , which premiered in September 1967. The show became a critical and commercial success, ultimately earning 23 Emmy Awards and consistently receiving nominations for multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Awards throughout its eleven-year run. The show’s stellar ensemble cast included Tim Conway (who joined as a regular later), Harvey Korman , Lyle Waggoner , and a young Vicki Lawrence , whom Burnett discovered and mentored. The network’s initial reluctance to greenlight a variety show for a woman, based on the assumption that only men could succeed in the genre, was overcome by Burnett’s contractual right. She was determined to carry on the tradition of successful variety programming. During this period, Burnett also made history as the first celebrity guest on the inaugural episode of the children’s series Sesame Street on November 10, 1969. She also returned to the stage for occasional performances in the 1970s and 1980s, including a 1974 appearance at the Muny in St. Louis, Missouri , in I Do! I Do! alongside Rock Hudson .

The Bob Mackie –designed curtain dress, famously worn by Burnett in the “Went with the Wind! ” sketch, is now a prized exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution .

The Carol Burnett Show thrived on its blend of humor and heart. The show’s sketches frequently parodied popular films, such as the iconic “Went with the Wind! ” for Gone with the Wind , and television programs, including the long-running soap opera parody “As the Stomach Turns ” for As the World Turns , alongside lampoons of commercials. Musical numbers were a staple, and original sketches like “The Family ” became so popular that they eventually spawned the spin-off series Mama’s Family , starring Vicki Lawrence. Burnett’s signature opening, an impromptu audience Q&A session, showcased her exceptional improvisational skills and often included her renowned Tarzan yell . The show’s closing tradition, where Burnett tugged on her left ear, was a personal message to her grandmother, signifying her well-being and love. Burnett tearfully recalled her grandmother’s final moments during an episode of Intimate Portrait , sharing a story about a phantom spider and a final, poignant observation: “There’s laughter in everything!” The ear-tug tradition continued, a touching tribute to her grandmother.

The original run of The Carol Burnett Show concluded in 1978. However, four additional episodes were produced and aired on ABC in the summer of 1979 under the title Carol Burnett & Company , featuring a similar format and cast, with the notable exceptions of Harvey Korman and Lyle Waggoner. Beginning in 1977, edited half-hour versions of the show’s sketches were syndicated as Carol Burnett and Friends, maintaining its popularity for decades and later airing on MeTV starting in 2015. During the show’s run, Burnett also appeared in films like Pete ’n’ Tillie (1972) and The Front Page (1974), and received an Emmy nomination in 1974 for her dramatic role in the television movie 6 Rms Riv Vu . The enduring appeal of the show was underscored by a 2001 retrospective special, which drew 30 million viewers, surpassing even the Emmy Awards and all but the final game of the World Series in viewership. Burnett’s Grammy-winning memoir, In Such Good Company, delves into the creation and impact of the show, offering anecdotes about its cast, crew, guests, and the improvisational magic that defined it.

1979–1999: Film roles and return to Broadway

Following the conclusion of her variety show, Burnett explored roles that ventured beyond pure comedy, embracing dramatic performances. Her notable television movie role in Friendly Fire showcased her dramatic range, as did her portrayal of Beatrice O’Reilly in Life of The Party: The Story of Beatrice, a film addressing alcoholism. Her cinematic endeavors continued with appearances in Robert Altman ’s comedy-drama A Wedding (1978), Alan Alda ’s romantic comedy The Four Seasons (1981), John Huston ’s musical adaptation of Annie (1982), and Peter Bogdanovich ’s farce Noises Off (1992). She also took on a supporting role as Carlotta Campion in the 1985 concert production of Stephen Sondheim ’s Follies . In 1995, after a three-decade hiatus, Burnett returned to Broadway in Moon Over Buffalo , earning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play nomination. Four years later, she participated in the Broadway revue Putting It Together .

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Burnett made several attempts to launch new variety programs. She also made guest appearances on Mama’s Family , reprising her role as the tempestuous Eunice Higgins . She took on the matriarchal role in the cult comedy miniseries Fresno , a satirical take on primetime soap operas like Falcon Crest . In 1987, she starred in the sketch special Carol, Carl, Whoopi and Robin alongside Carl Reiner , Whoopi Goldberg , and Robin Williams . That same year, she starred in the TV movie Plaza Suite with Dabney Coleman and Hal Holbrook . A reunion with Julie Andrews occurred in the ABC special Julie & Carol: Together Again , performed at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood . Her attempt at a new sitcom, Carol & Company , aired from 1990 to 1991. Burnett also graced the screen as herself in The Larry Sanders Show in 1992 and earned an Emmy Award for her guest role as Theresa Stemple, mother of Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt ), on the sitcom Mad About You .

