News on your favorite shows, specials & more!
Carol Burnett Headshot

Carol Burnett

Birth Place: San Antonio, TX, USA

read more news

Get Carol Burnett Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

BIO

Carol Burnett is an American comedian, actress, and singer. Her comedy-variety series, The Carol Burnett Show, which originally aired on CBS, was one of the first to be hosted by a woman. Burnett has performed on Broadway, on television, and in dramatic and comedic film roles. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including seven Golden Globe Awards, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and a Grammy Award. Burnett was awarded 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.



Burnett was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, until her family moved to Hollywood, living a block away from Hollywood Boulevard. 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.

Eventually, Burnett moved back to Los Angeles and began an 11-year run as star of The Carol Burnett Show on CBS television from 1967 to 1978. With its vaudeville roots, The Carol Burnett Show was a variety show that combined comedy sketches with song and dance. The comedy sketches included film parodies and character pieces. Burnett created many memorable characters during the show's run, and both she and the show won numerous Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. During and after her variety show, Burnett appeared in many television and film projects.

Burnett's film roles include Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), The Front Page (1974), A Wedding (1978), The Four Seasons (1981), Annie (1982), Noises Off (1992), and Horton Hears a Who! (2008). She has acted in the dramas 6 Rms Riv Vu (1974) and Friendly Fire (1979); in guest roles such as in Mad About You, for which she won an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series; and in various specials with Julie Andrews, Dolly Parton, and Beverly Sills. She returned to Broadway in Moon Over Buffalo (1995), receiving another Tony Award nomination. Recent acting roles include the AMC drama series Better Call Saul (2022) and the Apple TV+ comedy series Palm Royale (2024). Burnett wrote and narrated several memoirs, earning Grammy nominations for almost all of them, including a win for In Such Good Company.

In 2019, the Golden Globes created the Carol Burnett Award for career achievement in television, giving Burnett the first award. She was honored with an NBC special Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love celebrating her 90th birthday.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

Love Letters Love Letters
[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2014
Melissa Gardner [Replacement]
Putting It Together
[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 1999
The Wife
Putting It Together
[Los Angeles]
Los Angeles Revival, 1998
Amy
Moon Over Buffalo
[Broadway]
1995
Charlotte Hay
Follies
[Off-Broadway]
New York Concert, 1985
Carlotta Campion
Fade Out - Fade In
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1964
Hope Springfield
Once Upon a Mattress
[Broadway]
Broadway Transfer, 1959
Princess Winnifred
Company
[Los Angeles]
Los Angeles Revival, 1993
Performer
I Do! I Do!
[Regional (US)]
Regional Revival, 1974
Agnes

