In the second season of the multi-awarded and highly successful Fox hit TV musical “Glee”, expect a more in-depth glimpse at the intriguing life of ‘Cheerios’ coach Sue Sylvester as Sue’s mom a.k.a “Mama Sylvester” will be gracing the series through multi-talented veteran actress Carol Burnett.
A seasoned actress whose acting skills were honed by juggling comedy and drama on stage, in the small screen and the big screen, Burnett was bewitched by the magic and sizzle of show business since her childhood, especially during the industry’s golden age – the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s – which led her to embark on a fruitful entertainment career from coast to coast.
A Texan native, Burnett traveled to Hollywood with her grandmother who raised her since Carol’s parents had a history of alcoholism. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in theater, she broke into mainstream entertainment through The Gary Moore Show where she harnessed her comedic skills. In 1959, she made her stage debut in the comedic fantasy musical “Once upon a Mattress” in Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre (formerly known as the Alvin Theatre).
Her biggest and by far, most successful and most remembered TV project was the CBS variety program “The Carol Burnett Show” which ran for 12 years starting in 1967. The show had a great mixture of slapstick sketches and song numbers which left a good lasting impression in television history, so good it continued to rake in good figures with its DVD sales.
After five decades in the biz, she has more than a handful of acclaims to her name, including five Golden Globe trophies, an Ace Award for her role in “Between Friends” in which Hollywood living legend Elizabeth Taylor was also a star, a Peabody Award for her work in the ABC made-for-TV movie “Friendly Fire”, numerous People’s Choice Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 which is the highest award given to an American civilian for his/her significant contributions to world peace and global culture.
Carol Burnett is expected to appear in the season 2 of “Glee”, most probably as a recurring role, either in October or November. She will play Sue Sylvester’s mother which Sue described in first season’s “Power of Madonna” episode as a Nazi-hunter, which is why Sue and her sister had to fend for themselves as they were growing up.
New “Glee” episodes will air on Fox starting on September 21, Tuesday.
