Your Turn Will Come with Carol Burnett

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

Episode: Your Turn Will Come with Carol Burnett
Date: January 14, 2026
Guest: Carol Burnett

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Michelle ("Misha") Obama and Craig Robinson are joined by legendary comedian and performer Carol Burnett. The conversation is a rich tapestry of Burnett’s journey from a humble upbringing to showbiz icon, touching on persistence, mentorship, family, and the challenges—and triumphs—of being a pioneering woman in entertainment. The episode is filled with warmth, anecdotes, practical wisdom, and moments that highlight Burnett’s indelible impact across generations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction and Early Influences

• Craig and Misha's Fondness for Carol: Both express how central The Carol Burnett Show was to their childhood, particularly the Q&A segment, and how her kindness to children on the show left a deep mark. (01:09–02:49)
  • Quote: "You were the kindest person to children. And being a child and seeing that, I'm getting choked up just talking about it." —Craig Robinson [02:33]
• Carol's Reluctance with Q&A: Carol didn’t originally want to do the Q&A, fearing awkwardness. Her insistence that it be real, not scripted, became a signature part of her show.
  • Quote: "If they stump me with something and I have egg on my face, at least they know we're being honest." —Carol Burnett [03:42]
  • Memorable moment: Audience sing-along with fearless fan, ending with "You screwed it up." (Carol laughs heartily over this memory.) [04:40–05:41]
  • Tip: See it on YouTube!

2. Carol’s Upbringing in Hollywood and Family Dynamics

• Childhood in LA: Moved from Texas to a one-room apartment in Hollywood at age 7. She shares stories about climbing the Hollywood sign and the family's struggles. (06:06–07:36)
  • Quote: "The O's were my favorite...It's a wonder we didn't break our necks." —Carol Burnett [06:37–06:48]
• Family Background: Both parents struggled with alcoholism; she was raised by her hypochondriacal Christian Scientist grandmother, whom Carol remembers as "funny—sometimes unintentionally" [08:24–09:01].
• Early Dreams: Wanted to be a journalist, was high school paper editor, and sought out interviews with Hollywood alumni like Joel McCrea [09:04–10:50].
• Movies as Refuge: The movies served as her escape; she credits them for providing role models and inspiring her confidence [11:02–11:55].

3. Manifestation, Intuition, and Educational Journey

• Manifestation Before It Was Popular: Carol’s vision for attending UCLA was so strong, she saw herself on campus before it happened.
  • Quote: "I saw myself on campus. It wasn't like I wished it...I just said, it's gonna happen." —Carol Burnett [12:37–12:39]
• Anonymous Angel: With no money for tuition, Carol mysteriously receives a $50 bill ("to this day, I do not know where that came from” [14:41]), allowing her to enroll.
• Accidental Acting Calling: With no journalism major at UCLA, she landed in theater arts, and, after performing, discovered joy and fulfillment in making people laugh. [16:14–17:51]

4. Break to Broadway and New York (The Power of Community and Sponsorship)

• Unexpected Patron: At a college performance, a stranger offered Carol a loan to go to NYC, on three conditions: 1) use it for New York, 2) never reveal his name, 3) pay it forward if successful.
  • Quote: "If you are successful, you must help others out." —Carol Burnett, recalling her patron’s words [26:00]
• Arrival and Hustle in NYC:
  • Checked into the Algonquin ("$9 a day...thought it was for a week!”), then found housing at the women’s "Rehearsal Club."
  • Organized a review with fellow aspiring actresses: “Go put on a show” (Mickey-and-Judy style), filling the room with industry contacts, which led directly to jobs and her agent. [31:36–33:00]

5. Carving a Path in Show Business

• First Big TV Breaks: Parlayed nightclub and TV success into Once Upon a Mattress and the Garry Moore Show, leading to her CBS contract.
  • Remarkable Contract Clause: Had the right to "push the button" for her own 1-hour comedy variety show, a right the network almost forgot she had!
  • Quote: "Comedy variety's a man's game. It's Sid Caesar, it's Milton Berle...we've got this great sitcom we'd love you to do called 'Here's Agnes'." —CBS exec to Carol [42:12]
  • She insisted on a variety show, ultimately making history with The Carol Burnett Show.

6. Support, Mentorship, and Navigating Being a Woman in Comedy

• Mentors and Allies:
  • Gary Moore: Deeply supportive, shared jokes freely, and fostered her growth [43:44–44:20].
  • Lucille Ball: A friend and model for womanly strength, who embodied both “one of the guys” and “bitch” (proudly, when needed!)
    • Quote: "That's when they put the S on the end of my last name." —Lucille Ball, on learning to lay down the law (hilarious story, expertly told) [50:14]
• "Betty Crocker Era" Tactics: If assertive, Carol would be called "a bitch," so she used gentler language when giving feedback—dually effective and reflective of the times [45:15–45:57].
• Today’s Landscape: Carol joyfully notes the progress of women in comedy, with shout-outs to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig.

7. Resilience, Rejection, and "Your Turn Will Come"

• Handling Rejection: Carol’s philosophy is not to personalize rejection; it simply means it was "her turn" (the other person’s), and "my turn will come."
  • Quote: "It's not my turn. My turn will come. It's her turn." —Carol Burnett [51:28]
• Family, Motherhood & Loss:
  • Juggling fame and motherhood: kept family on a school schedule, prioritized pickup/dropoff [52:09–52:33]
  • Difficulties navigating her daughter Carrie’s addiction and recovery: "I have to love her enough to let her hate me.” [53:13–55:29]
  • Collaborated with Carrie professionally before her passing; raw honesty about joy and grief.
  • Quote: "You have to love them enough to let them hate you. And that's hard." —Carol Burnett [55:29–55:36]

8. Paying It Forward and Personal Growth

• Fulfilling the Promise: Paid back her benefactor "5 years to the day" [56:16].
• Continuous Work and Joy: At 92, Carol stays sharp with word games, enjoys acting in series like Better Call Saul and Palm Royale, and sets her own work schedule (Max: three days/week!)

9. Imposter Syndrome, Confidence, and Advice for Young Women

• Listener's Question: Advice for a young woman facing imposter syndrome in a male-dominated field [63:28–63:53].
• Carol’s Stance: Didn’t feel imposter syndrome, maybe too “stupid” and emboldened by her movie idols; suggests emulating the confidence of admired women, even pretending if needed [63:58–65:55].
• Michelle’s (Misha’s) Advice:
  • Confidence is generated from within; validation doesn’t (and can’t) come from outside.
  • Quote: "You don’t go outside of your home to be liked. Come home. We like you here. This is where love is." —Michelle Obama [68:15]
  • A loving home foundation builds resilience against outside judgment, but ultimately, you must decide how you feel about yourself.

