Carol Burnett is one of the most cherished comedy stars of all time, and this month she’s celebrating her 90th birthday.
As she approaches this incredible milestone, Burnett has been reflecting on her remarkable life and career. In one recent interview, she spoke about a heart-wrenching loss that’s still on her mind more than 20 years later.
Carol Burnett’s daughter Carrie
The legendary star had three daughters with her ex-husband, producer Joe Hamilton. The eldest was Carrie Hamilton, born in 1963.
Like her mother, Carrie pursued acting. She starred in the TV series Fame and played Maureen in the first national tour of the musical Rent. She also made appearances on numerous TV shows, including The X-Files, Murder, She Wrote, and thirtysomething.
However, things weren’t always smooth between the mother and daughter. Carrie battled drug addiction as a teenager, which caused a lot of pain for Burnett.
“My daughter Carrie got into drugs. In that situation, don’t be their best friend,” Burnett shared with AARP in 2020. “When we got her into a third rehab, oh, she hated my guts! You have to love them enough to let them hate you.”
“I thought … was there something I should have seen, something I should have known, something I would have spotted? You know, what did I miss? Was I not strong enough?” she reflected to ABC News in 2002.
Yet, Burnett told AARP that Carrie became sober by the age of 18, and the two formed a closer bond, sharing “a good 20 years” during which they were “joined at the hip.”
Carrie’s career blossomed, and her relationship with Burnett was at its best … until a personal tragedy hit: In 2001, Carrie was diagnosed with lung cancer which later spread to her brain.
Carrie’s cancer battle
Just like her mother, Carrie had an incredible sense of humor that she used to battle her illness. “Carrie had a spirit about her, all through her treatments,” Burnett told ABC News.
Burnett was particularly moved by her daughter’s mantra: “In the hospital she said, ‘Every day I wake up and decide, today I’m going to love my life.’ And that was her mantra.”
Carrie passed away in 2002 at the age of 38. The loss was devastating for Burnett, but she found the strength to persevere.
“You don’t get over it, but you cope,” she told People in 2018. “What else can you do? When Carrie died, I didn’t want to get out of bed for a while, but I had a play to finish that we started that Hal Prince was going to direct. I owed it to Carrie, and I owed it to Hal.”
Still with me 21 years later
In a recent interview ahead of her 90th birthday, Burnett spoke about her daughter’s death over 20 years later and mentioned that she still thinks about Carrie every day.
“There’s not a day or almost a moment goes by that she’s not with me,” Burnett told People Magazine this month. “We worked together, we laughed together, we cried together. She was a force.”
She added that Carrie’s strength during her illness continues to inspire her.
“When she got sick, I remember she was in the hospital and I would go to see her every day,” Burnett recalled. “One day, a nurse at the hospital said, ‘Carrie cheers us up.’ I asked Carrie why she was always cheerful, and her reply was, ‘Everyday I wake up and decide.’ That’s the key word, decide.”
“I say that to myself every morning.”
Carol Burnett at 90
As Burnett turns 90 on April 26, she remains resilient despite the heartache she endured 21 years ago and maintains a positive outlook.
She has been honored with numerous lifetime achievement awards, like the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2019, the Golden Globes named their television lifetime achievement award after her, the “Carol Burnett Award,” and she was its first recipient. Last year, she made a guest appearance on Better Call Saul that was widely praised.
“I can’t wrap my head around it,” Burnett expressed to People about reaching 90. “I still feel like I’m about 11, but I’m amazed. It sure went fast. But I’m glad because I’ve got all my parts — got my hips, I got my knees and I’ve got my brain, so I’m happy about that.”
Losing a child is incredibly hard, and Carrie’s death undeniably left a profound impact on Carol Burnett. Nevertheless, the comedy icon keeps moving forward and we wish her a wonderful 90th birthday celebration!
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