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Vicki Lawrence's Fan Letter Led to Carol Burnett Meeting
17 Sep
Summary
- A newspaper article compared Vicki Lawrence to a young Carol Burnett.
- Lawrence wrote a fan letter expressing her resemblance to Burnett.
- Burnett found Lawrence and attended a contest where she crowned her.
Vicki Lawrence's remarkable journey into entertainment was serendipitously set in motion by a fan letter to Carol Burnett. This unique origin story began in 1967 when Lawrence, then a teenager, was featured in a local newspaper for an upcoming contest. The article noted her striking resemblance to a younger Carol Burnett, prompting Lawrence's mother to encourage her to write a fan letter.
Lawrence, who knew of Burnett but wasn't a devoted fan, sent a letter expressing the comparison and her desire to meet. Burnett's secretary forwarded the letter, and Burnett, intrigued, located Lawrence and attended the contest. She secretly observed and ultimately crowned Lawrence, who emerged victorious. This memorable encounter paved the way for their enduring professional partnership.
Their collaboration officially began in 1967 with the premiere of The Carol Burnett Show. Despite a 16-year age difference, Lawrence became famous for portraying "Mama," the mother of Burnett's character Eunice Harper Higgins, solidifying their place in television history.
