10 Fun Facts About Carol Burnett

Happy Birthday, Carol Burnett! Happy 78th birthday to Carol Burnett! An actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, writer and show host, this multi-talented woman has worn many hats. Before hosting her own popular variety show for eleven years, Burnett began her career on the Broadway stage, and also had innumerable other TV appearances along the way. She recently had a guest appearance on the hit TV show, Glee.

In celebration of her special day, here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Ms. Burnett:

She's A Native Texan Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas. She was raised by her grandmother, and grew up in a boarding house in an impoverished area of Los Angeles.

She Dropped Out Of Film School In 1954, Burnett was accepted to the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television—she started, but did not finish her degree.

She Worked As A Movie Usherette Long before she became famous, Burnett worked as an usherette at a movie theater on Hollywood Boulevard. One night, the manager publicly fired and humiliated her after she advised a couple not to walk in late to Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and to wait for the next showing because it was so good. Decades later, Burnett received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and asked it to be placed right outside the Pacific Theater where she was fired.

She's A Queen Of Broadway Burnett received a special Tony Award in 1969 for her contribution to the theater. She was also nominated twice for a Tony Award—once in 1960 for Best Actress (Musical) in Once Upon a Mattress, and again in 1996 for Best Actress (Play) in Moon Over Buffalo. In 1964, Burnett was forced to drop out of the Broadway musical Fade Out, Fade In after injuring her neck in a taxi accident. The show's producers sued her for breach of contract, but luckily, the suit was dropped.

She Loved Lucy One of Burnett’s best friends in Hollywood was Lucille Ball. Every year on Burnett’s birthday, it was tradition that Lucille would send her flowers. Lucille unfortunately died on Burnett’s 56th birthday—hours after learning about her best friend’s death, Burnett received her birthday flowers.

She Defeated The National Enquirer Burnett sued the tabloid National Enquirer for libel after the Enquirer printed a story in 1981 about Burnett’s alleged public drunkenness with Henry Kissinger. This accusation really hit home with her since her family struggled with alcoholism. Burnett won $800,000 on appeal in the Carol Burnett vs. National Enquire, Inc. case, and donated part of her winnings to the University of Hawaii and the UC Berkley Graduate School of Journalism. She hoped the lawsuit, which she fought on matter of principle, would educate aspiring journalist of the dangers of that kind of "news" writing.

Author, Author! She’s a published writer. In 1986, she published her memoir 'One More Time.' Burnett, who was always insecure about her looks, described her reaction to her mother’s advice of “You can always write, no matter what you look like” in her book. “God, that hurt!” Burnett wrote. In March of 2011, she published another memoir, 'This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection.' The book is filled with memorable anecdotes about her life, career and friendships.

She Took TV By Storm The Carol Burnett Show, a variety show that debuted in 1967, won or was nominated for an Emmy Award all eleven years that it was on the air. Burnett herself won three Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards.

Marriage, Divorce and Sorrow Burnett has been married three times. In 1955, she married Don Saroyan—they divorced in 1962. In 1963, she married TV producer, Joe Hamilton, and together they had three children, one of whom, Carrie Hamilton, died of cancer at age 38. They divorced in 1984 before she remarried for a third time to Brian Miller, the head drummer and contractor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, in 2001. She currently lives in California.

She Got A New Chin Just last week, Burnett chatted with Piers Morgan about her Hollywood life, her family…and plastic surgery. She admitted to deciding to get chin surgery when her daughter when to an oral surgeon to fix her bite. A year after her surgery, actor Marlon Brando asked her, “So, where did you get your chin?” Good thing she has a great sense of humor!