School girl

When 17-year-old Olivia Freeman contacted Carol Burnett on a whim, she never expected the iconic comedian to respond—or grant her a lengthy interview about ...

When I was just getting started and wanted to be on the stage in New York, I got very lonesome and scared because I missed my grandmother, my mother, and my kid sister in California. I was in this hotel room thinking, Oh, should I have come here? When I was growing up, my grandmother and I—she raised me—we used to save our pennies and go to the movies. So, I grew up loving the movie musicals, like Singin’ in the Rain and all the MGM musicals with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. I loved movies because there was nothing cynical back then. When I was a kid and I would take a test in school, and if it rained, I got an A. It calmed me down. I thought, Okay, I guess I’m supposed to be here. A few months later, after my club was over for the semester, I was in virtual math class when my phone rang. I always felt that it was good luck. So I found contact information for Ms. Burnett and left her a message, telling her about the club I cofounded at my high school in Seattle in which I interview industry professionals. When I was little, I remember being fixated by the villain of Annie, Miss Hannigan; I knew that I was supposed to hate her, but to me, she was the best part of the movie. There have been times when I’ve done specials, like with Julie Andrews, Beverly Sills, and Dolly Parton, and when we were taping, it would rain. When my parents introduced me to The Carol Burnett Show, I was struck by her presence, how she was both hilarious and comforting. The way she talked to the audience—so funny, so brilliant, so kind, so modern.