10. Parenting, Perfection, and Vulnerability

• Perfection Trap: Carol tried too hard to be flawless—her "Loretta Young syndrome"—hiding flaws from her children, until realizing modeling humanity requires vulnerability. [70:53–72:09]
  • Quote: "I wasn't...human to them. I was—yeah, Mom, you know, Mom's got a show, Mom's doing this..." —Carol Burnett [71:57]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Generosity and Hope:
  "If you are successful, you must help others out." —Carol Burnett, relaying her anonymous benefactor’s words [26:00]

• On Rejection:
  "It's not my turn. My turn will come. It's her turn." —Carol Burnett [51:28]

• On Tough Love Parenting:
  "I have to love her enough to let her hate me." —Carol Burnett [53:25 and 55:29]

• On Lucille Ball’s Strength:
  "That's when they put the S on the end of my last name." —Lucille Ball, as told by Carol Burnett [50:14]

• On Validation and Self-Worth:
  "You don’t go outside your home to be liked. Come home. We like you here." —Michelle Obama [68:15]

• On Navigating Sexism in Comedy (the “Betty Crocker” era):
  "If I did it as a woman in that time, I would be considered a bitch." —Carol Burnett [45:15]

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Highlighted Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |---|---| | 01:09–02:49 | Craig & Misha on Carol’s impact and Q&A memory | | 03:42 | "If they stump me..."—Carol on Q&A realism | | 06:37–06:48 | Climbing the Hollywood sign | | 14:41 | "To this day, I do not know where that came from." (tuition angel) | | 26:00 | The anonymous patron’s conditions | | 42:12 | CBS: "Comedy variety's a man's game...called 'Here's Agnes'" | | 50:14 | Lucille Ball: "That's when they put the S on the end of my last name." | | 51:28 | "It's not my turn. My turn will come. It's her turn." | | 53:25/55:29 | "I have to love her enough to let her hate me." | | 68:15 | "You don’t go outside your home to be liked..."—Michelle Obama | | 71:57 | Loretta Young syndrome: on the perils of perfection |

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Tone & Closing

The episode mixes deep nostalgia, laughter, and practical wisdom. Carol’s humility, gratitude, and persistent optimism shine through every story. Craig and Michelle’s candid recollections and family wisdom enrich the conversation with warmth and relatability. Their final group sing-along of Carol’s iconic closing theme is touching—a testament to her generations-spanning influence.

Closing Song & Fond Farewells
The three join in The Carol Burnett Show's signature sign-off, underlining Carol’s role as family to so many viewers. [73:53–74:32]

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For Listeners

This episode is a masterclass in resilience, humility, and self-made confidence—set to the tune of showbiz tales and genuine affection. Burnett's advice, whether on handling rejection (“your turn will come”), manifesting dreams, or loving through adversity, is as evergreen as her legacy.

Transcript

[Misha]

What was one of the best things you learned from Lucille Ball?

[Carol Burnett]

Well, she. Now, she wouldn't say, hi, guys. She was more like the guys.

[Misha]

She was like. She was ready to be a bitch.

[Carol Burnett]

Oh. Now here's the story.

[Misha]

This episode is brought to you by theraflu.

[Craig]

Hey, how you doing?

[Misha]

Hi, Craig. I am. I am sorry. I'm excited. I'm honored because we have one of my heroines here with us today. And we're just gonna get right into it. I want you to introduce our next guest.

[Craig]

Yeah. We have Carol Burnett here and.

[Carol Burnett]

Wow.

[Craig]

I'm speechless already. And we just got started.

[Carol Burnett]

You're not the only one. I am speechless. And as I said before, I'm gobsmack gobsmacked. I'm so happy to be here and to meet you and to see you again.

[Craig]

We are happy to have you. Thank you. And just so our audience can understand why Misha and I are so awestruck, excited, whatever words. It's because you were such a big part of our growing up.

[Carol Burnett]

Wow.

[Craig]

So I wanna tell you the story.

[Carol Burnett]

Okay.

[Craig]

When we were kids, school age, we could only watch one hour of tv.

[Carol Burnett]

Wow.

[Craig]

Yes. My parents were ahead of the curve and we, like you, were cartoon fans. So we spent our hour on cartoons and my sister spent our hour on the Brady Bunch and things of that nature. But in the evenings when you were on, my parents watched the Carol Burnett show.

[Carol Burnett]

Oh, wow.

[Craig]

And I just want to tell you one of the things that I really was awestruck about your show and I didn't understand it. Cause again, I was just a. I was like 10 years old. I can't even remember how old I was. When you would come out at the beginning of the show and take questions from people, my 10 year old brain was like, this woman is the smartest, funniest woman I've ever seen. Because she doesn't know what these people are gonna ask. So that was one thing I. But it always struck me that every now and then there was a kid who'd asked you a question and you were the kindest person to children. And being a child and seeing that, I'm getting choked up just talking about it.

[Carol Burnett]

Thank you.

[Craig]

It really meant a lot. And we were just talking. We wish our mom was here. She would have loved to have been here for this.

[Misha]

He was your biggest fan.

[Carol Burnett]

You told me that the first time. And I think I sent some videos and all. And I got the loveliest letter from you.

[Misha]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, you know, the Q and A. I didn't want to do it?

[Misha]

Really?

[Carol Burnett]

No. When we were going to do our.

[Misha]

Show, that feels risky.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. The producer came to me, he said, you know, Carol, before you get into sketches with you black out your teeth and you have a fright wig on and a fat suit and all that, people should really get to know you first. And so to go out, I said, but what if. What if they asked? What if they don't want to ask me anything? Or what if they do and I can't? I don't have a snappy answer. And he said, well, so we'll put some plants in the audience. And then I thought, no, it's got to be real.

[Craig]

It was real.

[Carol Burnett]

If they stump me with something and I have egg on my face, at least they know we're being honest.

[Craig]

Right?

[Carol Burnett]

And so I said, let's try it for three weeks in a row when we were just gonna start. And if it doesn't work, let's tank the idea. Well, the first show I was a little nervous and some kind person said, who's the guest tonight? And I went, well, I can answer the question. And then the next week, and pretty soon I started to have fun with it.

[Craig]

You were enjoying it.

[Carol Burnett]

And it became one of the most fun things on my show that I love. Yeah, I love doing. We would have. We. We had one woman. I raised her hand. Kai called on her. She looked like Bea Arthur when Bea Arthur did Maude. You know, she said, I want to come up and sing.

[Misha]

Oh, my goodness.

[Carol Burnett]

And she, fearless. She got up there. What's your name? And I remember to this, Terry McCann. I said, okay, Terry, now, we had a band over on the 28 piece orchestra.

[Craig]

Oh, wow.

[Carol Burnett]

And I said, what do you want to do? And she looked at the band and she said, you made me love you in the key of G. Whoa.

[Misha]

Whoa.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, of course, the audience was going crazy. She started singing and she was pretty good, you know, she's going, you made me love. And I joined her because I knew the song. Now we're belting away and we were pretty good. And the audience is clapping and we're coming to the end. And I had a different thought in my mind about the way to end the song from what she had. And we were doing. And then it kind of started to peter out. And she looked at me and she said, you screwed it up.

[Craig]

It was gold.

[Carol Burnett]

That's great. It was. You can YouTube it.

[Craig]

Oh, you can. Oh, I'm going. I'm gonna look that up.

[Carol Burnett]

Weird things, whatever we're doing.

[Misha]

Well, let's. Let's start at the beginning because I want our listeners to know your journey. Where'd you grow up? We're in our studios in la. And I understand that you grew up too far.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, I was born in Texas and we moved out here to be with my mother who had come out before. It was my grandmother. Right in. I was seven.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

You know, and we moved into one room in a building on Yucca and Wilcox.

[Misha]

Right near the Hollywood sign.

[Carol Burnett]

That's right. I used to climb the sign. Wow.

[Misha]

Literally, the letters.

[Carol Burnett]

Literally.

[Misha]

How old were you when you were doing that? 11. Who took you up there? Did you just wander up there?

[Listener]

No, the gate.

[Carol Burnett]

The neighborhood kids would be roller skating or flying kites or something. I'm bored. Let's go climb the sign. The O's were my favorite.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

For some reason, the scaffolding and it was rickety and oh my God, we got splinters and it's a wonder we didn't break our necks. But I just love climbing. Then I would hang over the O and look all. Look at Hollywood, you know, it was just.

[Misha]

What was it like back then? What was.

