Photo: Ari + Louise
The only thing left on her to-do list? “George Clooney,” Burnett playfully tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue cover story.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t had The Rehearsal Club,” Burnett says. “Five girls rooming in one room — we were all different — and each one would have their own story. It’s likeFriends, but takes place in the ’50s with girls wanting to be in show business. I think it could be a good series. I write, so I might do a treatment of it and see if somebody would be interested.”
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Burnett says she “enjoyed” her recent turn onBetter Call Sauland “loved” working withLaura Dern,Allison JanneyandKristin WiigonPalm Royale.
“Allison and I Wordle,” the two-time Tony nominee says. “I Wordle every morning.”
On her April 26 birthday, NBC will honor Burnett and her impressive career withCarol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.Burnett found filming the two-hour special — which features Dern, 56, Wiig, 49,Lily Tomlin,Marisa Tomei,Sofia Vergaraand more — “very touching.”
“I’m grateful for the nice things people say,” Burnett continues. “It was a wonderful evening.”
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Burnett’s close friend andCarol Burnett ShowcostarVicki Lawrence, who played her sister on the variety show, also attended the special. Burnett remembers giving Lawrence, now 74, her start in the industry after Lawrence sent her a piece of fan mail.
“She was 17 years old, but I felt there was something there,” Burnett says. “I remember the network at one point said, ‘She’s a little rough.’ I said, ‘So are diamonds at first.’ But we saw something in her.”
Burnett teases that Lawrence received a standing ovation when she took the stage while shooting the special. “My little Vicki,” Burnett says. “I was so thrilled.”
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Burnett has also been the benefactor of some acts of kindness throughout her nearly 90 years.
“I wanted to go to UCLA badly,” she recalls. “My grandmother said we couldn’t afford it. Our rent was $30 a month and we barely made that. Guess what the tuition was at UCLA in 1951? $43. One morning there was a letter in the [mail] slot. It had my name typewritten. I opened it and there was a $50 bill. To this day, I don’t know who gave me that.”
Burnett went on to stack her resume with sixEmmys, sixGolden Globes, one Grammy and aKennedy Center Honor. She considersThe Carol Burnett Showher greatest career accomplishment.
“I decided to hang it up because we’d done just about everything I could think of,” she says of why the variety show wrapped in 1978 after 11 seasons. “It’s nice to leave while you’re ahead, and so before they started flicking the lights on and off, I wanted to say goodnight and thank you.”
For more on Carol Burnett, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
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Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Loveairs April 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and streams on Peacock the next day.
source: people.com