Burnett was a frequent and popular panelist on the game show Password until the early 1980s. Mark Goodson , the show’s producer, even presented her with his Silver Password All-Stars Award for her exceptional performance. She is also credited with suggesting the title Password Plus for the show’s successor. A devoted fan of the soap opera All My Children , Burnett fulfilled a long-held dream when Agnes Nixon created the role of Verla Grubbs for her in 1983. Verla, the long-lost daughter of Langley Wallingford (Louis Edmonds ), caused considerable disruption for her stepmother Phoebe Tyler-Wallingford (Ruth Warrick ). Burnett made occasional reappearances on the soap opera throughout the following decades, hosted a 25th-anniversary special in 1995, and made a brief cameo appearance as Verla for the show’s 35th-anniversary episode in January 2005. She reprised the role again in September 2011 for the series finale. Her television film work during this period included Seasons of the Heart (1994).

2000–present: Pause and return to acting

Burnett ventured into voice acting with her first role in The Trumpet of the Swan in 2001. She returned to animation in 2008 as an animated character in Horton Hears a Who! and lent her voice to the character Hara in the US Disney dub of The Secret World of Arrietty in 2012. In 2019, she voiced Chairol Burnett, a talking chair, in Pixar’s Toy Story 4 .

Burnett also returned to live-action film in 2005, taking on the role of Queen Aggravain in the film adaptation of Once Upon a Mattress . She guest-starred in Desperate Housewives as Bree’s stepmother, Eleanor Mason, and appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2009, earning an Emmy Award nomination for her performance. In November 2010, she played the mother of Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch ) on an episode of Glee . In 2014, she reunited with two-time Tony Award winner Brian Dennehy on Broadway for A. R. Gurney’s Love Letters . Burnett portrayed Steve McGarrett’s Aunt Debbie on the reboot of Hawaii Five-0 , with her appearances, often coinciding with Thanksgiving episodes, running from 2013 until the character’s death from cancer in January 2016.

President Barack Obama presents Carol Burnett with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

While largely stepping away from the spotlight, Burnett continued to be recognized with prestigious honorary awards. In 2013, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center , with tributes from esteemed colleagues like Julie Andrews , Vicki Lawrence , Tim Conway , Tina Fey , Amy Poehler , Maya Rudolph , Rashida Jones , and Martin Short . In 2017, CBS aired [The Carol Burnett Show: 50th Anniversary Special], celebrating the iconic program with Burnett, original cast members Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner , costume designer Bob Mackie , and a host of special guests including Jim Carrey , Kristin Chenoweth , Stephen Colbert , Harry Connick Jr. , Bill Hader , Jay Leno , Jane Lynch , Bernadette Peters , Maya Rudolph , and Martin Short . Burnett reflected on the challenges she faced, stating, “They said it was a man’s game—Sid Caesar , Dean Martin , Milton Berle —because it hadn’t been done. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be done.”

The Golden Globes paid tribute to Burnett’s groundbreaking career in 2019 by establishing the Carol Burnett Award for lifetime achievement in television, naming her its first recipient. The Hollywood Foreign Press acknowledged her status as a “comedy trailblazer” who has been “breaking barriers while making us laugh” for over five decades. Steve Carell presented Burnett with the inaugural award.

In June 2022, Burnett made a significant guest appearance in the latter half of the sixth and final season of the acclaimed drama series Better Call Saul , a spin-off of Breaking Bad . Portraying the character “Marion,” Burnett expressed her enthusiasm for the project, stating she was a fan of the show and that creator Vince Gilligan had promised her a role, even if it was just “one sentence.” Her two-and-a-half-month stint in New Mexico for the filming was described as a “delight.” Despite missing an Emmy nomination for her nuanced performance, critics, including Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter , lauded her “subtle symphony of world-weary nuance.”

On April 26, 2023, Burnett’s 90th birthday was celebrated with an NBC special, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love , filmed at the Avalon Hollywood Theatre. The event featured tributes from friends and collaborators such as Julie Andrews , Cher , Ellen DeGeneres , Lily Tomlin , Amy Poehler , and Kristin Wiig . The special went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (pre-recorded) at the 75th Creative Emmy Arts Emmy Awards , with Burnett accepting the award as an executive producer. At the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards , Burnett had the honor of presenting the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series to Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary . Brunson, visibly emotional, remarked on the significance of receiving the award from Burnett, stating, “I think, like, the Carol Burnett of it all.”