[Carol Burnett]

There was no smog.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

At all. It was clear every day. And when I'd come out from the building, the first thing I saw was the Hollywood sign up there, you know? And then I went to school here at Selma Avenue School and LeCount Junior High and Hollywood High.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. And I lived with my grandmother. We had one room. Mama had a room down the hall and my grandmother, it was a Murphy pull down bed. So she was sleeping that and I slept on the couch.

[Craig]

And so. So you lived with your grandmother in San Antonio? Yes. And your mom moved out here before you, Right?

[Carol Burnett]

She came out with my dad and then they got divorced.

[Craig]

Okay. But did she move out here for acting or did she move out here?

[Carol Burnett]

She wanted to be a writer like Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper. She wanted to interview movie stars for magazines.

[Craig]

Okay. Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

She was successful, a little bit freelancing. So she did get to interview Bob Hope, Rita Hayworth.

[Misha]

That's big stuff.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. So she sold a few. But unfortunately she got the disease. She became an alcoholic. And my dad was already an alcoholic.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. And my grandmother, she was a hypochondriacal Christian Scientist. Wow.

[Misha]

Okay. So what was that like?

[Craig]

That's a mouthful.

[Carol Burnett]

She would say, I'm going to know the truth. Everything's fine. There is no sickness, no nothing or other. Oh my God, get me a phenobarbital.

[Misha]

So who was the funny one of the Adults in your life or what was it?

[Carol Burnett]

My mother had a great sense of humor. Great. And nanny could be funny. My grandmother. But sometimes she didn't know. She.

[Misha]

I'd say she wasn't trying.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah, right, right.

[Misha]

What did you want to be? What?

[Carol Burnett]

A journalist.

[Misha]

Okay. Even through high school, I was editor.

[Carol Burnett]

Of my junior high school paper and editor of the Hollywood High.

[Misha]

What were you reporting on? What was one of your big stories?

[Carol Burnett]

Well, I actually, at Hollywood High, I went to Mr. Thorpe, our teacher, and he was an uptight old guy.

[Misha]

He was probably 30.

[Carol Burnett]

He was very pulled together, you know. And I said, Mr. Thorpe, I have an idea. Do you know the movie star Joel McCray, who was a big movie star in the 30s and 40s and 50s?

[Craig]

So I watched TCM. My sister does not. I know who Joel McCray is.

[Misha]

Oh, I know who Joel McCray is.

[Carol Burnett]

He went to Hollywood High. So I said, let me interview Joel McCray. And he said, well, okay, do it on your own. So I got a hold of the studio where he had an office and I called and I said, I'm editor of the Hollywood High School newspaper and I would love to interview. Yeah, a lot of. But they thought it was a cute idea. So they. Okay. Wow. He said, all right. And I took the bus and everything and got to the studio. They took me to his office. He was leaned back and he had cowboy boots on. And his boots were up on the table and a cowboy hat. And, you know, I was what, 15, 16.

[Craig]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

And I said, how did you get your star? Yeah, really dumb question. And he couldn't have been sweeter. Wow. And headlines in the Hollywood High School news, of course, interviewing Joel McComb.

[Misha]

What was your personality like? Were you always outgoing? Because, I mean, just to even come up with the idea and have the gumption to get on the bus and go down to the studio, I mean, you must have been.

[Carol Burnett]

And you know what? I think it was the movies, because Nanny and I, we saved our pennies and we would see maybe six movies a week. Wow. Second feature. So it was like my. My ticket would be a dime and hers would be a quarter and we'd get in before 1:00 clock or whatever, before the prices would change. But what I. The movies were my escape.

[Craig]

Okay?

[Carol Burnett]

I was very quiet and I was a good student. And so. But I would see Mickey and Judy up there and they wanted to put on a show, and by golly, they did. You know, I would see Rosalind Russell, who. That's who I pretended I was when I Was going to interview Joel McCray because I saw her and his girl Friday.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

So I could assume that, you know, and so I thought, yeah, I'll. I'll be a journalist. That's. Yeah, you know what, mama? You know, Interviewing people. And so I wanted desperately to go to ucla.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And we didn't have the money. Our rent was $30 a month. A dollar a day. And I remember when they raised it to that nanny had a fit. A dollar a day just to live in the reality. Anyway, so I knew I was gonna get to go.

[Misha]

You knew in your heart?

[Carol Burnett]

And I saw myself on campus. It wasn't like I wished it or had. I just said, it's gonna happen. And then he said, we don't have you. Go to a secretarial school, do that, and then nab the boss. I said, I know, I know. I'm gonna get to go.

[Misha]

Now, what do they call that nowadays, young people? Self actualization or self. What the young people call it something.

[Carol Burnett]

I don't know.

[Misha]

Manifestation.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, you know, that's what I was doing.

[Misha]

That's a thing.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, this was 80 years ago. Or more. Something like that. No, I was.

[Misha]

No, you manifested it.

[Carol Burnett]

I was 17 or 18. Now. That was 1951. 52.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

Guess what the tuition was at UCLA.

[Misha]

Don't they usually just gonna stab me in my stomach?

[Craig]

I know.

[Misha]

It was like, what, 543.

[Craig]

Oh, for the. For the year.

[Misha]

Year. Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

They didn't have. It was like, USC was very expensive. UCLA was, but we didn't have it. So our room faced the lobby of the building we lived in. And then right across, there was a desk for the manager. And then there were pigeonhole mailboxes.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

For each room. Each.

[Craig]

Like slots.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. So in the morning, because I was right there, I peek out and see if we had any mail. And this one morning, there was this letter in our slot. So I ran out my house in my robe. Okay. Came back in to the room. The letter had my name, typewritten, address. There was a 3 cent stamp on it.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

Cancel. Though they hadn't mailed it. They just. Somebody put it in there. I opened it up, and there was a $50 bill.

[Misha]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

And to this day, I do not know where that came from.

[Craig]

No way.

[Misha]

Wow.

[Craig]

Who do you think it was? Was it Granna? Was it Nana?

[Carol Burnett]

Oh, she was. Are you kidding? I'm not wanting me to go to sex.

[Listener]

She's like.

[Misha]

And nab a husband. She's like, not spending $50.

[Craig]

I want to know who that was.

[Carol Burnett]

So Do I?

[Misha]

Wow. Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

I covered the people in the neighborhood. We were all poor, right? Yeah. You know, we were on what they called in. It was like the wpa, but it was called Relief.

[Craig]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

In California.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

And so. And I showed this to Danny. That's a rent money we could pay. I said, I'm going to ucla. So I got to ucla. Okay. And I wanted to major in journalism. There was no major in journalism. I could take a course and join the Daily Bruin newspaper, but there was no major. What am I going to major in? So I looked at the catalog and there was theater arts, which had different sections. Theater arts, film. Theater arts.

[Misha]

Theater.

[Carol Burnett]

Theater arts, writing. Theater arts, English. So I thought, I'll take theater arts, English and take the playwriting courses. Joined the Daily Brew. And just. Well, when you're a freshman in theater arts, no matter which one you pick to choose, choose to major in. You had to take an acting course. You had to take scenery building.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

You had to take costuming.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And so now I'm in this acting course. Oh, God. And all these kids, they were doing scenes. I was late in getting to the class because I hadn't known about this particular major. So I was about. They had already been there maybe two weeks. So they were doing final scenes for the teacher, and they were fabulous. I teamed up with a fellow student and he picked a scene from Noel Coward's oh, I can't remember the name of it, where we sang a little bit.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And I pretended, because I love the movies, to be Betty Grable with a cockney accent. And I became her. And we got an A. And then I got into a one act, that student, one act. And I played a hillbilly woman. So I went back to my great grandmother in Arkansas and thought about her. And I remember I had a line where I came in and you had to be there, but I said, I'm back like that. And the place exploded. They laughed, and I thought, this is what I wanted to do. Oh, this is it an accident? Because they didn't have a school of journal major in journalism. Wow. Wow.

