![]() Despite the fact that variety shows had lost their popularity, Burnett found success in that genre. But her true calling came when she discovered her niche in comedy sketches. READ MORE: How Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph Became Hollywood's Ultimate Best Friends Carol BurnettĬarol Burnett grew up in Hollywood with a love of movies, so she always wanted to act. These women stand out from their predecessors because they not only play the funny parts, but they create them. Both Fey and Poehler are talented in their own right, as is evidenced by the fact that Fey, who was the first woman named head writer of SNL, wrote Mean Girls and exec produced and starred in 30 Rock, while Poehler starred in Parks and Recreation and was the executive producer of Welcome to Sweden.īut it is magic when they are together on screen, like in Baby Mama and the Golden Globe award shows they've hosted. The two worked together constantly - both auditioned for Second City's touring company and got the gig, but it wasn't until they sat down at the "Weekend Update" desk on SNL that it really clicked that comedy was better with the two of them together. Many people think that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler met while working on Saturday Night Live, but they actually met in improv class at Chicago's ImprovOlympic, where their fearless complementary styles started a friendship that has lasted more than 20 years. READ MORE: Inside Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's 'Fantastic Romance' and 'Successful Divorce' Tina Fey and Amy Poehler But she was also a smart businesswoman, becoming the first woman in television to head a production company. Her ability to let go of vanity and forge ahead gung-ho into Lucy's predicaments made I Love Lucy one of the most beloved programs in television history. ![]() Is there anyone in America who doesn't recognize the iconic redhead, who was the star of I Love Lucy? Before the success of I Love Lucy, Lucille Ball had been known as the "Queen of the B's," meaning B movies, but when she got the chance to star in a TV series, she took her genius for physical comedy, which had been honed under Buster Keaton's tutelage, and ran with it, creating the unique playground that was her CBS TV series.įrom slapstick and one-liners to classic double-takes, Ball was a master of funny. It wasn't until the '60s that Mabley was "discovered" by white audiences, even though she had been performing for several decades at that point. Her "bit" was to pretend to be a dirty old lady, lusting after younger men. In character, she was able to be edgy with her routine covering racism and sexual innuendo through double entendres without offending. It was an homage to her grandmother, the one parental figure she had been able to count on.īut it was also a smart decision. ![]() She developed an onstage persona as an old woman with a frumpy housedress, funny hat and toothless gums, years before she was old. It was on the Chitlin Circuit, she found an outlet for her talents. ![]() After a difficult childhood - both her parents were killed in separate accidents and she was raped twice by the time she was 13, got pregnant both times, and was forced to give away the babies - she escaped to Vaudeville. ![]() She was definitely a woman ahead of her time - gay, Black and political. Jackie "Moms" Mabley, born Loretta Mary Aiken, was a comedy pioneer credited with being the first female standup comedian. Moms Mabley Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images ![]()
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