Carol Burnett's Life in Photos

The celebrated star celebrates her 91st birthday on April 26, 2024. Laugh along with Carol Burnett's Hollywood highlights from her decades of fame

Born in Texas on April 26, 1933, Carol Burnett made her way to Hollywood during childhood, though her upbringing was hardly glamorous. Her family didn't have much money at all, and when she was admitted to UCLA, they couldn't afford the $50 yearly tuition.

Burnett reflected on becoming an entertainer in conversation with PEOPLE in 2023. "A lot of the kids at the class were doing heavy, dramatic stuff and I thought, I can't do that. So I picked something light and they laughed. That's when the bug bit," she said.

Carol Burnett's Early Years

The star-to-be's life dramatically altered course when she received the funds for university from an anonymous benefactor. Speaking to PEOPLE in 2018, Burnett explained that she still doesn't know who sent the mystery cash.

"There's something bigger than we are," the actress said, reflecting on her good fortune with PEOPLE. "I don't want to sound woo-woo, but there are so many wonderful coincidences in my life."

Though she initially set out to be a journalist, she developed a passion for theatrical studies, envisioning a life as a playwright. Once again, fate had other plans for Burnett, and after taking one required acting class, she found a home on stage.

Carol Burnett Starts on the Stage

After realizing her dramatic potential, the comedienne set out to star on Broadway after graduation. Her lack of funds presented an obstacle again, but another fortunate coincidence proved Burnett was meant for stardom.

After performing at a party in San Diego alongside other students during her third year at UCLA, she was approached by a businessman and his wife. He learned that Burnett planned to go to New York City once she'd finished school, and he offered to fund the move. Her second benefactor gave her and her future first husband, actor Don Saroyan, $1,000 loans without interest on the condition that they someday show the same generosity, should they become successful.

"His wife told me had also helped somebody start a restaurant and another person run a gas station. He liked the people he picked and felt that they had a chance and were sincere, so he sponsored them," Burnett told PEOPLE of her early supporter, who asked that she never reveal his name. "Somebody had helped him get his start in this country. So he was paying it forward."

By the mid 1950s, Burnett had moved to N.Y.C. and began booking gigs on stages. (Pictured here listening to records with her sister on the floor of her New York apartment.)

Carol Burnett Begins Her Career in TV

In her first regular on-screen role, Burnett played Celia, the girlfriend of Buddy Hackett's titular character, in the sitcom Stanley from 1956 to 1957.

Carol Burnett Becomes a Comedy Star

In 1957, Burnett solidified her status as a comedienne with her hit parody number swooning over America's then-Secretary of State. She performed "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles" on major TV programs like The Ed Sullivan Show (pictured).

Having proved her knack for making audiences laugh, Burnett began what would prove to be a long career acting in variety series.

Carol Burnett on 'The Garry Moore Show'

Her first variety gig on The Garry Moore Show featured the funnywoman in a number of different roles from 1959 to 1962. Burnett's performances ultimately won her an Emmy, her first of several to come.

Carol Burnett Marries Joe Hamilton

In 1963, Burnett married her second husband, Joe Hamilton. Before their split nearly 20 years later, the couple welcomed three daughters.

Prior to his death in 1991, Hamilton worked as an accomplished TV producer. In 1972, he and Burnett both won Emmys for their work on her self-titled variety series.

Carol Burnett Starts a Family

Her first child, Carrie (second from left), was born in 1963. Jody (right) came next, in 1967, and Erin (left) arrived in 1968. (Burnett is pictured here with her daughters in 1989.)

In 2002, Carrie Hamilton died at age 38 after she was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer. Prior to becoming sick, Burnett's eldest also struggled with drug addiction.

"There's not a day or almost a moment goes by that she's not with me," Burnett told PEOPLE in 2023, remembering her late daughter, who followed her mom's entertaining footsteps as an actress and singer. "We worked together, we laughed together, we cried together. She was a force," Burnett added.

Carol Burnett Meets Julie Andrews

Fame wasn't the only thing Burnett secured during her days on The Garry Moore Show. She also made a friend in fellow actress Julie Andrews, who would prove to be one of her closest confidantes. The stars were introduced in 1961 by mutual industry contacts and immediately hit it off over dinner.

"We went to a Chinese restaurant afterwards, and those poor men didn't stand a chance," Burnett said in April 2023 on Kelly Ripa's podcast Let's Talk Off Camera. "Julie and I never stopped talking ... it was like we've known each other forever."

It wasn't long before the predestined pals became collaborators, too. In 1962, they paired up for their first special together, the Emmy-winning standalone Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall (pictured).

Carol Burnett's Emmy Wins Continue

The star won her second Emmy in 1963, for her first special with Julie Andrews. She's gone on to claim a total of six Primetime awards for her comic and musical performances.

Carol Burnett Launches Her Own Variety Series

With an esteemed accolade under her belt and several characters' worth of experience, she was ready to venture beyond Garry Moore's set, though the odds were against her.