[Craig]

Hey, folks, now that the basketball season has started, I've been on the road a lot lately, spending time connecting with coaches as they start the season. It's been no secret that this past year, I have been staying in Airbnbs whenever possible. These visits have been so satisfying that my time on the road feels less like travel and more like home. One thing that has been my absolute favorite is having access to a full kitchen. I have been doing more cooking on the road than at home, preparing breakfast, healthy snack options for the day, and even throwing together a quick dinner if I can't find good dinner options. And on my trip, it hit me my own home is just sitting empty while I'm away, and someone else could be getting that same comfort in my space while I make a little extra cash on the side. That's the part I never really thought about. Hosting isn't some big job, it's simply giving people the chance to enjoy a meaningful trip while your place works for you. And if you live somewhere people dream about visiting, there are travelers like me looking for a place that feels like home. And your home might be worth more than you think. Find [e-mail] host this episode of Imo is brought to you by Theraflu. Theraflu, makers of fast acting, cold and flu relief, believes everyone deserves the right to rest and recover when they're sick, no matter where they live or how much money they make. As part of our partnership with Theraflu, we've been asking for listener stories about what it's like to balance caregiving and taking time off when you're sick. And it's been eye opening to hear about the struggle that caregivers in particular have when it comes to choosing between taking time off when sick and putting food on the table. The health policy organization KFF reported that about half of working parents lose pay when they miss work to care for sick kids. In 2021, Fairflu launched the Rest and Recover Fund, and they've committed more than $1 million to provide micro grants to families and individuals, helping offset the cost of taking a sick day for those who don't have coverage, learn more or help someone apply for the [e-mail] right to recover this episode of Imo is brought to you in part by Acorns. Back when I was coaching basketball, I saw firsthand how powerful consistency can be. With Acorns, it's the same play, show up, stay steady, and let time do the rest. Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you get started with the spare money you've got right now. Even if all you've got is spare change, you don't need to be an expert. Acorns recommends a diversified portfolio that can help you weather all the market's ups and downs. You just need to stick with it, and Acorns makes that easy Acorns automatically invest your money, giving it a chance to grow with time. This reminds me of the consistent steps it took for me to go from a player into the business world and back into coaching. Sign up now and join over 14 million all time customers who have already saved and invested over $25 billion with Acorns. Plus Acorns will boost your new account with a $20 bonus investment offer only [e-mail] IMO that's a C O R-N-S.com IMO to get your $20 bonus investment today from Acorns. Mighty Oaks do grow. Investing doesn't have to be complicated. Acorns makes it easy to invest for your future, plan for tomorrow and spend smarter today. Paid non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns Investing involves risk Acorns Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor view important [e-mail] IMO. So you have your your epiphany of this laughter makes me feel really good. This is something I want to do. And you end up now going to New York to try and chase your.

[Misha]

Dream of being with some boyfriend.

[Carol Burnett]

Not then. Oh, he came later. Okay, now what happened was one guy came up, he said, can you sing? Can you carry a tune? I said, yeah, we used to sing in the kitchen with my grandmother mother and said, well, we're doing a scene in the musical comedy workshop from South Pacific and would you be in the chorus of one of the girls who sings I'm gonna wash that man right out on my hair. Okay, so, okay, now I, I've never done it before, but I started belting.

[Misha]

Really?

[Carol Burnett]

And I'd never belted, but I was with all these other girls so I had courage. He said, you're too loud. But I'd like you to do a scene with one of our guys from Guys and Dolls where you would sing Adelaide's Lament, which is a very funny solo that this character has. And in it, in the song she has a cold, so she's sneezing and sniffling. And I thought I can do that because I don't have to sound pretty, you know. And I did it and it was good. And I won an award as the most outstanding newcomer in the theater arts department. And I thought, I want to go to New York and be on Broadway in musical comedy.

[Misha]

Had you been learning throughout this major about the stepping stones in that career? So you knew that New York was the place to be?

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah, because I didn't look like Marilyn Monroe. I didn't look like even Tony Curtis.

[Misha]

So you're like, the movie is now Broadway.

[Carol Burnett]

Broadway. And again, I knew I was gonna get to go.

[Misha]

Manifestation, young people.

[Carol Burnett]

And so in the musical comedy department, our professor said there were nine of us. We're going to a party next Saturday night in San Diego, okay. And it's a black tie formal affair. Why don't you kids come down and do your scenes as the entertainment for the party and I'll grade you, okay? Okay. So all of a sudden, got in cars and went down with my boyfriend. I did a scene from Annie Gets yout Gun, Everybody. So afterwards, I'm at the hors d' oeuvres table and I have a napkin and I'm stealing hors d' oeuvres and take home to nanny to put in my, you know, so she can know.

[Misha]

That that $50 was worth something.

[Carol Burnett]

And I thought, oh, this is 10. Oh my God, I'm buzzing, you know, and turned around and there was this gentleman and his wife. Black tie, beautiful gown she had. We liked. What do you want to do with your life? I said, someday I want to go to New York. And he said, why aren't you there now? I said, well, I'm hoping to get the chance to go someday, but I'm working. I had a part time job. He said, I'll lend you the money.

[Misha]

Wow, it's amazing.

[Carol Burnett]

And he gave me his card and I thought that it was the champagne talking. Like, he's gonna forget about this in the morning. He means it. He gave me his crazy. He said, be in my office a week from Monday, 9 o'.

[Misha]

Clock. Was he. What did he do?

[Carol Burnett]

What happened was Don and I went down. He was a very wealthy businessman, went into his office. He said, okay, I'm going to lend each one of you $1,000 and payable if you can pay it back in five years. Stipulations, you must use the money to go to New York. You must never reveal my name. Okay. And if you are successful, you must help others out. Wow.

[Craig]

And he wasn't in the in show business?

[Carol Burnett]

No. What happened was I found out later that he had helped somebody get started in a restaurant.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Misha]

He just identified talent.

[Carol Burnett]

Somebody staked him to a claim at one point and it was like, pay it forward.

[Craig]

Paying it forward. Yeah, yeah, Yep, I got you.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, when I got home and showed Nanny all this money, I thought she was gonna have a heart attack. You can't go to New York. You can't. I have to. I wanted to. Now, here's how Stupid. I was. Well, I didn't know where I was going to stay.

[Misha]

You just went.

[Carol Burnett]

You literally got on a plane.

[Misha]

You were the typical yokel off the bus. Was it a bus ticket?

[Carol Burnett]

It was a plane ticket.

[Misha]

Had you ever flown before? Nope.

[Craig]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

So now I'm on a plane. I was reading the New Yorker, and there was an ad for the Algonquin Hotel, which all the witty people would gather and exchange. And I thought, well, that's interesting. So it was raining, and I loved rain, when it's good, not torrential. And I walked with my cardboard suitcase to the algonquin. Checked in, $9, they said, a day. I thought, for a week. $9 a day. Oh, yeah. Anyway.

[Misha]

But you're loaded.

[Carol Burnett]

Oh, yeah. Well, I had left maybe about $500 because of the plane. So I got up to the room and what am I going to do? I had one phone number. It was from a girl who had been in the South Pacific sea. She was a year ahead of me, and she wrote. Everybody said, I'm in New York, so if you're ever here, give me a call. So I called her that morning and I said, it's Carol Burnett. She said, hi, you're here. I said, where are you? I said, I'm at the Goncourt. What? She said, get out of there and come over to where I am. Where is. So I checked out, and I had her address. Bing Bong. It was a townhouse.

