Carol Burnett: A living legend who steals scenes even in her sleep

A timeless talent in ‘Palm Royale’

Some actors possess an innate ability to captivate audiences effortlessly. Carol Burnett, at 91, exemplifies this rare talent, recently earning her 23rd Primetime Emmy nomination for her role in the satirical comedy Palm Royale. In this series, Burnett portrays Norma Dellacorte, a revered and feared figure in Florida society, who spends much of the season in a coma.

The art of acting in a coma

Created by Abe Sylvia and set in 1969, Palm Royale features Burnett as a bedridden Norma following a pulmonary episode. Her caretaker, Maxine Simmons-Dellacorte, played by Kristen Wiig, can only communicate with her through groans and gibberish. Despite the limited dialogue, Burnett transforms these moments into a master class in acting.

Burnett herself downplays the challenge. “It wasn’t a challenge at all,” she shares. “You get up at five in the morning, you go to the studio, you get made up, you put on your costume, then you go right back to bed. All I had to do was close my eyes and try not to laugh at what Kristen was doing around me.”

Improvisation: A seasoned skill

As Palm Royale progresses, Norma attempts to communicate, but the script simply states “Norma speaks.” Burnett was asked to improvise, a task she handled with ease. “You can’t write gibberish in a script,” she notes. Sylvia encouraged her to understand what Norma was trying to convey and to express it in gibberish.

Improvisation is second nature to Burnett, who won her first Emmy in 1962 for her work on The Garry Moore Show. She is also no stranger to maintaining composure opposite a hilarious co-star, a skill honed during her 11-season run on The Carol Burnett Show.

Memorable moments with Tim Conway

Burnett fondly recalls her time on The Carol Burnett Show, particularly the infamous sketch where Tim Conway plays a dentist and Harvey Korman is his patient. “That’s over 50 years old and still one of the funniest things you’ll ever see in sketch comedy,” she reveals. “Poor Harvey was helpless in that chair. And Tim swears Harvey wet his pants.” (Korman denied it.)

Another unforgettable moment was during the recurring sketch As the Stomach Turns, a soap opera parody. In one episode, Conway’s character falls down the stairs in slow motion, a feat that showcased his physical comedy skills. “He was a gymnast in school, so he had great control over his body,” Burnett recalls. “People think we slowed the film down. It took him minutes to fall down the stairs. Then he got to the bottom and there’s a rug on the set – he rolled himself up in the rug and kept rolling on the floor.”

The golden era of television

Burnett’s career spans the golden era of television, with shows like All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and MASH. She observes how well the comedy from that era has aged. “They are funny and character-driven, they’re not scatological or blue,” she says. “I’m not a prude, but sometimes I think some of the stuff today … it’s been kind of easy to get a laugh by being a little blue. I don’t mind if it’s within the character, but if they do it just to say a bad word, I think it’s boring and it’s not funny. Funny is The Dick Van Dyke Show. Funny is Mary, Bob Newhart, All in the Family – and they hold up today.”

A dramatic turn in ‘Better Call Saul’

Burnett has also proven her dramatic chops, most recently in the final season of Better Call Saul as Marion, a prickly woman who warms to Saul before turning him in. A fan of the series, Burnett eagerly accepted the role when creator Vince Gilligan approached her. “He said, ‘Well, it’s going to be interesting, because you’re going to be the one that brings his downfall,’” Burnett recalls.

Their final confrontation is a tense stand-off where it appears Saul might harm Marion, until she heartbreakingly says, “I trusted you.” Burnett reveals that the original line was “You broke my heart,” but it was changed to avoid echoing a famous line from The Godfather.

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Carol Burnett’s enduring talent and versatility continue to inspire and entertain, proving that true artistry transcends time and trends.