Vicki Lawrence is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper). Lawrence originated multitudes of characters beyond Mama on CBS’s The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1978, the variety show’s entire series run.
Lawrence was born in Inglewood, California, on March 26, 1949. She began her career as a singer and dancer, and in 1967, she joined the cast of The Carol Burnett Show. She quickly became one of the show’s most popular cast members, thanks to her comedic timing and her ability to create memorable characters.
Lawrence’s most famous character is Mama, a loud, opinionated, and overbearing woman. Mama first appeared on The Carol Burnett Show in 1971, and she quickly became a fan favorite. Lawrence went on to star in her own sitcom, Mama’s Family, from 1983 to 1990.
In addition to her work on television, Lawrence has also had a successful career in music. She has released several albums, including “The Vicki Lawrence Show” (1974) and “Mama” (1983). She has also starred in several Broadway musicals, including “Hello, Dolly!” and “The Will Rogers Follies.”
Vicki Lawrence Wikipedia
| Born | Vicki Ann Axelrad March 26, 1949 (age 74) Inglewood, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Other names | Vicki Lawrence Schultz |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, comedian, singer |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouses |
Bobby Russell Al Schultz |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www.vickilawrence.com |
Vicki Lawrence Young
Lawrence was born Vicki Ann Axelrad in Inglewood, California, the daughter of Anne Alene (née Loyd) and Howard Axelrad, a certified public accountant for Max Factor.[4] The family surname was legally changed to “Lawrence” when Vicki was young.
Vicki Lawrence Movies and TV Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–1978 | The Carol Burnett Show | Various characters | Regular cast member Won – Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program – 1976 Nominated – Primetime Emmy award for Best Supporting Actress in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music (1967) Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (1975, 1977) Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1973, 1975, 1977) |
| 1975–1991 | The (New) $25,000 Pyramid | Herself (celebrity contestant) | 90 episodes |
| 1976–1991 | The $25,000 Pyramid | Herself (celebrity contestant) | 7 episodes |
| 1978 | The Eddie Capra Mysteries | Eve Randall | Episode: “Murder on the Flip Side” |
| 1978–1986 | The Love Boat | Various roles | 6 episodes |
| 1979 | Carol Burnett & Company | Various characters | 4 episodes |
| 1979–1983 | Laverne & Shirley | Sgt. Alvinia T. Plout | 5 episodes |
| 1979–1981 | Password Plus | Herself (celebrity contestant) | 49 episodes |
| 1982 | Eunice | Thelma Harper | TV movie Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (1980–81) |
| 1983–1990 | Mama’s Family | Thelma Harper | 130 episodes |
| 1984–1988 | Super Password | Herself (celebrity contestant) | 44 episodes |
| 1985 | Anything for Love | Elaine Monty | Unsold TV pilot |
| 1985 – 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | Phoebe Carroll / Jackie MacKay | 2 episodes: “My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean” and “Trial by Error” |
| 1987–1989 | Win, Lose, or Draw | Host | Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host (1988, 1989) |
| 1991 | Major Dad | “Pookie” Pond | Episode: “Steel Magnolia” |
| 1992–1994 | Vicki! | Host | Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host (1993, 1994, 1995) |
| 1993 | Roseanne | Phyllis Zimmer | Episode: “Guilt by Imagination” |
| 1994 | Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die | Nora Kingsley | TV movie |
| 1996 | Diagnosis: Murder | Kitty Lynn | Episode: “FMurder” |
| 1997 | Fox After Breakfast: The Vicki Lawrence Show | Host | |
| 2001–2005 | Yes, Dear | Natalie Warner | 7 episodes |
| 2002–2004 | Hollywood Squares | Herself/Thelma Harper (celebrity panelist) | 45 episodes |
| 2006–2011 | Hannah Montana | Ruthie “Mamaw” Stewart | 5 episodes |
| 2012 | RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars | Herself/Thelma Harper | 1 episode |
| 2015 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Great News | Angie Deltaliano | 4 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | The Cool Kids | Margaret Flynn | 22 episodes |
| 2022 | The Resident | Gloria Ortiz | Episode: “The Space Between” |
| 2023 | Call Me Kat | Lurlene Crumpler | Episode: “Call Me Philliam” |
| 2023 | The Really Loud House | Joan Shivers | Episode: “The Manager with the Planager” |
| 2023 | Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love | Herself | TV special |
Vicki Lawrence Daughter
She has two children, Courtney Allison Schultz (born May 3, 1975) and Garrett Lawrence Schultz (born July 3, 1977).
Vicki Lawrence Songs
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Catalog # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | CAN | |||
| 1973 | The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | 1 | — | 1 | Bell 1120; Stateside SOSL-10105 |
| 1974 | Ships in the Night | — | 94 | — | Stateside SOSL-10106 |
| 1979 | Newborn Woman | — | — | — | Windmill LJ-26 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | US Country | CAN | CAN AC | CAN Country | AUS | NZ | |||
| 1969 | “And I’ll Go” b/w “The Whole State of Alabama” |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| 1970 | “No, No” b/w “Lincoln Street Chapel” |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1973 | “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” b/w “Dime a Dance” |
1 | 6 | 36 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 20 | 18 | The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia |
| “He Did with Me” b/w “Mr. Allison” |
75 | 14 | — | 42 | 16 | — | 1 | — | ||
| 1974 | “Ships in the Night” b/w “Sensual Man” (from The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia) |
— | 49 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 18 | Ships in the Night |
| “Mama’s Gonna Make It All Better” b/w “Cameo” |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | 18 | ||
| “Old Home Movies” b/w “The Light on the Back Porch Door” (from Ships in the Night) UK release only |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1975 | “The Other Woman” b/w “Cameo” |
81 | — | — | 97 | — | — | 97 | — | |
| 1976 | “There’s a Gun Still Smokin’ in Nashville” b/w “Mama’s Gonna Make It All Better” |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| “Love in the Hot Afternoon” b/w “The Other Man I’ve Been Slipping Around With” |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | “Hollywood Seven” (mono) b/w “Hollywood Seven” (stereo) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1979 | “Don’t Stop the Music” b/w “Newborn Woman” |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Newborn Woman |
| “Your Lies” b/w “Star Love” |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| “—” denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
Vicki Lawrence 2023
Vicki Lawrence is still active in show business in 2023. She has a few upcoming projects, including:
Mama’s Family revival: Lawrence is currently working on a revival of Mama’s Family for the streaming service Peacock. The show is expected to premiere in 2023.
Vicki Lawrence: A Conversation with Carol Burnett: Lawrence will be appearing in a conversation with Carol Burnett at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles on March 31, 2023.
Hot in Cleveland reunion: Lawrence is also rumored to be appearing in a reunion of the television series Hot in Cleveland. The reunion is expected to air on the streaming service Hulu in 2023.
In addition to these upcoming projects, Lawrence is also touring with her one-woman show, “Vicki Lawrence: Still Laughing.” The show is a retrospective of her career, and it features stories and songs from her time on The Carol Burnett Show, Mama’s Family, and other projects.