“Mama’s Family” star Vicki Lawrence recently opened up about her relationship with Carol Burnett.
The actresses co-starred on the hit variety/sketch comedy TV series “The Carol Burnett Show” for 11 seasons, from 1967 to 1978.
However, the two, who shared a strong friendship, had a falling-out during the filming of “The Carol Burnett Show’s” spinoff series “Mama’s Family.” While speaking with Screen Rant, Lawrence reflected on how they were able to mend their rift and explained that their bond has grown stronger over the years.
“I’m glad we are so close now,” Lawrence said. “We’re closer than we ever have been, really.”
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Burnett initially had a recurring role on “Mama’s Family,” which starred Lawrence as Thelma “Mama” Harper, a character that she originated on “The Carol Burnett Show.”
However, Burnett stopped appearing on the spinoff series amid her divorce from Joe Hamilton, an executive producer on “Mama’s Family” and “The Carol Burnett Show.”
Burnett and Hamilton, who died in 1991, tied the knot in 1963 and shared three daughters — Carrie, Jodie and Erin. The former couple’s marriage came to an end in 1984, one year after “Mama’s Family” premiered.
Lawrence told Screen Rant Burnett began to distance herself from the “Mama’s Family” cast during her bitter split from Hamilton.
“She went through a horrible divorce,” Lawrence recalled. “So, it was almost … for a while there, it was almost like she divorced all of us who were involved with [Hamilton] at all. I know it was tough for her. She spent a long time …
“She talked to my husband one night,” the actress continued. “She called — it was early in the ‘Mama’s Family’ run. I was making dinner. My son answered the phone, and she said, ‘Can I talk to your dad?’ And I said, ‘Who is it?’ And my son said, ‘It’s Carol.’ I said, ‘Does she want to talk to me?’ And he said, ‘No, she wants to talk to dad.’ And it kind of broke my heart.
“But she did say to Al, my husband, ‘I promise I’ll be back. I promise.’ and when she was back, she was fully back,” Lawrence remembered. “But I know it was a really tough time for her. It was more sad than anything.”
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Lawrence was married to makeup artist Al Schultz for almost 50 years until he died at the age of 82 in June. Schultz worked as a makeup artist on “The Carol Burnett Show” and other popular series, including “All in the Family” and “Good Times.” The couple shared daughter Courtney and son Garett.
In a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lawrence credited Burnett with introducing her to her future spouse.
“Carol found my husband for me,” Lawrence said. “Al had just gotten into the makeup union. And Carol was sitting in her dressing room, and Al walked by. She told her secretary that he was adorable and wanted him on the show. Carol has been largely responsible for most everything in my adult life.”
While speaking with Screen Rant, Lawrence noted that Burnett endured many difficult times in her life. Burnett and Hamilton’s daughter Carrie battled drug addiction during her teenage years and spent time at rehab centers. She became sober at the age of 15, though she briefly relapsed when she was 17.
Burnett and Hamilton went public with their daughter’s struggles in an effort to help other families and became fundraisers for the center where Carrie was treated, according to the Los Angeles Times. The former couple also shared that their daughter’s problems with addiction contributed to their divorce.
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In 2002, Carrie died of cancer at the age of 38. Burnett and Hamilton’s daughter Erin has also struggled with drug addiction. In 2020, Burnett and her third husband, Brian Miller, became temporary legal guardians of Erin’s teenage son Dylan due to Erin’s substance abuse issues.
“I feel bad for her for all she’s been through,” Lawrence said of Burnett.
“You know, she hasn’t had an easy time. Carol, God love her,” she continued. “She loves what she does, and she’s the best in the world at it. But behind the scenes, as I think it is with many big performers, her personal life has not been the easiest, you know?”
During her interview with Screen Rant, Lawrence also reflected on the impact Burnett had on her career. Burnett discovered Lawrence when she was an 18-year-old aspiring actress and advocated for her to join the cast of “The Carol Burnett Show” despite her inexperience.
In addition to their friendship, the seven-time Emmy Award winner also became Lawrence’s mentor and later urged her to take on the starring role in “Mama’s Family” despite the younger actress’s hesitation.
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“I think the most important thing that I learned from Carol is how the business of show business should run,” Lawrence said. “It should be fun, and if it’s not fun, you’re doing it wrong.
“It’s gotten to be such a tough business,” she added. “I was just so lucky to be raised on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ by the best teachers in the world. So, what happened to me just doesn’t happen to anybody else.”
The two will reunite onscreen after Lawrence was cast in a supporting role in the second season of the Apple+ TV show “Palm Royale,” which stars Burnett.
“I’ve shot a few scenes, but I have not shot with Carol yet,” Lawrence told Screen Rant. “But they said that I will.”
