Harvey Korman on the type of chemistry it took to make The Carol Burnett Show work

Korman was proof that cast chemistry was key to comedy gold!

February 4, 2025, 1:10PM By MeTV Staff

The Everett Collection

Playing the role of a "straight man" to a comedian is one of the hardest jobs in comedy. Just ask Harvey Korman—he knew a thing or two about it, having played one for 11 seasons on The Carol Burnett Show.

The straight man's job is all about helping the comedian. They play the serious or deadpan role in a comedic ensemble. Their job is to set up jokes, react naturally, and provide a contrast to even the zaniest comedians while keeping a straight face—or at least trying to.

While Korman was on the hit series, he was responsible for all of these straight man duties and more, including playing characters, doing impressions, writing, and, most importantly, making people laugh.

"It's hard," Korman said in a 1973 interview with The Journal Herald. "You can't just get any good actor. You need a chemistry—you must fit together. I seem to have the knack for fitting well with just about anybody."

The idea of the straight man—or second banana—dates back to vaudeville and burlesque, two things Korman got his start in. Unlike many who played straight men before him, Korman was by far one of the funniest second bananas in the business.

Korman said he was lucky that his Carol Burnett Show co-stars were just as funny as he was. Tim Conway, for example, had only positive things to say about Korman, who time and again helped Conway get a laugh onstage.

"In sketch comedy I don't think anybody touches him," Conway said about Korman. "It's like a finely tuned racing car. There's no way you can beat him... Something has to happen to make people laugh every time, and he's done it."

Because Korman had great chemistry with his co-workers both on and off screen, he was able to bring out the best in Conway and Burnett. He enjoyed setting up situations and scenes so someone else could get the laugh. He was happy playing the role of the hype man.

"The principal thing to know and do is what turns the star on. How to spark them," Korman said. "My role is to be an actor so they can feed off of me. Not to do my thing, but to react to them. Most comedians need that."

The star of the series, Carol Burnett, agreed with Korman that the chemistry was key to the success of her show. According to the interview, a good second banana and even greater cast chemistry can take a show far.

And she was right about that—11 seasons, multiple awards, and many laughs all proved that they had the right formula and an even better fit.

"Right from the start there was a chemistry," Burnett said. "We work very much alike. We think alike on most sketches. It's almost like a marriage."