Burnett, Carol

Burnett, Carol

(1936–  ) television comedian/actress; born in San Antonio, Texas. After studying at the University of California: Los Angeles, she made her Broadway debut in a musical, Once Upon a Mattress (1959); she went on to appear in a few other Broadway shows but moved quickly into television, appearing as a regular on the Garry Moore show (1959–62) and on occasional CBS-TV specials. This led to her own comedy-variety show, The Carol Burnett Show, which ran from 1967–79. She appeared in several Hollywood movies (such as Pete 'n' Tillie, 1972) and television movies (such as Friendly Fire, 1979). In 1991 she revived her television comedy series with Carol and Company. An accomplished singer and dancer, she is known for her ability to use her expressive face and full-throated voice in playing a variety of broad comic roles.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.