[Misha]

What part of New York was.

[Carol Burnett]

It was West 54th street between 5th and 6th. It was a place called the Rehearsal Club. It housed young women who wanted to be in show business. It was very proper, had a house mother. They had rules. There was one cot available, and I was introduced to the house mother. And she said, okay, you come in here, you can be. And it's $18 a week, room and board.

[Craig]

I see.

[Carol Burnett]

It was a godsend.

[Misha]

I see so many angels.

[Carol Burnett]

You know, I call him Clarence. He's a wonderful life. I said, there's Clarence.

[Misha]

There he is.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah.

[Misha]

Were you ever afraid? I mean, in this process?

[Carol Burnett]

I mean, I was too stupid.

[Misha]

But you've stuck.

[Carol Burnett]

It was the movies.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

Again, Mickey and Judy. I'm gonna put on a show. I'm gonna be a Broadway. And also, when I was gonna leave ucla, friends gave me a party and they said, what are you gonna do when you get to New York? I said, I'm gonna be on Broadway, and it's gonna be directed by George Abbott. Now, George Abbott was Mr. Broadway. He directed the Pajama Game, Damn Yankees. You got all up and that happened.

[Craig]

And this is another one of those. You saw yourself already.

[Carol Burnett]

I just. I just said, oh. I was bragging.

[Craig]

I said, oh, okay. This wasn't one of your manifestations.

[Carol Burnett]

That's a few jobs.

[Misha]

No, but it was.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

But I finally then got a call to audition for George Abbott, and it was Once Upon a Mattress. Wow. But that was five years later.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Misha]

Did you have to get an agent at the time? I mean, how.

[Carol Burnett]

Go get an agent.

[Misha]

I know, yeah. It's like, what do you. How do you break into. How do you. Nowhere with a cardboard suitcase and even sort of begin. How do you. How did you know what to do?

[Carol Burnett]

Well, you try to get into an agent's office and you couldn't get past the receptionist. They would throw your 8 by 10 glossy into the wastebasket.

[Misha]

But you knew to get headshots. You did all that?

[Carol Burnett]

Because I learned that from the girls.

[Misha]

Okay. So you were in, like, your own little Broadway school.

[Carol Burnett]

So finally I did get a meeting with an agent and I showed him my scrapbook from UCLA reviews, and he said, that's nice. Well, let me know when you're in something. I said, how do I get in something? Get in something if I don't have an agent?

[Craig]

Right.

[Carol Burnett]

And he said, go put on your own show. I went back to the club, called a meeting with all the girls. I said, we're going to put on a show.

[Misha]

Spanky. We're putting on a show.

[Craig]

And how.

[Misha]

And how.

[Carol Burnett]

Some of the older girls went, oh, there were about 20 of us. And we wrote and came up with the idea to how to do it. And we showed the first act to the rich ladies who sponsored the club. They gave us $200 to rent the Carl Fisher Concert Hall. On a certain night, we sent out penny postcards to every agent, director, producer in town saying, you're always saying, let us know when you're. Well, we're in something.

[Misha]

In something.

[Carol Burnett]

This is it. Now. This is your ticket. And these are the two nights we're performing. So please come and see us. We were packed.

[Misha]

How many seats in the theater?

[Carol Burnett]

Carl Fisher? Maybe 200. Maybe.

[Listener]

Wow.

[Craig]

How long did it take you all to.

[Misha]

From the time.

[Craig]

From the time you were landed.

[Misha]

From the time you landed in New York to the time that you put on this show.

[Carol Burnett]

Oh, okay. That was 54. We put on the show in 55.

[Misha]

So within a year.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah.

[Misha]

You figured out New York, the movies again.

[Carol Burnett]

Mickey and Judy. Go put on a show.

[Misha]

Right, right. So what was the. What was the premise. Yeah. Was it a comedy? Was it a musical?

[Carol Burnett]

What happened was everybody was gonna get to do their own thing.

[Craig]

Okay, okay.

[Carol Burnett]

Like, one of my roommates, Tinker was her name. She was British, really cute, kind of bouncy and bubbly, was, for some unknown reason, into Spanish dancing.

[Misha]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. Jennifer Castroness.

[Misha]

I'm off now.

[Carol Burnett]

Toodle. And another one was a ballerina. Another one was a soprano. So what we did was the first act was everybody sitting around in the parlors, supposedly singing, it's a lazy afternoon. Nobody can get an agent. It's just terrible. And they're singing.

[Misha]

Did you write the music?

[Carol Burnett]

No. Lazy Afternoon was from a.

[Misha]

Okay. She took it. So we got it.

[Carol Burnett]

Got it. So then I burst in all bubbly and saying, I love New York. And I'm singing this. There's a major song like that. I said, come on, guys, let's get. I know what. Let's put on a show. And then we all sang a little thing about that second act was the show.

[Misha]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

So Tinker got to do her Spanish dancing. Sally got to sing a song.

[Craig]

Brilliant.

[Carol Burnett]

You know, what did you do? There was a Broadway show called new faces of 1952, and one of the songs in it was Eartha Kitt, and she was very sexy.

[Misha]

Oh, yes.

[Carol Burnett]

And she sang a song called Monotonous. And the premise of that song was, I'm so gorgeous, I am so sexy, everybody wants me, and it is so monotonous, you know? And she did. She had these chaise lounges, and she went from one shade slouch to the other very cat. Like she would. Yeah, like a lot like a lion or a tiger. And it's all monotonous. So what I thought I would do would be to be in curlers and an apron and fuzzy slippers and three broken down kitchen chairs singing about how gorgeous I am. And it worked. Oh, man.

[Misha]

Yeah. So did you naturally lean into comedy? Did you think, you know, because, you know, Tinker's seriously doing Spanish dancing and somebody's on point.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah.

[Misha]

You decide. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go for the laugh.

[Carol Burnett]

I. Yeah. Because I remember the laughter at ucla.

[Misha]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And then I could sing, so I could do both.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

So out of that, three of us got jobs. Wow.

[Craig]

Just from that. So you were able to get an agent from that?

[Carol Burnett]

I got an agent. I got summer stock, and then I worked with a special material writer, and then I got to play. I had an act written. Okay.

[Misha]

Like a one woman act. Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

And I worked at the Blue angel nightclub and then the special material writer, Ken Welch, wrote a song called I Made a Fool of Myself over John Foster Dulles. It was at the height of Elvis Presley, so it was very funny for this young girl to have John Foster. Della, because he was aptly named. He wore the hat. He was Secretary of State. So I did it on the Jack Parr Show. I did it on the Ed Sullivan Show. And so.

[Misha]

So you just took this. This act took you. It was so impactful.

[Carol Burnett]

What was funny, too, was after I'd done it on Solomon did on The Blue Angel, Mr. Dulles was on mute. The press and they were talking about all what's going on in the world. And the very last thing, they said, what is this between you and that young girl that has. And I'm watching the show. Oh, my goodness, why? And he said, I make it a policy never to discuss matters of the heart in public. So he had a sense of humor.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Misha]

Wow. So you became. You were in the Zeitgeist News. You were.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. And it wasn't just the entertainment session.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

They wrote about it in the editorial department.

[Misha]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

I'm wondering if I was a Republican or a Democrat, but who is this?

[Misha]

Did your mom and Nana hear about this? Was that when they were like, okay, maybe she's onto something.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Craig]

So now, how did you. When did you parlay that success into television? Hollywood, your own show?

[Carol Burnett]

Well, I got a chance. I was in Mattress, Once Upon a Mattress. And then there was a wonderful man named Gary Moore who had a major variety show at the time.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And he knew my work. And his show was a big hit. It was. You know, and one of the guests one week was Martha Ray, who was a very funny, marvelous comedian. And she got bronchitis. And Gary called me on a Sunday and his show was going on. Martha can't make it. Can you come and learn her stuff and be on Tuesday night with us?