Writing

Hollywood Arms
Source Material
Playwright

Movies

No Place Like Home
[ 1960 ]
Calamity Jane
[ 1963 ] Calamity Jane
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?
[ 1963 ] Stella Irving
Once Upon a Mattress
[ 1964 ] Princess Winnifred
Carol and Company
[ 1966 ]
A Last Laugh at the Sixties
[ 1970 ]
The Tim Conway Special
[ 1970 ]
Li'l Abner
[ 1971 ]
Once Upon a Mattress
[ 1972 ] Princess Winifred the Woebegone
Pete 'n' Tillie
[ 1972 ] Tillie
Burt and the Girls
[ 1973 ]
6 Rms Riv Vu
[ 1974 ] Anne Miller
Out to Lunch
[ 1974 ]
The Front Page
[ 1974 ] Mollie Malloy
Twigs
[ 1975 ] Emily / Celia / Dorothy / ...
A Wedding
[ 1978 ] Tulip Brenner
The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank
[ 1978 ] Dorothy Benson
Friendly Fire
[ 1979 ] Peg Mullen
The Tenth Month
[ 1979 ] Dori Grey
HealtH
[ 1980 ] Gloria Burbank
The Wild Wacky Wonderful World of Winter
[ 1980 ]
Christmas in Hawaii
[ 1981 ]
Chu Chu and the Philly Flash
[ 1981 ] Emily
The Four Seasons
[ 1981 ] Kate Burroughs
Annie
[ 1982 ] Miss Hannigan
Eunice
[ 1982 ] Eunice
Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice
[ 1982 ] Beatrice O'Reilly
All-Star Party for Frank Sinatra
[ 1983 ]
Between Friends
[ 1983 ] Mary Catherine Castelli
Happily Ever After
[ 1985 ] Narrator
The Laundromat
[ 1985 ] Alberta Johnson
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life - Hosted by Johnny Carson
[ 1987 ]
Plaza Suite
[ 1987 ] Karen Nash / Muriel Tate / Norma Hubley
Hostage
[ 1988 ] Martha
Julie & Carol: Together Again
[ 1989 ]
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
[ 1991 ] Narrator / Mrs. Rabbit / Cat - Voice
Noises Off...
[ 1992 ] Dotty Otley / Mrs. Clackett
Men, Movies & Carol
[ 1994 ]
Seasons of the Heart
[ 1994 ] Vivian Levinson
All My Children 25th Anniversary Special
[ 1995 ] Self - Hostess
The Marriage Fool
[ 1998 ] Florence
Putting It Together
[ 2000 ] The Wife
The Trumpet of the Swan
[ 2001 ] Mrs. Hammerbotham - Voice
Once Upon a Mattress
[ 2005 ] Queen Aggravain
Horton Hears a Who!
[ 2008 ] Kangaroo - Voice
Mike Douglas: Moments & Memories
[ 2008 ]
Post Grad
[ 2009 ] Grandma Maureen
Arrietty
[ 2010 ] Hara - Voice
A Carol Burnett Christmas
[ 2012 ]
Carol Burnett's Favorite Sketches
[ 2016 ] Host
Elmo's World: Elmo Wonders
[ 2016 ]
Household Name
[ 2017 ] Vivian Valmont
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Altar
[ 2018 ] Ardis
Kaye Ballard - The Show Goes On
[ 2019 ]
Surely, You Jest
[ 2019 ]
Toy Story 4
[ 2019 ] Chairol Burnett - Voice
All Together Now
[ 2020 ] Joan
Lucille Ball: We Love Lucy
[ 2020 ]
Licorice Pizza
[ 2021 ]
Betty White: A Celebration
[ 2022 ]

TV Shows

Omnibus
Stanley
[ 1956-1957 ] Celia Howard, Celia
The DuPont Show of the Week
Narrator
The Twilight Zone
Agnes Grep
Get Smart
Ozark Annie
The Lucy Show
[ 1966-1967 ] Carol Bradford
Gomer Pyle: USMC
[ 1967-1969 ] Sgt. Carol, Carol Barnes
The Tim Conway Comedy Hour
Here's Lucy
[ 1969-1971 ] Carol Krausmeyer, Carol Burnett
Insight
Eve
The Carol Burnett Show
[ 1967-1978 ]
Carol Burnett & Company
The Tim Conway Show
Bird Lady, Mrs. Wiggins
SCTV Network
Woman in Courtroom
Mama's Family
[ 1983-1984 ] Eunice Higgins
Fresno
Charlotte Kensington
Fame
Rose
Magnum, P.I.
[ 1984-1988 ] Susan Johnson
Carol & Company
[ 1990-1991 ] Dorothy Tibbit
HBO Storybook Musicals
Narrator, Mrs. Rabbit, Cat
Evening Shade
Carol Burnett
Women of the House
Carol Burnett
Touched by an Angel
Lillian Bennett
The Larry Sanders Show
[ 1992-1998 ] Carol Burnett
The Wonderful World of Disney
Queen Aggravain
Desperate Housewives
Eleanor Mason
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Birdie Sulloway
All My Children
[ 1983-2011 ] Verla Grubbs, Mrs. Johnson
Curious George
[ 2013-2014 ] Great Aunt Sylvia
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Ardis Paine
Glee
[ 2010-2015 ] Doris Sylvester
Hot in Cleveland
[ 2013-2015 ] Penny
Hawaii Five-0
[ 2013-2016 ] Deb McGarrett
Julie's Greenroom
Mrs. Edna Brightful
Angie Tribeca
President Priscilla Filcox
Forky Asks a Question
Chairol Burnett
Mad About You
[ 1996-2019 ] Theresa Stemple
Better Call Saul
Marion
Frasier
Jennifer
Palm Royale
Norma Dellacorte
Frasier
Jennifer
Palm Royale
Norma Dellacorte

Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards - 1996 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Carol Burnett , Moon Over Buffalo


winner
Tony Awards - 1969 - Special Tony Award

Carol Burnett


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1964 - Other Awards

Carol Burnett


winner
Theatre World Awards - 1960 - Performance

Carol Burnett, Once Upon a Mattress

Tony Awards - 1960 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Carol Burnett, Once Upon a Mattress

Videos

More Videos

News


Ben Platt and More To Honor Mandy Patinkin At Signature Theatre Gala Photo
Ben Platt and More To Honor Mandy Patinkin At Signature Theatre Gala
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 5, 2025

On April 14, 2025, Virginia's Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre will honor star of stage and screen Mandy Patinkin with the company's fourteenth Stephen Sondheim Award. The Stephen Sondheim Award will be presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at The Anthem and will benefit Signature Theatre's artistic, education, and community programs.
What Are the Different Types of Theater Events? Photo
What Are the Different Types of Theater Events?
by Sidney Paterra - Mar 4, 2025

Discover the rich tapestry of theatrical performances, from classic plays and musicals to operas and ballets, as we delve into the evolution and variety of theater events that captivate audiences worldwide.
Review: Tony Award Winner Sutton Foster Returns to the OC at Irvine Barclay Photo
Review: Tony Award Winner Sutton Foster Returns to the OC at Irvine Barclay
by Michael Quintos - Mar 3, 2025

Fresh off her final set of performances in the L.A. transfer of the new Broadway revival of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, the two-time Tony Award winning stage and screen star recently returned to Orange County, CA for a one-night-only sold out concert at the Irvine Barclay Theatre accompanied by music director Michael Rafter. Foster dazzled the audience with selections that ranged from traditional showtunes to classic pop hits and even a lullaby or two inspired by her daughter Emily.
Jenn Colella, Norbert Leo Butz, and More to Perform at 54 Below in March Photo
Jenn Colella, Norbert Leo Butz, and More to Perform at 54 Below in March
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 28, 2025

Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Jenn Colella, Norbert Leo Butz, and more. See the full March programming here!
Review: BACKSTAGE BABBLE Brought Flops Back to Life at 54 Below Photo
Review: BACKSTAGE BABBLE Brought Flops Back to Life at 54 Below
by Andrew Poretz - Feb 25, 2025

Charles Kirsch’s latest Backstage Babble was a fun resurrection of songs from mostly flop shows that quickly failed on Broadway or out of town. The theme was inspired by Joe Allen's “flop wall” of posters from shows that closed in the first week.
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS to be Presented at Wagner College Theatre Photo
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS to be Presented at Wagner College Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 24, 2025

Once Upon a Mattress will be presented at Wagner College Theatre in March. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets to the production here!
ANNIE Partners With RSPCA as New Performances Released in Melbourne Photo
ANNIE Partners With RSPCA as New Performances Released in Melbourne
by Stephi Wild - Feb 17, 2025

Producer John Frost for Crossroads Live has announced that the national Charity Partner for the ever-popular Broadway musical Annie will be the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
Signature Theatre to Honor Mandy Patinkin with 2025 Stephen Sondheim Award Photo
Signature Theatre to Honor Mandy Patinkin with 2025 Stephen Sondheim Award
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 14, 2025

Virginia’s Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre will honor star of stage and screen Mandy Patinkin with the company’s fourteenth Stephen Sondheim Award. Learn more!
Amber Martin Shares 'Until Marianne' Video; Now On Tour Photo
Amber Martin Shares 'Until Marianne' Video; Now On Tour
by Josh Sharpe - Feb 13, 2025

Following last year’s release of her highly anticipated album Unbreakable Heart, New York’s internationally acclaimed artist and cabaret star Amber Martin is currently on tour now to celebrate the project.
SHOWSTOPPERS! Film Screening To Celebrate Women Of TV Variety This March Photo
SHOWSTOPPERS! Film Screening To Celebrate Women Of TV Variety This March
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 12, 2025

The Great American Songbook Foundation is celebrating Women's History Month in March with a screening of a new PBS documentary that draws from its extensive Songbook Library & Archives.
Breaking Down the Different Stephen Sondheim Revues Photo
Breaking Down the Different Stephen Sondheim Revues
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Feb 2, 2025

