Earlier this year, the world paused to celebrate Carol Burnett’s milestone 90th birthday on April 26. For those who missed it, NBC and Peacock aired a two-hour television special, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, on her birthday—a must-watch for fans of the comedy icon.
Leading up to the event, Burnett kept busy, giving interviews to numerous outlets eager to celebrate her legacy. Among them was PEOPLE, which featured her in their April issue. The interview was filled with warmth, humor, and reflection.
One deeply personal topic Burnett discussed was her late daughter, Carrie Hamilton, who passed away from lung and brain cancer in 2002 at just 38 years old. Carrie, one of Burnett’s three children with her second husband Joe Hamilton, followed in her mother’s footsteps into acting and singing but also faced a battle with addiction.
If Carrie were still alive, she would have turned 60 this past December. Despite her short life, her influence on those around her, especially her mother, remains profound. “There’s hardly a day or moment when she’s not with me,” Burnett shared. “We worked together, laughed together, cried together. She was a force.”
Burnett also recounted the lasting piece of advice her daughter gave her before passing. Carrie, even in her illness, stayed positive, and when Burnett asked why, Carrie said, “Every day I wake up and decide.” That single word, “decide,” stuck with Burnett, who now begins each day with that in mind—grateful for the present, aware of life’s fleeting nature.
In one of their last collaborations, Burnett and Carrie worked on the play Hollywood Arms, which was based on Burnett’s 1986 autobiography One More Time, chronicling her early years and rise to fame.
Burnett’s resilience and love for her daughter continue to inspire her fans, and her reflections remind us to appreciate every moment.