Long Beach’s Vicki Lawrence returns to television after 30 years

By Barbara Kingsley-Wilson

Contributing Writer 

Longtime Long Beach resident Vicki Lawrence is best known as an ensemble player in the iconic “Carol Burnett Show” and later as the star of “Mama’s Family,” which ran from 1983 to 1990.

Now Lawrence, 69, finds herself starring in a TV show for the first time in 30 years. “The Cool Kids” centers around a group of trouble-making seniors who, according to Fox publicists, believe “growing old with dignity is for chumps.” Lawrence plays the bawdy, rum-swilling, tech-savvy Margaret. Her co-stars are David Alan Grier, Martin Mull and Leslie Jordan.

Lawrence didn’t want to audition for the show, saying she was often told she was too young for parts because people expected “Mama” to show up. The script called for someone in their 70s, “And I’m like, ‘You know what? I know I’m old, but I’m not 70 yet, so no, I don’t want to go read,’” Lawrence said in a recent interview.

She also didn’t want to drive to the casting office in Santa Monica to read. She got talked into it by her agent around the time she was shooting “The Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special.” She read for the part and the casting agent proceeded to ask her about the chemistry on “The Carol Burnett Show.”

As she told the New York Post, she used to look with pity on 405 commuters and told herself, “I will never be one of those idiots that does that every day.’ Now I’m one of those idiots.”

Lawrence grew up in Inglewood and now, married to Al Schultz – who was the makeup artist for “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Planet of the Apes” – lives in the Long Beach neighborhood of Naples. She spoke recently about what it’s like to return to sitcoms and actually play someone her own age.

You spent most of your career as a young woman playing an older woman, “Mama” on “The Carol Burnett Show,” which ran from 1967-’78, and in your own show. Now you’re an older woman playing an older woman. Which is more fun?

Well it’s pretty fun to get to be myself. I loved Mama; she’s such a great character. Maybe she (Margaret) is me on steroids. She’s been around many many blocks. Margaret has lived a life – she’s a little ahead of the guys. It’s kinda neat that she’s not attached to a man. You get a clear opinion of a strong woman. She can be very outspoken and she has nobody to answer to. I guess there aren’t a lot of those women around.

The cast members are in their 60s and Martin Mull is 75. You guys actually seem a little young for a retirement community.

Not really. I play these places. People are opting for that at a younger age, 55. Especially people in California – housing is so expensive and they’re opting for this. … Those people are in Florida having Friday night dances. They are busy.

You have a touring show, “Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show.” You played in La Mirada awhile back and there were some gray heads, in the audience, but also young people. Do you think you have a lot of younger fans? Was it because you played Hannah Montana’s grandma?

When I started my one woman show, there was a whole group of college guys … they watched “Mama’s Family.”

Carol (Burnett) attributes the popularity to people finding us backwards. They find us on Youtube and then watch the reruns.

… Everybody asks, “When is Carol (Burnett) going to be on?” I want us us to be a well-oiled machine when Carol comes because that show ran like a top. If she has to shoot 10 hours a day, she’ll never speak to me again.

You were 18 when you started “The Carol Burnett Show.” You said something to the effect that Carol got you on the horse, but Harvey Korman taught you how to ride. I know your co-stars on the “The Cool Kids” are veterans, but anyone there that needs mentoring?

No, we’re all veterans. Leslie (Jordan) says we’ve been around the block so many times we’re dizzy. We are all pros and we’ve done this and nobody is a troublemaker.

But this one is the hardest and the farthest away from home for me. The “Carol Burnett Show” was where I grew up and learned everything. “Mama’s Family” was made up of many of the same cast and crew and it was like grad school for me. Now here we are 30 years down the road and I get the first sitcom in that many years and it’s completely new.

Your start in TV was something of a Cinderella story. You were a young performer and you wrote to Carol Burnett in 1966 and included a photo and a news clipping that mentioned you resembled her. She called you at home, and then went to see you at the Miss Fireball contest, which you won. She eventually cast you in her new show even though you were young, inexperienced and very shy. The network was dubious at first, but you learned and eventually won an Emmy. Do you think this sort of scenario could happen in TV again?

No, absolutely not. First of all, no one writes a letter. The selfie has overtaken everything. I asked her (Burnett) later, “Why would you read my letter?” She said letters that are legible, written in good English and had something to say are few and far between.

Nowadays, I say if you’re not Carrie Underwood out of the box, you’re out. What happened to me would not happen again. Now where you go when you’re green is a reality show … “America’s Got Talent,” “The Voice.” And if you’re not great, you’re gone,”

Sometimes I look back and think what a novelty it was.

So you’re around longer than your comedy contemporaries. Is it hard to be asked to talk about something you did 50 years ago?

I just feel really fortunate with everything that’s happened to me. History is more interesting to me, we play this game on the set, “Does anyone have a story about Bob Marley? Or, who’s got a good Glen Campbell story?” I did. I also had Gloria Swanson and Bob Hope.

What comedies do you watch?

Not many. I like “The Barefoot Contessa.” For a while, I watched “Modern Family.” We’re more into dramas like “Madam Secretary,” “NCIS,” “Blue Bloods.” Now I’m watching “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” because of Charlie Day (“The Cool Kids” executive producer who plays Charlie Kelly in “It’s Always Sunny”).

Why Long Beach and not Pacific Palisades or someplace like that?

We’re serious sailors and we came down to race boats. That’s why we moved out of Hidden Hills, which was very rural then.

Do you light up your house for Christmas like other Naples residents do?

Yes we do!