[Craig]

Oh, wow.

[Carol Burnett]

I was over there like Road Runner. Can I. Yeah. So I went. I learned everything and did the show. And Gary, before it went off the air, he told the audience what happened and brought me out on stage. He was so kind. And so, as a result, the following September, they asked. He asked me if I'd be on every week. So now I'm doubling with what's up on a Mattress and the Gary Moore Show. So things are popping. Wow. You know, really. And my God, I was making money.

[Misha]

So, yeah, I was gonna ask about that. Your lifestyle. No longer in the women's boarding.

[Carol Burnett]

So then it was just. I Did Gary show. And then CBS signed me to a 10 year contract where I would do a special a year and two guest shots on some of their sitcoms. But the agent, unbelievable. Within the five years. He had it in the contract that if I wanted to do an hour long comedy variety show, all I have to do is push the button and they would have to give me 30 shows.

[Craig]

What?

[Carol Burnett]

Wow. I mean, that was unheard of.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

And they said, I didn't even think about it. I just said, who wants to be on. That's not me. I want to be on Broadway. I want to. You know, so I totally forgot about it. And then I did a. Another Broadway show and it was not a happy experience. I had a problem with it. I got married. I had my daughter Carrie.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And I was as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes.

[Craig]

Professionally, you were. Okay. So the, the heat is off now.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. So we said, let's move to California, go back to Canada and we put a down payment on a house in Beverly Hills.

[Craig]

But wait, did you sign the 10 year contract yet?

[Carol Burnett]

Oh, yeah.

[Craig]

So you had, you were in within.

[Carol Burnett]

I was there, yeah.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Misha]

You weren't thinking about it.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. And now we go, oh, God, we got this house. Actually, it turned out to be a house Betty Grable lived in, which is kind of funny.

[Misha]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

And so we said Puerto Rico. And then we said that kind. We had a week to go before the.

[Misha]

You needed to pay for the house. So it's like, okay, let's activate this.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. And it was between Christmas and New Year's. And New Year's it would have been over the five years. So I picked up the phone and I called the vice president in New York and hi, Carol, have a nice Christmas. Yeah, Mike, I'm calling because I want to push that button. He didn't remember it. He said, what button? I said, you know the one where I get 31 hour shows. Oh, let me get back to you.

[Misha]

Let me call my. Let me get the lawyers on this.

[Carol Burnett]

That was it.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

And he called the next day and.

[Misha]

They were like, nope, she's got you.

[Carol Burnett]

They said, he called back. He said, yeah, I see that, Carl. But you know, comedy variety's a man scheme. It's not for you gals. So he said, it's Sid Caesar, it's Milton Berle. Now it's Dean Martin. You know, we. He said, we've got this great sitcom we'd love you to do called here's Agnes. Get your picture?

[Misha]

Yeah. Really?

[Craig]

You know, they're not making Agneses Anym.

[Carol Burnett]

I always wonder what would have happened. I said, I don't want to be. I don't want to be the same person every week. I want to do what I did on the Garry Moore show, different people. And also in doing Garry's show, I realized I really didn't want to be on Broadway all the time, because you do the same thing over after night after night after night. Whereas with the comedy variety show, you do that, then next week you got another challenge. You have different songs. You can do different sketches.

[Misha]

Can I ask Carol just to kind of fill in the blanks of support that you had, you know, who your mentors were? I mean, and what was it like being a woman in the business at that time and even before you got to Hollywood and before you pushed that button? I mean, what were the challenges of being a woman in the business at the time?

[Carol Burnett]

Gary was very supportive. Gary Moore. So I never had a problem there. He was the kindest. And we had another second banana, which they call us on the show, named Durward Kirby. So he was the guy.

[Craig]

Oh, yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

And I was the guy. And there would be times we would be reading the script for that week, and he'd have a joke or something. He'd say, you know what? Give this line to Carol or Durward. They can say it funnier than I can. That's who he was.

[Craig]

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[Misha]

But you never had an issue as a woman or did, did you?

[Carol Burnett]

I. I think it was my fault.

[Misha]

What do you mean?

[Carol Burnett]

In the. In that era. The Betty. Betty Crocker era?

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

Okay. If a sketch wasn't working for Jackie Gleason or Sid Caesar, they'd call the ride. You guys, this sucks. Get over here. If I did it as a woman in that time, I would be considered a bitch.

[Misha]

Yep.

[Carol Burnett]

So what I would do would be if a sketch wasn't working and we're in the rehearsal hall, call the writers. I Said, oh guys, I'm having a little difficulty with it. Can you come down and help me out?

[Misha]

Yeah, just like, oh, I'm so, I need, I just so I can't tie my shoes. Sure.

[Carol Burnett]

They'd come down and everything would be hunky dory, you know, so. But now it's so much better. I mean it's not all great, but now you've got Tina Fey, you've got Amy Poehler, you've got Kristen Wiig, you've got all these people who have their own production company who are doing now. The other one you asked about, a mentor was Lucy. Yeah, yeah, she was my pal.

[Misha]

When did you meet her? At what time in your life did you meet?

[Carol Burnett]

When I was doing Once Upon a Mattress. Uh huh.

[Misha]

And you were still on Broadway.

[Carol Burnett]

I was on Broadway. And she came to see the second night. I was more nervous than I was opening night with all the critics. I peeked through the curtain and I saw this orange hair in the second room. I went, oh, Lucy. And so after the show I had, we were in this off Broadway theater and it was pretty funky. And my dressing room, it had a coil coming up from the couch. So she knocks on the door and I open the door and she's hi, you kid. She was 22 years older. So I'm kid, yeah. She starts to walk. I said, look out. She says, I see it. And she sat down, was like 20 minutes and got up. She said, kid, if you ever need me for anything, you call me. So like three years later, I had a special I was doing for NBC and they said, okay, we'll give you that, but you gotta have a major guest star. So the producer said, call Lucy. I said, I don't want to bother you.

[Misha]

And you hadn't been in contact with her, right?

[Carol Burnett]

And he said, give her a call. She can just say, I'd love to, but I'm busy. So I got her on the phone. She kids, you're doing great. What's happening? And I blubbered about, oh, Lucy, I'm doing this. And she interrupted me. She said, when do you want me? Wow. So we did it. And Zero must still was the other guest. It was just those two and we had the best time.

[Misha]

What was one of the best things you learned from Lucille Ball?

[Carol Burnett]

Well, she now, she wouldn't say, hi guys. She was more like the guys.

[Misha]

She was like, she was ready to be a bitch.

[Carol Burnett]

Oh, now here's the story.

[Misha]

Okay?

[Carol Burnett]

She was a guest on my show and we were, had a break, dinner break. So we went across the street to a restaurant from cbs. She's knocking back a whiskey sour. She says, you know, kid, you're doing really great. And it's great that Joe, my husband Joe, was producing the show. He was also a producer of the Garry Moore show, so he ran the show. And she said, that's great. You got Joe to be running. You don't have. Because when I was married to the Cuban, she said, desi did everything. Yeah, he invented the three camera system. He said, put them on wheels so they can move around. It was Desi. He took care of the costumes, he took care of the script. So that she said all I had to do on a Monday is come in and be silly Lucy. Now we got a divorce, and it's up to me. And she says, so I'm sitting there and remember she had another one called the Lucy show, different incarnation. And she said, and the script was terrible. She said, oh, my God. And Desi's not here to fix it. So she called lunch and she said, I went back to my office, and I thought, I gotta be strong. I gotta be like Desi. I know. She went back and she told them. She said. I told them in no uncertain terms, this is what. You gotta fix this and you gotta fix that. And I missed no words. And she said, kid, that's when they put the S on the end of my last name.

