30 Questions with Carol Burnett
The iconic actress, comedian, and singer is getting her own Netflix series.

The legendary comedian whose Netflix series, A Little Help With Carol Burnett, premieres this month loves good news and enchiladas. The paparazzi? Not so much.
1. IF I WEREN’T AN ENTERTAINER, I’D BE: A cartoonist with my own comic strip.
2. BEST CAREER ADVICE I’VE GOTTEN: Never make a career decision based on money.
3. EARLIEST CAREER SETBACK: Early on, I lost a role to another girl and I figured It wasn’t my turn yet, it was hers.
4. THE THREE QUALITIES THAT GOT ME WHERE I AM TODAY: A love of performing. Believing that when one door closes, another one will open. Patience.
5. MOMENT I FELT I MADE IT: When I got the lead in Once Upon a Mattress (an off-Broadway show) and was hired to be a regular on The Garry Moore Show in the same year.
6. EASIEST CAREER DECISION I’VE EVER MADE: Turning down a six-week job in Las Vegas paying a lot of money to be in a six-week run of Once Upon a Mattress. Turned out that Mattress moved up to Broadway and ran for a year.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
7. WORST PITFALL OF THE JOB: The paparazzi.
8. CHANGE I’D LIKE TO SEE IN MY INDUSTRY: More women in higher positions. It’s getting better, but it’s not there yet.
9. HOW I MADE MY FIRST DOLLAR: I was an “usherette” at a movie theater on Hollywood Boulevard when I was in college for 65 cents an hour.
10. LAST THING I BINGE-WATCHED: Stranger Things.
11. BOOK THAT LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON ME: The Initiate: Some Impressions of a Great Soul, by Cyril Scott.
12. SONG THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY: “Here’s That Rainy Day,” by Jimmy Van Heusen (composer) and Johnny Burke (lyricist).
13. MOVIE WITH THE GREATEST ENDING: Casablanca.
14. SONG I’D WANT PLAYED AT MY FUNERAL: “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” [the theme song from The Carol Burnett Show].
15. ON MY BUCKET LIST: To go to the moon and look at the earth.
16. FOOD I’M NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT I LOVE: Enchiladas.
17. HOW MY PERFECT DAY WOULD BEGIN: Coffee and the New York Times crossword puzzle.
18. HOW MY PERFECT DAY WOULD END: Watching only good news on television.
19. ONE THING I’M EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD AT: Listening.
20. ONE THING I’M EPICALLY BAD AT: Math.
21. SUPERPOWER I'D WANT TO HAVE: It would be fun to fly.
22. HOW I CLEAR MY MIND AFTER A CRAPPY DAY: By thinking there’s always a better day tomorrow.
23: SOMETHING NICE I DID FOR MYSELF RECENTLY: Ate pumpkin pie for dessert.
24. IF I COULD COMPETE IN AN OLYMPIC SPORT, I’D LIKE IT TO BE: Running.
25. MY FIRST KISS: Was from a dog.
26. ADVICE TO A WOMAN WITH A BROKEN HEART: It will pass.
27. THREE QUALITIES I THOUGHT I WANTED IN A PARTNER: Honesty, communication, and a great sense of humor.
28. THE THREE QUALITIES I KNOW NOW MATTER: See above.
29. MOMENT I KNOW I WAS IN LOVE: When he made me scream with laughter.
30. RELATIONSHIP ADVICE TO MY YOUNGER SELF: Hang in there, kid.
Follow her on Instagram @itscarolburnett.
A version of this article originally appeared in the May 2018 Issue of Marie Claire, on newsstands April 24.
-
Annoyed By Your Overly Visible Nose Hairs? Here's What the Pros Do
Putting the best removal methods to the test.
-
Doja Cat Gives Celine's Triomphe Bag the Butter Yellow Treatment
Her style is taking a turn toward the demure.
-
No One Would Guess These H&M and Zara Finds Aren’t Designer
These under-the-radar finds look triple the price.
-
Prince Harry Makes a Brief but Meaningful Appearance in Netflix's 'With Love, Meghan'
The Duke of Sussex requests a mimosa as he supports wife Meghan Markle at an important event.
-
Meghan Markle Dedicates 'With Love, Meghan' to Her Late Rescue Dog Guy, and He Appears Throughout the Series
Viewers will see the sweet beagle sitting in the corner of the kitchen while his mom works.
-
Meghan Markle's Career as a Cocktail Waitress Was Cut Short When She Hilariously Messed Up a Drink Order
"They're like, 'Let's have you go back to being a coat check girl.'"
-
Meghan Markle Surprises Fans at "Magical" 'With Love, Meghan' Launch Event in New York
"The girls that have been supporting me for nearly a decade!"
-
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Celebrate Meghan Markle's New Netflix Show With an Amazing Gift
The little royals paid tribute to their mom's success in the sweetest way.
-
Kristen Bell Says She Has No "Chemistry" With 'Nobody Wants This' Costar Adam Brody
"We're like an old granny and grampy. It's not hot and heavy on set at all."
-
Meghan Markle Is Pushing the Premiere of Her Netflix Series Due to the Los Angeles Wildfires
Meghan requested that Netflix delay the release "as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California."
-
Meghan Markle's Actual Kitchen Isn't Featured in Her Netflix Show—Here's What We Know About Her Real Home
The Sussexes seem to favor a muted color scheme.