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Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett were ''friends, not sisters''
"We're a lot alike," said Lawrence.
Carol Burnett was undoubtedly the deserving star of The Carol Burnett Show, but the show thrived because of its ensemble. Any pairing within that cast was capable of creating comedy gold. Harvey Korman and Carol Burnett. Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. Carol Burnett and Tim Conway. Every possible combination was somehow the best yet, but one stood above as a dynamic comedy duo for the ages.
Vicki Lawrence wasn't just Carol Burnett's comedy match, but they also looked remarkably similar to each other. So much so that the two were often confused as blood relatives by the viewing public.
But what were they like behind the scenes? Was their backstage relationship as smooth as their onscreen chemistry?
"We're friends, not sisters," Lawrence said in a 1976 interview with the San Bernadino County Sun. "I don't go to Carol with my problems — although I suppose I could. But it's silly to voice depression at work. Carol and I are both alike in one way. Neither of us has girlfriends. We're not your typical lady's ladies. We prefer the company of men."
Lawrence and Burnett weren't the only ones aware of their similarities.
"People stop me at airports and ask for my autograph," said Lawrence. "When they see what I've written they ask me why I've changed my name!"
They also had in common the fact that neither woman thought of herself as pretty.
"Carol has always felt ugly. But marriage and children have agreed with her. She has blossomed. So have I. She thinks men aren't attracted to her. When I tell her so-and-so admires her, she says 'Aw, get out of here.' We're a lot alike."
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Nice article. Good to hear that Carol and Vicki have that friendship.
