Vicki Lawrence (born Vicki Ann Axelrad; March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper). Lawrence also originated many other characters on CBS's The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1978, the variety show's entire series run.
The success of "The Family" skits eventually spun off into Lawrence's own television sitcom, Mama's Family, her character becoming the focal point and Mama's traits expanding and evolving dramatically. Continuing Mama's evolution, Lawrence has hosted an untelevised stand-up comedy routine since 2001, "Vicki and Mama: A Two Woman Show". Moreover, Lawrence has made numerous post-Mama's Family guest TV show appearances in her famed Mama role.
In 1973, Lawrence became a one-hit wonder singer in the US only, landing on the US chart with "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia". It reached number one on both the United States and Canada charts. "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" peaked at no. 36 on the US country chart. In 1991 Reba McEntire covered the song for her album For My Broken Heart. McEntire released her cover as a single in 1992 and it peaked at no. 12 on the US country chart.
In addition to "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" In early 1974, Lawrence hit number one in Australia with "He Did with Me", followed up by the no. 7, "Ships in the Night". She also released an album on Bell Records. Lawrence has multiple Emmy Award nominations, winning one in 1976. She is also a multiple Golden Globe nominee, all for The Carol Burnett Show. She also made several guest appearances in the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana and starred in the Fox sitcom series The Cool Kids.
Vicki Lawrence hosted "The Great American Homemaker" which appeared on USA Network cable television network for over a year in 1983.
Early life
Lawrence was born Vicki Ann Axelrad in Inglewood, California.
Her paternal grandfather, Simon Axelrad, was an Austrian Jewish immigrant. Her paternal grandmother, Anna Irmas, was born in Illinois, to German Jewish parents but became an adherent of Christian Science, in which faith Vicki's father was raised. The family surname was legally changed to "Lawrence" when Vicki was young.
A graduate of Morningside High School in Inglewood (class of 1967), Lawrence had originally planned on being a dental hygienist. She attended UCLA while on The Carol Burnett Show, and changed her major to theater arts, but dropped out after two years. during the last episode of the sixth season of The Carol Burnett Show (March 24, 1973), when Burnett herself surprised Lawrence with the award on the air. Her first LP, The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, was issued soon after the single went gold. The song was re-recorded by Reba McEntire for her 1991 album For My Broken Heart. McEntire released the track as a single to country radio in 1992 and it peaked at No. 12 on the country chart, aided in part by a highly cinematic music video.
"He Did With Me", Lawrence's follow-up to "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", reached number 75 in the United States, although it reached the top 20 of the adult contemporary music charts and also became her biggest hit in Australia, peaking at number one there in November 1973. She followed it up there with "Ships in the Night" (1974). In the fall of 1975, Lawrence managed one last minor U.S. chart entry on the Private Stock label with "The Other Woman" (number 81).
In 1974, she recorded her second LP for Bell Records, Ships in the Night. The label was in the process of being phased out by Arista, and the LP was not released in the U.S. The LP was, however, released in Australia, where she continued to have chart success. Lawrence's first two LPs were released as a single CD with bonus tracks on April 1, 2014, by Real Gone Music.
She released a disco album entitled Newborn Woman in late 1979. The album produced the minor disco hit "Don't Stop the Music".
Hosting and other work
As an emcee, Lawrence hosted the daytime NBC version of the game show Win, Lose or Draw (1987-1990), as well as an unsold pilot for Mark Goodson Productions, 1990's Body Talk. She has also appeared often as a popular celebrity player on such game shows as Match Game, Password, Password Plus, Super Password, and various incarnations of the Pyramid game show, where she was known for verbally sparring with host Dick Clark on numerous occasions. In one episode, aired in 1987, she also left after losing only to return during the closing credits. She also appeared on the 1986–89 version of Hollywood Squares, where she appeared both as herself and in character as Thelma "Mama" Harper. She was a regular panelist on the 1998 revival of Match Game, but the series only lasted one season.
As a talk show host, Lawrence was nominated a number of times for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for the eponymous Vicki! (1992–1994), but the show ended after two seasons amid creative battles with her syndicator. In 1997, she hosted Fox After Breakfast, which was renamed The Vicki Lawrence Show, but was cancelled five weeks later due to low ratings.
In 2018, Lawrence was seen promoting The Carol Burnett Show and other classic television series on the MeTV television network.
She currently tours the country with her "two-woman" show with the first half as herself and the second half done as Mama. She can also be seen on TV in an infomercial for the Big Boss Grill.
Personal life
Lawrence was married to singer and songwriter Bobby Russell from 1972 to 1974. Lawrence's second husband was Hollywood make-up artist Al Schultz, whom she married November 16, 1974, and with whom she had two children, Courtney Allison Schultz (born May 3, 1975) and Garrett Lawrence Schultz (born July 1, 1977).
Lawrence was a registered Republican for most of her life, and a strong supporter of Elizabeth Dole. In 2000, she changed her affiliation to the Democratic Party and endorsed Al Gore. Since then, she has remained active in a variety of liberal leaning causes including women's rights, animal welfare and the environment.
Lawrence and her family appeared on Celebrity Family Feud in July 2015.
Lawrence was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) around 2011. She teamed with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and has become the spokesperson for the campaign "CIU & You".
She appeared on The Doctors in 2015 to relay her story and talk about CIU and promote the CIU & You campaign.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Selected film and television roles
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1967–1978
| The Carol Burnett Show
| Various characters
| Regular cast member<br />
Won – Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program – 1976<br />
Nominated – Primetime Emmy award for Best Supporting Actress in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music (1967)<br />
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (1975, 1977)<br />
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 <br />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
|-
| 1987
|Mama's Family
| Lydia Harper
| 1 episode
|-
| 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"
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2023
| Call Me Kat
| Lurlene Crumpler
| Episode: "Call Me Philliam"
|-
| The Really Loud House
| Joan Shivers
| Episode: "The Manager with the Planager"
|-
| Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
| Herself
| TV special
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2024
|Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
|Leigh
|Episode: "Hang Men"
|-
| Lopez vs Lopez
| Ruthie Van Bryan
| Episode: "Lopez vs In-Laws"
|-
| 2025
| Palm Royale
| Lotte
| 4 episodes
|}
Discography
Albums
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Chart positions
! rowspan="2"| Catalog #
|-
! style="width:50px;"| <small>US</small><br />
! style="width:50px;"| <small>AUS</small><br />
! style="width:50px;"| <small>CAN</small>
|-
| 1973
| The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
| style="text-align:center;"| 51
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| Bell 1120; Stateside SOSL-10105
|-
| 1974
| Ships in the Night
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| 94
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| Stateside SOSL-10106
|-
| 1979
| Newborn Woman
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| Windmill LJ-26
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Song
! colspan="8"| Chart positions
- Mama for President: Good Lord, Why Not? (2008) , with Monty Aidem, an American comedy writer.
See also
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States