GROWING BOLDER WITH

Carol Burnett

87

Carol Burnett is a comedy pioneer and inspiration. Her sketch comedy show debuted in 1967 and ran for 11 seasons. She was class and elegance, clever and outrageous. And she did the best Tarzan imitation of them all.

Now 87, she’s as vibrant as ever. Before the global pandemic hit, she was touring the country, playing to sellout crowds. In 2019, the Golden Globes Awards saluted her with the inaugural Carol Burnett Award, which is now given annually to honor lifetime achievements in television. The namesake award is only the latest accolade for the woman who’s also been honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Kennedy Center Honor.

New audiences are discovering her classic show, thanks to streaming platforms, with new episodes uploaded weekly to the official “Carol Burnett Show” YouTube channel.

All of this for a woman who grew up in poverty and began her career during a time when the powers that be didn’t believe a woman could carry a comedy show. She says her secret to success and longevity is staying busy.

“When you’re engaged with life, it keeps you going,” Burnett told Growing Bolder. “As part of my Q&A tour, I was doing 20 appearances a year. It’s just me on stage for 90 minutes with a few clips, and I field questions from the audience. It keeps the old gray matter ticking, because I have to be on my toes, I have to be in the present and I think that’s healthy.”

Burnett said life is about finding balance.

“I’m healthy, thank God, and I think it’s important to keep busy. But I am able to relax and be lazy, which I think is OK, too -- as long as it’s not constant,” she said.

Throughout her life, Burnett has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, especially with the loss of her 38-year-old daughter, Carrie, who died from cancer. Burnett said that even though she’ll never get over losing Carrie, she learned an important lesson: She had to cope and learn to live with it. There’s no alternative.

“I’m grateful for the time I had with her,” Burnett said. “I wouldn’t trade that for the world. She’s with me every day, and I welcome that. You just have to take life one day at a time. Appreciate each and every day, because you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. It’s a waste of time to fret over it. Good things happen, bad things happen. That’s life. You have to accept that and get on with it.”

She said she also tries to live by the advice she received first-hand from actor Jimmy Stewart — be kind.

“His advice was to always be nice to people. That’s who he was,” she said. “When you smile at someone who might be having a bad day, you might cheer them up. And that’s good for you, too.”

Christopher Polk / Staff via Getty Images