In March 2024, Burnett co-starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series Palm Royale alongside Kristen Wiig , Allison Janney , and Laura Dern . Her performance as Norma drew critical acclaim, with Tom Gliatto of People calling it the series’ “strongest performance,” noting Burnett’s “unforgiving toughness” and “slapstick kick.” Judy Berman of Time described her as “the funniest convalescent you’ll ever meet.” While Burnett indicated that Palm Royale might be her final acting role, she expressed interest in continuing her career as a writer, producer, or presenter.

In 2025, she reprised her role as herself in a season four episode of the Max comedy series Hacks , titled “I Love L.A.” In the episode, Burnett offers crucial advice to Deborah (played by Jean Smart ) who is experiencing a sudden bout of anxiety. Smart praised Burnett’s presence, calling her “an incredibly cool human being” and expressing a desire to emulate her longevity and grace.

Acting credits and accolades

Burnett’s career has been punctuated by an astonishing array of honors, including 23 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, resulting in six wins for her work on The Garry Moore Show , Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall , The Carol Burnett Show , Mad About You , and Palm Royale . In 2024, at the remarkable age of 91, she became the oldest nominee for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Palm Royale.

Her distinguished career has also garnered 18 Golden Globe Award nominations, with seven wins, primarily for her work on The Carol Burnett Show. She has also received three Tony Awards and three Grammy Awards nominations, winning one of each.

Beyond these major awards, Burnett’s contributions have been recognized with two Peabody Awards , a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award , and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2003, she was honored with a Kennedy Center Honor , followed by the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, presented by President George W. Bush . In 2013, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor , and in 2019, she became the first recipient of the Carol Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award for Television, an award named in her honor.

Her 90th birthday was marked by the aforementioned NBC special, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love , which featured tributes from a constellation of stars including Julie Andrews , Vicki Lawrence , Lily Tomlin , Steve Carell , Amy Poehler , Ellen DeGeneres , Bob Odenkirk , and Cher .

Personal life

Burnett’s personal life has been marked by two marriages and three daughters. She married her college sweetheart, Don Saroyan, on December 15, 1955, divorcing in 1962.

On May 4, 1963, she married television producer Joe Hamilton , who had produced her 1962 Carnegie Hall concert and later served as executive producer for The Carol Burnett Show . Hamilton, a divorced father of eight, and Burnett had three daughters:

• Carrie Hamilton (December 5, 1963 – January 20, 2002), an actress and writer, who tragically passed away at 38 from complications of lung and brain cancer.
• Jody Hamilton (born January 18, 1967), a film producer and occasional actress, who as of 2023, is the executive producer of The Stephanie Miller Show .
• Erin Hamilton (born August 14, 1968), a singer.

In early 1965, Burnett experienced a miscarriage in her ninth week of pregnancy.

Burnett and Hamilton’s marriage ended in divorce in 1984. The challenges of coping with Carrie’s struggles with drug addiction were cited as a contributing factor to the separation. However, the couple channeled their experiences into advocacy, raising awareness and funds for addiction treatment centers. In 1988, Burnett and Carrie traveled to Moscow to support the establishment of the first Alcoholics Anonymous branch in the Soviet Union . Joe Hamilton died of cancer in 1991. In the 1980s, Burnett also participated in a public awareness campaign for MedicAlert , becoming their symbolic one millionth member.

On November 24, 2001, Burnett married drummer Brian Miller, who is 23 years her junior.

Burnett has maintained close friendships with many notable figures in the entertainment industry, including Lucille Ball , Beverly Sills , Jim Nabors (who served as godfather to her daughter Jody), Julie Andrews , and Betty White . She has also been a significant mentor to Vicki Lawrence , with whom she shares a deep and enduring bond.

In August 2020, Burnett and Miller petitioned for legal guardianship of Burnett’s teenage grandson, Dylan, whose mother (Burnett’s daughter) was reportedly struggling with addiction. Burnett had already been designated as Dylan’s “educational rights holder.” Burnett and Miller served as temporary guardians from September 2020 to November 2021, at which point a case worker assumed the role.

