Carol Burnett, 92, Reveals Her Favorite Character to Play in Resurfaced Interview originally appeared on Parade.
Before there was Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon or Amy Poehler, there was Carol Burnett.
One of the undisputed queens of comedy, Burnett starred in the groundbreaking sketch comedy series, The Carol BurnettShow, from 1967 to 1978. Throughout its 11-season run, Burnett played countless kooky, quirky, and hilarious characters, many of which have become nothing short of iconic.
From the animated, unnamed Charwoman, to a parody of Sunset Boulevard’s fictional silent film actress, Norma Desmond, Burnett’s characters showcased not only her unrivaled comedic chops, but her range and creativity.
In a recently resurfaced interview from TODAY, Katie Couric sat down with Burnett and asked one question that had likely been on her audience’s mind for decades.
“Do you have a favorite character? One that you really love doing more than any other?” asked Couric, in the clip from 1995.
“I think it was Eunice,” replied Burnett. “She started out as such a witch. She was just horrible. And then as it developed, you could understand where her rage was coming from. It was this mother, and feeling trapped. And her dreams of being a movie star, of course, were ridiculous, but she always wanted to be better than what she was.”
Eunice was Burnett’s character in a reoccurring sketch called “The Family.” Harvey Korman, who died in 2008, played Ed Higgins, Eunice’s husband, while Vicki Lawrence took on the role of Eunice’s incredibly challenging mother, Thelma Harper.
The first “The Family” sketch aired in 1973, and it was featured in the last five seasons of The Carol Burnett Show. The final installment of “The Family” was aired in 1979 during a short summer series, Carol Burnett & Company, that Burnett spearheaded after The Carol Burnett Show wrapped in 1978. All in all, Eunice made 31 appearances in “The Family” sketches, which have remained near and dear to Burnett’s heart.
Despite being one of the most celebrated and decorated comedians of all time, Burnett did not originally set out to be an actor at all. The comedic legend went to college intent on becoming a journalist. But, life had other plans.
“I went to UCLA to major in journalism, but they didn’t have a major in journalism. So I saw a theater arts/English major where I could take playwriting courses,” she told the LA Times in 2018. “I enrolled and as a freshman had to take an acting course among other things. So I took this acting class and we had to do a scene, so I picked something that I thought would be light… and I got laughs. And I thought, this is a good feeling. I think I want to do this.”
And do it she did. Burnett paved the way for generations of comics to come, has earned countless award nominations and has taken home seven Golden Globe Awards, seven Primetime Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, a Tony Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among several others.
Earlier this year, Burnett celebrated her 92nd birthday with an appearance on the The Late Show, and host Stephen Colbert shared a clip in which he asked the star what she’d like to do with the rest of her life.
“I would like to live,” Burnett replied. And that’s why she’s the greatest of all time.
Carol Burnett, 92, Reveals Her Favorite Character to Play in Resurfaced Interview first appeared on Parade on Aug 9, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
