Carol Burnett recalls meeting 'sweet' Elvis Presley after her 'awful' performance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'

'The Carol Burnett Show' star will turn 91 next month

Throughout her 70-year career, Carol Burnett has shared the screen with some of the most iconic performers of all time - including Elvis Presley.

The actress - who is currently promoting her new show "Palm Royale" - recalled the moment she first met the "King of Rock ‘n’ Roll" in an interview with Stephen Colbert.

After the "Late Show" host revealed that the stage they were currently filming on was the exact stage Presley performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show," Burnett revealed that was the moment the two first met.

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A photo of Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett said Elvis Presley was "very sweet" when she met him. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI)

"Well, I was on when Elvis was on, when he was in the Army," Burnett said. "They did a whole big thing when he was in the army on the stage. And they put me on first."

"Nobody wanted to see me. I mean, it was … it was Elvis. ’Where the hell is Elvis? We want to see Elvis!' I bombed. It was terrible, it was awful."

Burnett said she did meet Presley after the performance, and he was "very sweet." 

"I got his autograph for my kid sister," she added. 

Colbert then asked how Presley inspired Burnett’s song "I Made A Fool Of Myself Over John Foster Dulles."

A black and white photo of Carol Burnett making a funny face

Carol Burnett began hosting her own variety show in 1967. (Getty Images)

"John Foster Dulles in the '50s was our Secretary of State, aptly named," Burnett explained. "He was so dull, there was nothing there. I remember he wore this overcoat and his hat and never smiled or anything."

"I was doing a special material song that a friend of mine wrote called ‘I Made A Fool Of Myself Over John Foster Dulles,'" she added. "Everybody was going crazy over Elvis, so he wrote this song about this young girl going crazy over John Foster Dulles."

Earlier this month, Burnett - who rose to fame in the television world when she landed her own variety show on CBS in 1967, "The Carol Burnett Show" - opened up to Extra about her plans to continue working for as long as she can. 

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A photo of Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Peacock Theater on Jan. 15, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

"I always approach it as something new that I've never done before, so I'm just happy to be working and that I've got all my parts," she told the outlet. "I have my hips and my knees - and I think my brain - so as long as I can keep that up and work, then I want to work."

Burnett, who will be celebrating her 91st birthday on April 26, admitted she would like to see a renewal of "Palm Royale."

"That'll keep me working, which I like. Yes, as long as I have fun, and that's what I want," she said. 

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"She's such an inspiration" to everyone on set, for "everything she did for every person [and] every woman," her co-star Kristen Wiig recently told People. 

Carol Burnett and Kristen Wigg on the red carpet

Kristen Wiig still cannot believe she had the chance to work with Carol Burnett, left. (Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

"We have dinner and talk and text and she's so funny. I did press with her yesterday and she was cracking everybody up. And I am a better person from knowing her. I just love her," Wiig said. "I literally said today, 'I still can't believe that we work together. I wanna like verify that it's her. I'm like, 'It's Carol, right? Yeah, I mean, it's Carol.'" 

Christina Dugan Ramirez is a freelance entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. 

Authored by Christina Dugan Ramirez via FoxNews March 27th 2024