Philanthropy

Upholding a promise made to her anonymous benefactor from her UCLA days, Burnett has consistently supported scholarship programs at both UCLA and the University of Hawaii, providing assistance to students facing financial hardship. On November 6, 2025, UCLA announced that Burnett had endowed a scholarship at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (TFT) to support undergraduate students in the Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program. Concurrently, she donated over 140 of her industry awards and honors, along with personal ephemera, to UCLA, where they will be displayed on a rotating basis in the lobby of the Freud Playhouse.

Discography

Burnett’s recording career includes several solo and duet albums, as well as contributions to cast recordings. Her vocal performances have been recognized and preserved on albums such as:

• Carol Burnett Remembers How They Stopped the Show (1961)
• Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall – with Julie Andrews (1962)
• Let Me Entertain You: Carol Burnett Sings (1964)
• Carol Burnett Sings (1967)
• Here’s Carol! Carol Burnett Sings (1968)
• Together Again for the First Time – with Martha Raye (1968)
• Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center – with Julie Andrews (1971)
• Carol Burnett Featuring ‘If I Could Write a Song’ (1972)
• Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett: The CBS Television Specials (2012) – a compilation of her earlier collaborations.

She also contributed to cast recordings for stage productions like:

• Once Upon a Mattress – Original Cast Recording (1959)
• Three Billion Millionaires – Various Artists (1963)
• [Fade Out – Fade In] – Original Broadway Cast (1964)
• [Annie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] – Various Artists (1982)
• [Follies: In Concert] – Various Artists (1985)
• [Sherry! The Broadway Musical] – Studio Cast (2004)
• [Annie: The Broadway Musical – 30th Anniversary Production] – Various Artists (2008)

Bibliography

Burnett’s literary contributions include co-writing a play and authoring several memoirs.

• Hollywood Arms (2002), co-written with her daughter Carrie Hamilton, was based on Burnett’s bestselling memoir, One More Time (1986). The play, developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab and The Goodman Theatre , premiered on Broadway under the direction of Harold Prince .
• Burnett has written and recorded three memoirs, each of which received a Grammy Award nomination . Her memoir In Such Good Company (2016) won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album at the 59th Grammy Awards. Her other memoirs include:
  • This Time Together (2010)
  • Carrie and Me (2014)
  • In Such Good Company (2016)

She has also authored several books:

• Mendoza, George; Burnett, Carol (1975). What I Want to Be When I Grow Up. New York City: Simon & Schuster . ISBN  978-0671221591.
• Burnett, Carol (1986). One More Time: A Memoir By Carol Burnett (1st ed.). New York City: Random House . ISBN  978-0394552545.
• Burnett, Carol (2011). This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection (Reprint ed.). New York City: Three Rivers Press . ISBN  978-0307461193.
• Burnett, Carol (2014). Carrie and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story (Reprint ed.). New York City: Simon & Schuster . ISBN  978-1476755793.
• Burnett, Carol (2016). In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox. New York City: Crown Archetype . ISBN  978-1101904657.

Litigation

Burnett v. National Enquirer, Inc.

In 1976, the tabloid newspaper The National Enquirer published an article falsely accusing Burnett of being intoxicated in public with then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger present. While the newspaper later issued a retraction acknowledging the inaccuracy of their report and apologizing for any embarrassment caused, Burnett pursued legal action for libel. After a protracted legal battle, she secured a judgment against the Enquirer in 1981. Although the initial jury award of $1.6 million was reduced to $200,000 on appeal, and the final settlement was reached out of court, the case was widely regarded as a landmark victory for individuals targeted by tabloid journalism.

Carol Burnett and Whacko, Inc. vs. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

In 2007, Burnett and her company, Whacko, Inc., filed a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox , seeking at least $2 million in damages. The lawsuit stemmed from an animated likeness of Burnett, specifically her iconic charwoman character, appearing in a 2006 episode of the animated sitcom Family Guy . In the episode, the character Glenn Quagmire claims a porn shop is exceptionally clean because Burnett works there as a janitor, and she is depicted mopping the floor while a distorted version of her theme song plays. The suit alleged copyright infringement, violation of publicity rights, and misappropriation of Burnett’s name and likeness. Burnett and her company demanded that Fox remove all references to her, the theme song, and the character from the episode. The studio refused, asserting that the use constituted parody and was protected under the First Amendment , specifically the doctrine of Fair Use . The court ultimately ruled in favor of the defendant, upholding the parody defense.