Burnett later recalled the pushback with which she was met as she moved to star in her own variety series. "Comedy variety is a man's game ... it's not for you, girl," she remembered one CBS executive saying. She was offered her a starring role in another sitcom, but she'd already tasted the excitement of variety work and was adamant about her next steps as an entertainer.

While she noted that the network "did not have faith" in her program, production set sail on The Carol Burnett Show.

"I remember just before the first taping we got all together in a 'Kumbaya' moment, and I just said, 'You know what, we don't know what's going to happen, but we know we have 30 shows so let's just go out there and have fun!' Well, 276 shows later, that's exactly what we did," she said, looking back on her career with the Dear Multi-Hyphenate podcast in September 2022.

Carol Burnett on 'The Carol Burnett Show'

The actress's hit series ran from 1967 to 1978. The Carol Burnett Show's main ensemble included Vicki Lawrence (left), Harvey Korman (second from right) and Lyle Waggoner (right). Dick Van Dyke starred as a series regular in later seasons as well. (The cast is pictured here with guest star Jim Nabors.)

Carol Burnett's Guest Stars

In addition to the main ensemble, The Carol Burnett Show boasted an impressive list of celebrity cameos. The series featured a variety of stars, including Lucille Ball (pictured), Betty White, Steve Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Ronald Reagan, to name just a few.

Carol Burnett's Sweet Sign Off

Burnett ended each show with a signature move: she'd tug her ear as a gesture to her grandmother, Mabel.

Carol Burnett on 'Sesame Street'

Burnett made history as the first celebrity to appear on the children's series in 1969.

Carol Burnett Stars in Movies

While her variety series was still on air, the actress started spending more time on the big screen. In 1972, she played one-half of a married couple with Walter Matthau in Pete 'n' Tillie. Two years later, she played Mollie Malloy in The Front Page, which also featured Matthau as well as Jack Lemmon and Susan Sarandon.

Carol Burnett's Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In 1975, the comic legend cemented her stardom on the Walk of Fame. In her memoir One More Time, Burnett shared a fun fact about the location of her star.

As a teenager, Burnett was unjustly fired from her job as a movie theater usher. Years later, when the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce asked the established icon where she'd like her star to be located on the famed boulevard, she took the opportunity to have the last word and was granted the spot she requested: right outside of her old place of work.

Carol Burnett's Film Career Continues

After The Carol Burnett show wrapped, Burnett continued to appear in films. In 1981, she starred as a magazine editor in The Four Seasons. She played the wife Alan Alda's character, and his real-life daughter, Elizabeth Alda (pictured), played their on-screen child.

Carol Burnett in 'Annie'

In one of her most famous film roles, Burnett played the fearsome Miss Hannigan in the first film adaptation of Broadway's Annie. The 1982 comedy musical saw Burnett as a ruthless orphanage head mistress who, assisted by her younger brother (played by Tim Curry) and his wife (Bernadette Peters), plotted to kidnap the titular child after she was adopted by a billionaire.

In 2006, Burnett referenced her role and shared that she finds it "fun to have those villainous takes" when playing a character.

Carol Burnett's Television Career Evolves

During the '80s and early '90s, Burnett continued making her own variety specials and spin-offs. She also began to show in more scripted shows. In All My Children, the actress portrayed Verla Grubbs. She first appeared on the soap opera in 1983 and returned to reprise the part in 1995, 2005 and 2011.

Carol Burnett Returns to Broadway

After a 30-year hiatus from the Broadway stage, Burnett returned to star in the comic production Moon Over Buffalo. The show premiered in October 1995, and the theater veteran earned a third Tony nomination for her performance.

Carol Burnett in 'Mad About You'

In 1996, Burnett joined the cast of NBC's Mad About You. She played the stepmother of Helen Hunt's character until its final episode in 1999. When the sitcom rebooted in 2019, she returned to once again play Theresa Stemple.

At the head of the 2000s, Burnett continued her TV career with more variety specials and scripted series appearances. She guest starred on shows like Desperate Housewives and Law & Order: Special Victim Unit, the latter of which earned her an Emmy nomination in 2009.

Carol Burnett in 'Horton Hears a Who!'

Burnett provided the voice of Kangaroo in the animated film adaptation of Dr. Seuss's classic book.

Carol Burnett Marries Brian Miller

Burnett and her third husband, musician Brian Miller, tied the knot in November 2001 after a few years of dating.

"He's funny and not easily intimidated," she once told PEOPLE of Miller, who is 20 years younger than her. "As we get older, the gap between our ages narrows. If you were 40 and married a 20-year-old, I don't think you could communicate like [we do]."

Carol Burnett Writes 'Hollywood Arms'

The actress and her eldest daughter co-wrote a play based on Burnett's memoir One More Time prior to Carrie's death. Though the late actress never saw the production take the stage, the show ran on Broadway several months after Burnett's daughter died. Michelle Hawk, who played the main character's alcoholic mother (based on Burnett's real mother), won a Tony for her critically acclaimed performance.