This time, the reader question was: Other than Old Friends, what are the other Sondheim revues and what makes them different? This marks the theatre world’s fifth major Sondheim revue and the first since the theatre legend passed away in 2021. 
Boston Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2025 Tanglewood Season Photo
Boston Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2025 Tanglewood Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 30, 2025

Tanglewood has revealed details of its 2025 season, opening in late June. The 2025 Tanglewood season features more than 100 performances. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is Rightfully Funny at La Mirada Photo
Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is Rightfully Funny at La Mirada
by Michael Quintos - Jan 30, 2025

Overall, the show is an expertly-crafted piece of unapologetically silly live comedic theatre that demonstrates the power of precision in the guise of 'random' chaos. By blending slapstick humor, meta-theatrical elements, and sheer physical comedy-laced energy, this theatrical enterpris creates an unforgettable theatrical experience that will have you laughing non-stop. While its primary goal is to be an entertaining, crowd-pleasing spectacle, it also spotlights the resilience of theatre performers and the thrilling unpredictability of live theatre—proving that, sometimes, abject failure can be the greatest source of laughter.
Original Wiggle Joins the Cast of the Australian Tour of ANNIE Photo
Original Wiggle Joins the Cast of the Australian Tour of ANNIE
by Stephi Wild - Jan 29, 2025

The role of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the upcoming Broadway musical Annie will be played by Greg Page, the original Yellow Wiggle in the globally beloved children’s entertainment group, The Wiggles.
LOVE LETTERS Plays Valentine's Day 2025 Weekend Performances At Center for Visual and Photo
LOVE LETTERS Plays Valentine's Day 2025 Weekend Performances At Center for Visual and Performing Arts
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 29, 2025

'Love Letters,' the timeless play by A.R. Gurney, will be presented for two dinner performances for Valentine's Day Weekend 2025, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday Feb. 14 and a matinee performance at 3 p.m. Sunday Feb. 16 on the Theatre at the Center stage at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, Ind.
Patti LuPone to Appear in PALM ROYALE Season 2 Photo
Patti LuPone to Appear in PALM ROYALE Season 2
by Josh Sharpe - Jan 27, 2025

On a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, Patti LuPone revealed that she is joining Kristen Wiig, Carol Burnett, and more in the second season of Palm Royale.
EVANSTON SALT COSTS CLIMBING Comes to Rogue Machine Photo
EVANSTON SALT COSTS CLIMBING Comes to Rogue Machine
by Stephi Wild - Jan 22, 2025

Pulitzer Prize finalist Will Arbery confronts humanity’s darkest fears with humor, warmth, and the fortitude of municipal public servants in this play about climate and change.
J. Harrison Ghee & More to Perform at Legacy Theatre in February Photo
J. Harrison Ghee & More to Perform at Legacy Theatre in February
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 17, 2025

Give your Valentine the gift of Broadway with tickets to Legacy Theatre's Valentine's Day Weekend Sunday Broadway Concert featuring J. Harrison Ghee. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
Conan O’Brien to Receive the 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Photo
Conan O’Brien to Receive the 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
by Josh Sharpe - Jan 16, 2025

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will present the 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Conan O’Brien on March 23, 2025, in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS Revival Will Release Cast Recording in March Photo
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS Revival Will Release Cast Recording in March
by Stephi Wild - Jan 10, 2025

The Broadway cast of New York City Center Encores! revival of Once Upon a Mattress, directed by Lear deBessonet, will go into the studio to record the Cast Album of their production at the end of January.
More News

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Carol Burnett been in?

Carol Burnett has appeared on Broadway in 5 shows.

How many West End shows has Carol Burnett been in?

Carol Burnett has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Carol Burnett been nominated for?

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Moon Over Buffalo, Special Tony Award (Tony Awards), Other Awards (Outer Critics Circle Awards), Performance (Theatre World Awards) for Once Upon a Mattress and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Once Upon a Mattress.

What awards has Carol Burnett won?

Carol Burnett has received a Special Tony Award (Tony Awards) and an award from the Outer Critics Circle Awards. Additionally, she won a Performance award from the Theatre World Awards for her role in Once Upon a Mattress.

How many shows has Carol Burnett written?

Carol Burnett has written 1 shows including Hollywood Arms (Source Material).

Get Carol Burnett Email Alerts

Be the first to get news, photos, videos & more.

Videos