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SAGAFTRA.org | Special Issue 2016 | SAG-AFTRA 58 At the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ® on Jan. 30, her accomplishments will be recognized once again with the presentation of SAG- AFTRA's highest honor: the SAG Life Achievement Award. Burnett, who joined AFTRA in 1955 and SAG in 1962, epitomizes a Life Achievement honoree. Talented and philanthropic, she's more than just a comedian: She's an American icon. Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1933, Burnett moved to Los Angeles as a child after her parents' divorce and was raised by her grandmother in East Hollywood. Upon graduating from Hollywood High, an anonymous donor gave her the $50 she needed to pay her tuition at UCLA, and Burnett enrolled with hopes of becoming a writer. An acting course requirement turned Burnett on to comedy, and it was love at first laugh. She quickly mastered the art of turning a gag into thunderous applause, and before long she was dreaming of a career on Broadway. After two years at UCLA, Burnett moved to New York to pursue her passion full time. But while she dreamed of performing her comedy onstage, she frequently struggled to make ends meet. Her lucky break came when she was spotted by talent bookers while performing at the Blue Angel nightclub in Manhattan. Guest appearances on Tonight Starring Jack Paar and The Ed Sullivan Show would catalyze her launch into the public eye. Major roles would follow, including the lead in the original Broadway production of Once Upon a Mattress, which earned Burnett her first Tony nomination in 1959. She won her first Emmy three years later in 1962, for her work on The Garry Moore Show. Her star really began to rise in 1967, with the launch of her own variety show, The Carol Burnett Show. As the first woman to have her own comedic variety show, Burnett faced considerable pushback from executives at CBS, who were contractually obligated to let her do 30 episodes of either variety show or a sitcom. "They said, 'Variety is a man's game,'" Burnett told Larry King in 2013. Executives expected the show to flop, and last less than a season. With a tug of her ear, The Carol Burnett Show became a smash hit. Premiering in 1967, it would run 11 seasons and earn Burnett dozens of Emmy and Golden Globe Award A s a performer, Carol Burnett is in a league of her own. Over the course of the last six decades, the multitalented funnywoman has found success in every corner of the entertainment industry, taking on dynamic roles from the stage to the small screen. With several awards to her name, including Golden Globe and Emmy wins, a special Tony, a Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Burnett's talent needs no introduction.