Prior to its New York City run, Hollywood Arms debuted in Chicago in April 2002. Looking back on the show's Midwest opening, Burnett later said she saw signs of her daughter everywhere. When she arrived at her hotel, the actress received a bouquet of her daughter's favorite flowers. The next night, they drank champagne with the name "Louise" on the label — Carrie's middle name, after Burnett's mother. On opening night, it rained.

"Carrie and I always loved rain … and opening night, it rained," Burnett remembered in October 2022. "So, I don't know ... a coincidence perhaps? But three things and I just felt ... I felt her."

Carol Burnett on 'Glee'

In 2010, Burnett guest starred on Ryan Murphy's hit series as Sue Sylvester's mother, Doris. She returned to play the part during the show's sixth and final season in 2015.

Carol Burnett at the Kennedy Center

In 2013, Burnett was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented by the Kennedy Center. As she wrapped up her acceptance speech, the industry icon sang her sign-off song from The Carol Burnett Show, ending with her signature ear tug and even pulling the ear of her award.

Carol Burnett's Work as an Author

Over the course of her career, Burnett has written four books. After her first memoir, One More Time, was printed in 1986, she went on to write This Time Together in 2011, Carrie and Me in 2013 and In Such Good Company in 2016. Her audio recordings of the more recent three all earned Grammy nominations for best spoken word album, and she finally took home the award for In Such Good Company.

Carol Burnett Wins a SAG Lifetime Achievement Award

Burnett earned the acting achievement honor in 2016, and while she went for full glamour on stage, the actress favored comfort on the red carpet. The night's honoree arrived wearing Ugg slippers to pair with her custom Bob Mackie ensemble.

Speaking to PEOPLE in a pre-show interview, she shared her excitement about meeting fellow attendees. "I am looking forward to seeing all the movie stars, maybe I'll take an autograph book just for the heck of it," she quipped. "I'll take my own selfies."

Carol Burnett's 50th Anniversary Special

In 2017, Burnett celebrated a major year for her beloved variety series. The comedy queen looked back at The Carol Burnett Show's success alongside her friends and collaborators. Bill Hader (whom Burnett later learned she's related to!), Maya Rudolph, Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler and Tracee Ellis Ross were among Burnett's younger guests. She was also joined by some more senior colleagues, like her Carol Burnett Show castmates Vicki Lawrence, Tim Conway and Lyle Waggoner.

Carol Burnett's Honorary Golden Globe

Having earned a total of six Golden Globes for her acting over the years, Burnett's seventh was fittingly named in her honor. In 2019, the decorated performer became the first recipient of the Carol Burnett Award. The special accolade has since been bestowed upon Ellen DeGeneres, Norman Lear and Ryan Murphy.

Carol Burnett in 'Better Call Saul'

In 2022, Burnett appeared in the final season of what she called her "favorite show," Better Call Saul. She played Marion, an elderly woman who exposes the titular character's crimes in the final season of the Breaking Bad spin-off.

Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk told PEOPLE about his exciting experience working with the seasoned actress, who came to support him at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony.

"She's got chops in every direction, obviously," the actor gushed in August 2022. "And she's gotten to show them yet again on Better Call Saul with her drama. And she's so heartbreaking. She's beautiful and heartbreaking and true and deep and fun and fun to be around. It was one of the heights of my career to be with her."

Carol Burnet Celebrates '90 Years of Laughter + Love'

In honor of her 90th birthday in 2023, Burnett gathered a star-studded group of friends to reflect on her decades-long legacy. The birthday girl and her collaborators pre-taped an NBC special to mark the milestone.

Prior to the big day, some of Burnett's famous loved ones told PEOPLE about their affection for the star. Julie Andrews, Vicki Lawrence and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were among the many actors to wish Burnett well.

Carol Burnett's PEOPLE Cover Story

Burnett glowed on the cover of PEOPLE in April 2023, sharing her wisdom and reflecting on her career in an exclusive interview. And while the magazine feature celebrated her 90 years of life, the comedienne said she hardly felt her age.

"I can't wrap my head around it," Burnett told PEOPLE. "I still feel like I'm about 11, but I'm amazed. It sure went fast. But I'm glad because I've got all my parts — got my hips, I got my knees and I've got my brain, so I'm happy about that."

Carol Burnett in 'Palm Royale'

The star hasn't slowed down in her 91st year, recently starring in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale.

In PEOPLE's review, critic Tom Gliatto wrote, "The strongest performance is Burnett’s as the aunt, an absolutely horrible schemer who spends much of the show slowly recovering consciousness. Burnett plays Norma with an unforgiving toughness — even when she’s comatose — and, by some miracle, she projects the slapstick kick of her old CBS comedy show."

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