[Misha]

Lucille Balls.

[Carol Burnett]

So she was great. She. She always sent me flowers on my birthday.

[Misha]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

And I got up one morning, and she had died on my birthday. And I got flowers that afternoon. Happy birthday, kid.

[Craig]

Oh, man.

[Misha]

Wow.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah.

[Craig]

Now, this business is so full of rejection, and I read somewhere where you never took rejection personally. Can you talk about how you handled adversity in that business?

[Carol Burnett]

Well. Cause kids today, and I can't remember what I was auditioning for. Might have been a commercial or something. This was before I got on Gary's show and all of that. So I was just starting out, and it was kind of narrowed down to between me and another girl. I thought I had it, but I didn't. She got it. I don't know where this came from, but I thought, it's her turn.

[Craig]

It's just.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah, it's not my turn. My turn will come. It's her turn. So when I get letters or calls from people, say, how do you handle it? Just say, okay. Wasn't my turn then.

[Craig]

Right.

[Carol Burnett]

And I was never okay. It was for her.

[Craig]

And that didn't come from your upbringing or anything? You just.

[Carol Burnett]

No, no, no. My grandmother Would have had her killed.

[Misha]

Oh, my gosh.

[Craig]

Now, how did you handle being a mom during all of this fame?

[Carol Burnett]

We were on a school schedule. In other words, we were so. We. A lot of the crew from the Garry Moore show came out, so we were a well oiled machine. Like, on Mondays, I would take the kids to school.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And then I'd go to work.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And we would be finished in time on a Monday for me to come and pick the kids up.

[Misha]

It's a perfect job. So what was Carol Burnett, the mom like? What was it like when Carol Burnett showed up in the pickup line? Were you Carol Burnett in their lives or were you Mom?

[Carol Burnett]

I was Mom.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

I was Mom.

[Misha]

Yeah. How did you manage that balance? I mean, you. It was difficult. Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah, it was difficult. And then Carrie, my darling Carrie got into drugs as a teenager and took a lot, but we. It was three rehabs and family sessions.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

And the last rehab we sent her to, she was so angry with me. I mean, and I said, I. I have to love her enough to let her hate me.

[Misha]

Yeah, yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

And we did. And she also was into singing and music and all of that. And the last rehab we sent her to, she had this wonderful doctor. He was young. And she was ranting. She told me this later. She said, I was ranting and raving. And I said, I want to be Janis Joplin. And he said, well, she's dead.

[Craig]

That's not funny. But that's funny.

[Carol Burnett]

And she said, mom, that really hit me. So she sobered up when she was 17. She became an actress on Fame.

[Misha]

She was on Fame.

[Carol Burnett]

On Fame. She had a regular role on Fame. I did three things with her. I was a guest on Fame twice. And then we did a movie, television movie together.

[Misha]

How was that working with her?

[Carol Burnett]

And she started writing, and she was in a movie called Tokyo Pop, which is now like a little cult film. And she was like, 24, 25 and got sensational reviews. Okay. And Marlon Brando called her. Wow. He saw her in the movie. He said, I'd like to talk to you about a project. She turned him down. Why? I became Mama Rose. I went, are you crazy, Marlon Brando? She said, mom, I did a movie. Now I want to write. I want to concentrate on my music. It wasn't after being famous or anything. And then we wrote a Broadway show together, and it went to Broadway. Hal Prince directed it. And we were doing great. She was doing great until she got sick. But, boy, we went through it.

[Misha]

But you got her on the straight and Narrow. You know, it's like, I love that. It's like you didn't need her to be happy with you.

[Carol Burnett]

Right.

[Misha]

You needed her to be.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, exactly, exactly. Well, it's true. You have to love them enough to let them hate you.

[Misha]

That's right.

[Carol Burnett]

And that's hard.

[Misha]

That is. That's the hardest part of parenting. And I think it's a thing that people don't understand. It's like when you say you want to be a mother, it's like, well, you better not want a friend.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, I had no examples. I had no good example.

[Craig]

Yeah, but now so many women have you as the example.

[Misha]

Well, you've been paying it forward a lot. I mean, you've had a lot of angels on your shoulder, but you have been an angel for a lot of people. Did you ever pay that $1,000?

[Carol Burnett]

5 years to the day. Wow. Uh huh.

[Craig]

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[Misha]

So you, you're, you're still at it?

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah, I'm very happy. I had a great time recently doing Better Call Saul.

[Craig]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

Just love Bob, Owen, Kirk.

[Misha]

And how do you, how, how do you feel about working every day now? How's the schedule?

[Carol Burnett]

I don't want to work every day.

[Misha]

Yeah, yeah. What's the schedule like? I mean, because Palm Royale, I fell in love with the first season. I've saved it up season two for our next travel.

[Carol Burnett]

It's off the wall.

[Misha]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

Well, but I'm not on every day.

[Misha]

I know, but I have it actually.

[Carol Burnett]

Where I work three days a week.

[Misha]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And no more than three in a row.

[Misha]

Yeah. Really? I mean, five in a loss, you know, that's where I want. That's where I'm trying to be now.

[Carol Burnett]

Just say that's what I want.

[Misha]

Yeah, let's manifest it.

[Carol Burnett]

Exactly.

[Misha]

How does it feel being on the.

[Carol Burnett]

Show all of a sudden? Now I'm 92 years old, I have new girlfriends. When they called me a couple of years ago to do Palm Royale, I said, who's in it? And Abe, Sylvia, who's the creator, said, Kristen Wiig, Alison Janney, Laura Dern, Rick. I said, stop, I'm in it. I don't care what you want me to do. He said, well, the first few episodes, you're in a coma. I said, that's even better.

[Craig]

So I just started watching Palm Royale.

[Misha]

Oh my God. You do so much in a coma, though.

[Craig]

But this is what I wanted because whenever they show you on there in a coma? I, like, start giggling and I'm wondering, are you doing that to me or is it just me doing that?

[Carol Burnett]

It was a good gig, I have to say. I get up at 5 in the morning and lay back down, get dressed, go back, get undressed, get into pajamas and go back to bed.

[Craig]

And you can't sleep where you weren't.

[Misha]

A lot of lines.

[Carol Burnett]

Didn't have a lot of line. No, I didn't sleep.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

But sometimes there were a couple of scenes where Kristen was doing stuff and Allison. It was hard for me not to laugh.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

But now, like, we're. We're buddies. We're really good. And Allison, we Wordle.

[Craig]

Oh, I wordle. I love wordle.

[Carol Burnett]

Every day I do. Every day I have to brag.

[Craig]

Please do.

[Misha]

Okay, yes.

[Carol Burnett]

Mostly at 2.

[Misha]

You can do all of them too. I get them.

[Carol Burnett]

Not all of them.

[Misha]

I get them done. I can solve all of them.

[Craig]

But what are your starter versions getting them into?

[Misha]

I know, it's good.

[Carol Burnett]

We do different every day.

[Misha]

Okay, so you pick the word.

[Craig]

Seems like I solve all of them.

[Carol Burnett]

No, Brian. I'll have Brian pick the word.

[Misha]

Okay.

[Carol Burnett]

And he'll say whatever and then the letters come up. But we don't do the same word every day. Yeah, we have, I think, the record of getting it in one. It's only an accident. You know that.

[Craig]

Of course.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. But we have gotten it seven times in one.

[Misha]

Well, then that's not an accident. It's more that manifestation stuff going on.

