Table of Biography
Vicki Lawrence is a renowned American actress, comedian, and singer. Vicki Lawrence is known for her character role of Mama (Thelma Harper) in the TV series “The Carol Burnett Show.”
Early Life
On the 26th of March 1949, Vicki Lawrence was born in Inglewood, California, the United States of America. Her birth name is Vicki Ann Axelrad and she holds an American nationality. Currently, she is 74 years old and has a birth sign of Aries. Meanwhile, she belongs to the American ethnicity while her religion is still unknown at the moment.
She was born to her parents; Howard Axelrad (father) and Anne Alene Axelrad (mother). By profession, her father was a certified public accountant for Max Factor. Later, her family’s surname was legally changed to “Lawrence” when she was young.
Education
In terms of her academic qualification, she completed her high school education at Morningside High School in 1967, in Inglewood. Moreover, she had originally intended to become a dental hygienist. She attended UCLA while working on The Carol Burnett Show, changing her major to theatre arts, but dropped out after two years.
In high school, she auditioned for and was accepted into the musical group The Young Americans. Additionally, she stayed with the group almost until the end of high school. Moreover, she gained experience by touring with the group, performing at the Oscars, meeting notable performers such as Johnny Mathis and Louis Armstrong, and appearing on ‘The Andy Williams Show.’
In her senior year, she competed in the Miss Fireball of Inglewood pageant for the local firefighter’s ball. According to a local newspaper reporter who covered the competition, Lawrence looked remarkably like a young Carol Burnett. Lawrence’s mother encouraged her to write a letter after learning that she was an avid fan letter writer; Lawrence did so and included the newspaper article.
Early Career
Finally, Carol Burnett went to the competition and presented Lawrence with a crown in recognition of her victory. Later, Burnett cast Lawrence to play Chrissy in a series of sketches titled “Carol and Sis,” which were part of “The Carol Burnett Show.” While appearing on “The Carol Burnett Show” she got herself enrolled at The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). But, she dropped out of the university two years later to focus on her acting career.
Professional Career
Acting
At a young, Vicki Lawrence stepped into the Entertainment industry and played various characters in ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ from 1967 to 1978. Lawrence ended up being the only cast member to remain on the show for all 11 seasons, aside from Burnett.
She portrayed various roles in six episodes of the comedy-drama television series “The Love Boat” from 1978 to 1986. In addition, she became a regular cast of the 1979 four-episode sketch comedy television show “Carol Burnett & Company” where she played various characters.
After appearing in several television shows, she made her TV movie debut in 1982 when she was cast to play Thelma Harper in a comedy-drama television film “Eunice.” It’s interesting to note that she had the role of Thelma ‘Mama’ Harper in “The Carol Burnett Show.”
Caption: Vicki Lawrence portraying the role of Mama (Thelma Harper) in the TV series, The Carol Burnett Show (Source: IMDb)
Her Thelma Harper character was so well-liked that a new television situation comedy series called “Mama’s Family” was made based on her. From 1983 to 1990, she played Thelma Harper in “Mama’s Family” once more. In the 1994 television film “Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die,” she portrayed Nora Kingsley.
She was chosen to play Natalie Warner in the 2001 situational comedy television series “Yes, Dear.” Moreover, she appeared in seven episodes between 2001to 2005 while playing her role. After appearing as Angie Deltaliano in four episodes of the situational comedy series “Great News,” which aired in 2017.
Later, she was chosen to portray Margaret, in the comedy television series “The Cool Kids,” which aired in 2018. She additionally made several cameos in “Hannah Montana” on the Disney Channel. Moreover, her most recent appearance was in “The Cool Kids,” a Fox sitcom, from 2018 to 2019.
Singer
Besides having successful acting, she is also known for her singing career. During her career, she has released several albums and had notable hits as a singer. Her most well-known song is “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” which was released in 1973. The song became a major hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earning Lawrence a Gold Record. It remains her most successful single to date.
Following the success of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she released other songs, including “He Did with Me” and “The Other Woman.” While these songs didn’t achieve the same level of chart success as her debut single, they still garnered attention and solidified Lawrence’s position as a capable singer.
In addition to her solo work, she has collaborated with other artists throughout her career. She recorded a duet with Conway Twitty titled “I’m Gonna Love You,” which became a Top 10 hit on the country charts in 1978. Moreover, she has also showcased her singing talents through live performances. She has toured extensively, entertaining audiences with her comedic and musical abilities.
As a host
Lawerence is also experienced as a television host. She has hosted various television shows throughout her career, showcasing her talents as a comedic and versatile entertainer. One notable show that Vicki Lawrence hosted was “Vicki!” which aired from 1992 to 1994.
“Vicki!” was a daytime talk show where Lawrence interviewed celebrity guests, engaged in comedic sketches, and interacted with the audience. The show allowed Lawrence to display her wit, charm, and ability to connect with both guests and viewers.
In addition to “Vicki!,” Lawrence has served as a guest host on numerous television programs. She has filled in as a guest host on talk shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “The Late Show with David Letterman,” demonstrating her ability to engage with audiences and keep the show running smoothly.
Awards
Caption: Vicki Lawrence wins the Emmy Award (Source: YouTube)
Throughout her career, Lawrence has received several awards and recognition. This actress Lawrence won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1976 for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music for her work on “The Carol Burnett Show.”
She received a Gold Record for her hit single “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” In 2003, Lawrence was honored with a TV Land Innovator Award for her role as Mama on “Mama’s Family.” Later, in 2013, she was presented with the Legend Award at the Women in Film & Video Atlanta Crystal Awards.
Vicki Lawrence – Net Worth 2023
As a well-known actress and singer, she has a net worth of $8 million. She has been able to earn this huge sum of money through her multi-decade career in entertainment.
Relationship Status
Vicki Lawrence has been married twice in her life. Firstly, she married singer and songwriter, Bobby Russell from 1972 to 1974. On the 16th of November 1974, she married Hollywood make-up artist, Al Schultz. With the marriage, the couple has two children, Courtney Allison Schultz (born May 3, 1975) and Garrett Lawrence Schultz (born July 3, 1977). With her family, she appeared on the Celebrity Family Feud in July 2015.
Caption: Vicki with her husband (Source: Distractify)
Around 2011, she was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). She also collaborated with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and was chosen as the face of the CIU & You campaign.
Moreover, she made an appearance on The Doctors in 2015 to share her story, discuss CIU, and advertise the CIU & You campaign. She is the cousin of Ali Axelrad, an actress best known for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and David Fincher’s Mank.
Body Measurements
Caption: Vicki posing for a photo (Source: TV Fanatic)
This beautiful woman stands 5 feet 6 inches tall (168 cm) and weighs around 62 kg (137 lbs). Moreover, she has red hair with brown pair of eyes in color and her body measurement measures 36-27-37 inches. In addition, she wears a bra size of 40 C (US).
Vicki Lawrence – Social Media
On her Instagram page ‘@vickilawrence_official’ there are over 105k followers. Likewise, there are over 13.4k followers on her Twitter page ‘@vickilawrence’, and over 41k followers on her Facebook page.