Carol Burnett reflected on her escapades in late-night television during her appearance on The Late Show this Tuesday. Chatting with host Stephen Colbert, Burnett shared a memorable anecdote from her time on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.
She recounted a cheeky stunt where she deliberately portrayed herself as “the world’s worst guest,” responding to Carson’s inquiries with nothing more than a simple “yes” or “no.”
Also, Burnett reminisced about her numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, a total of seven times. Among these occasions, one particular visit stood out: her encounter with the iconic Elvis Presley.
Recalling the event, Burnett humorously described being placed as the opening act, much to the audience’s dismay.
As she humorously put it, “Nobody wanted to see me. ‘Elvis, where the hell is Elvis?'” Despite her illustrious career, Burnett candidly admitted to “bombing” during that performance, labeling it as “terrible.”
Despite not being the ideal lead-in act, Burnett discovered that Elvis Presley harbored no ill feelings toward her when they crossed paths backstage.
Recollecting the encounter, she fondly mentioned, “I met him. He was very sweet,” adding that she even obtained his autograph for her younger sister.
Transitioning to another topic later in the interview, Burnett, currently featured on the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, delved into the nuances between being a “comic” and a “comedic actor.”
