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Harvey Korman loved being in the background on The Carol Burnett Show
Korman didn't need to shine bright to be considered a star.
Try naming a better background star than Harvey Korman. He worked in groups full of funny people, but still stood out to comedy fans as being the most hilarious person onstage.
Whether he was on The Danny Kaye Show (1963) or The Carol Burnett Show (1967), his background bits delivered big hits for both comedy series.
Part of what made The Carol Burnett Show so special was the way the cast and crew worked together to find the funniest way to present a sketch. The series featured an all-star comedy cast which included: Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Carol Burnett and, of course, Korman himself.
Korman's job on The Carol Burnett Show was to be the "straight man," allowing the stars to shine while he stood in the background. However, some could argue that Korman was actually the backbone of the show rather than the background.
"My job is to help the star," Korman said in a 1968 interview with Dayton Daily News. "Whether it was Kaye or Carol, I'm there to offer all the support I can. And, I may say, it is a joy to work with them. Every one of them is a consummate actor."
Korman was known for being one of the funniest people on the show, yet he didn't shine as much as his other co-stars did.
He said that although he participated in the comedy, he considered himself more of an actor than a comedian. Both Art Carney and Jack Benny made a similar distinction, wanting to be known as actors with comedic talents, not comedians.
While on The Carol Burnett Show, Korman did everything from numerous acting chores, writing, and became popular in a variety of sketches in which he would usually play the role of Burnett's husband.
"I don't look for comedy in the sketches," Korman said. "The thing an actor always looks for is the give and take with the other performers. In the case of Carol, there is plenty of it. If I can find some place in the sketch that I can make a statement of some sort, Carol adores it."
Korman described himself as Carol's co-star and general utility man. Although he had dreams of being number one, he loved the many perks that came with being number two: financial security, steady employment, career longevity, and none of the trauma associated with trying to keep a show highly rated in the Nielsen ratings.
"Well, everybody wants to be a star, but I just want to keep acting — in television, in movies and on the stage," Korman said. "And, later, I think I'd like to buckle into a bit of directing."
Until then, Korman loved being in the background.
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