[Carol Burnett]

It was audio. Oh, yeah, Audio. Bacon. Clown crown. You remember Stash, Stash. Towel and talon.

[Craig]

So this is my question. How do you stay so sharp at 92?

[Misha]

Because you. I'm just sitting here. I can't remember what I did yesterday.

[Carol Burnett]

I can't either, but I remember when I was three.

[Misha]

Well, maybe this is the time to do our listener question.

[Listener]

Hi, Michelle and Craig. As a young woman starting her professional career in a traditionally male dominated field, I have found it most intimidating to network and reach out to more established professionals. I sometimes get nervous that I am wasting someone's time not making a good enough impression or that I don't deserve to be in that space. I'm sure that you both have been in rooms where you were told you didn't belong. What advice do you have to overcoming that imposter syndrome feeling?

[Misha]

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome? I wouldn't think so again.

[Carol Burnett]

I was too stupid, you know, I never again. I held. I would look at the movies and I would see strong Women. And, like, when I said, I'm gonna interview Joel McCray, I got that from watching Rosalind Russell. So I. Oh, you don't want to say get over it. But in a way, don't think so much of how. Of yourself. I'm not good at giving advice. It's like you're making yourself happen that way. Think of somebody you admire who is a woman and pretend you're that woman. Maybe. Lots of times when I would do the show and I would do the Tarzaniel. Yeah. Or I would do Charo, who was my body, I knew what I was doing, but the body reacts in a different way. It doesn't know you're acting in a funny way. You know, okay, I'll just try a bit. But somehow your body reacts differently. And I don't know, maybe as I say, pretend you're somebody else, and it's much better today. It's not all better, but it's much better today. And I think she. She just got to. I can't. I can't say, don't worry so much because that's not good advice. I don't know what good advice would be.

[Misha]

No. But I think that, you know, and it's interesting that. Because the things that run through my head that allow me not to focus so hard on this feeling of how am I good enough? How am I showing up, sort of giving my power to somebody else.

[Carol Burnett]

Right.

[Misha]

There is a generational component, because I hear what you're saying would be the same thing that my mother would say. I mean, it's the same. Which is interesting that women of an older generation who have faced much more discrimination have had to overcome hurdles. The society was set up in a totally different way. But that there is a practicality. It's almost like no one's gonna fix your problems for you but you. And so all of the work of feeling good enough never, ever really comes from the outside in, you know, and if that's what you're waiting for, somebody to give you permission to feel good about yourself, it doesn't. Confidence, acceptance, it doesn't work that way. You know, it's not somebody else's responsibility to make you feel good. And nobody's really thinking about you like that, you know?

[Carol Burnett]

So, yeah, it's not coming from them.

[Misha]

Yeah, it's not coming from them. The work starts from inside. Like an improv, like acting. Your brain is in charge. And if you wake up in the morning and say, I decide to have a good day, like, I decide to feel good about yourself, that's the beginning. That's the manifestation. It starts from within, and your body will follow, and life will tend to follow. So my advice. Yes, you could feel imposter syndrome. But I know that I was raised to believe that I was in charge of how I felt about myself. In fact, we would get in trouble in our household if we showed up worried about what somebody else was thinking. And trouble is outside of the house. Yeah, outside of the house. Yeah.

[Craig]

Yeah, I agree.

[Misha]

Our mom's saying was, you know, you don't go outside of your home to be liked. You know, come home. We like you here. You know, this is where love is. You know, no one owes you that out in the world. No one owes you acceptance. I think we had the luxury of having that at home, and I think when you have that at home, you're starting with a foundation of, yeah, that person called me a name. They called me a jerk. But I know how the table that matters, how they feel about me. And I choose to believe what I hear from my mother and the people who love me.

[Carol Burnett]

Couldn't I have been in your family?

[Misha]

You could have been. Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

You love.

[Craig]

But you were.

[Misha]

You were.

[Craig]

You were there every week.

[Misha]

We were there, so.

[Carol Burnett]

No, but I mean, really, you could have really.

[Craig]

You could have really been there, but we would have been watching you.

[Misha]

Right, Right.

[Craig]

But let me just add a. A bit on what Mish was saying, because the validation part. I've never felt like I needed validation outside of our home because mom used to say this. She's like, if you prepare for. Prepare for whatever you want, then you've done your best. That's all you can ask of yourself.

[Misha]

Like you said, it wasn't my. Your turn.

[Craig]

And I just wrote that down to your point. Not your turn. Then if you did your best and didn't get it, it's not your turn. Don't mope about it. Go to the next one. And it seems simplistic, but it's carried me through a lot of tough times when people have not viewed me as where I think I should be viewed. And I was like, well, that's tough. You're missing out. And it's. And it's really helped. It's helped me in sports, but it's helped me in life more.

[Misha]

I mean, we came up in that kind of parenting, and I think the kind of overcorrection from the generation that felt the. Well, that wasn't quite enough. I think we've gone to the other extreme.

[Carol Burnett]

When I first had the kids and they were old Enough to understand what I. I was doing, what her father was doing. I. I don't know if you remember the actress Loretta Young. Yeah. Very beautiful and perfect.

[Misha]

Yes.

[Carol Burnett]

I wanted to be perfect. They never saw me angry. They never saw me cry. I wouldn't. I didn't. Because I was raised. My grandmother, the brother would go at it like that in a crate over money and liquor. And I would sit in the corner and draw and zone out because they were angry a lot and yelling a lot. So I went too far the other way so that I was trying to be perfect for them. And so when they got angry or they got. Well, then we're not perfect.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

So that was not a good thing for me to do. I. I wasn't. Those first few years, I don't think I was human to them. I was. Yeah, mom, you know, Mom's got a show. Mom's doing this, Mom's doing that. Even though I take them to school, all of that. But I. I had that Loretta Young syndrome.

[Misha]

Yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

That I call it. And it's wrong. It was wrong. I got out of it eventually, but I had to learn my way because I never had that example.

[Misha]

We're always trying to fix the thing that we think was broken in our childhood.

[Carol Burnett]

Yeah. And it's up to us.

[Misha]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Carol Burnett]

But I love what you said. It was just perfect. Perfect.

[Craig]

And as far as we're concerned, you're in our family.

[Carol Burnett]

I feel that way, Carol.

[Misha]

Really? I mean, just sitting here and talking about that path. I mean, I don't think that. Well, I know you must hear this all the time, but, you know, we had a happy, beautiful family. Right. But your talent, your gifts, the structure of your show, how you showed up in it, like Craig said, you know, your humanity before the show, your honesty throughout your career. I mean, that kind of stuff has been as impactful to my development as my parents. Right. Because that's the role modeling. You know, you see a smart woman. Because what is clear through this is that you've always been that woman. Smart, courageous, bold. And you just brought that to your show. And that came into our living rooms as part of an important experience of seeing what you could be.

[Carol Burnett]

You're gonna make me cry. Oh, thank you. I'm so touched and moved.

[Misha]

You mean the world to us.

[Carol Burnett]

Thank you.

[Misha]

And thank you. You know what I wanna do? I wanna sing. It's so nice.

[Craig]

Nice to have this time.

[Misha]

We had to time together.

[Carol Burnett]

I love it.

[Misha]

Just to have a laugh or sing a song. Since we just get started and before.

[Craig]

You know, it comes the time we.

[Misha]

Have to stay so long. Oh.

[Craig]

All these youngsters have no idea what we're doing.

[Carol Burnett]

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

[Craig]

I've got chills. This. This has been absolutely wonderful.

[Carol Burnett]

We love you. Thank you.

[Misha]

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being in my life.

[Carol Burnett]

Back at you.

[Misha]

Sa.