Home > Carol Channing

She was born on January 31, 1921, in Seattle, Washington. When she left home to attend Bennington College, her mother informed her that her father, a journalist whom she had believed was born in Rhode Island, was actually a light-complected African-American born in Augusta, Georgia who had passed for white, saying that the only reason she was telling her was so she wouldn't be surprised "if she had a black baby". She kept her heritage secret so she would not be typecast on Broadway and in Hollywood, ultimately revealing it only in her autobiography, Just Lucky I Guess, which was published in 2002, when she was more than 80 years old.

Her first Broadway play was Let's Face It, where she was an understudy for Eve Arden. She had a featured role in a review, Lend an Ear, where she was spotted by Anita LoosAnita Loos ( April 26, 1889 August 18, 1981) was an acclaimed American screenwriter, playwright and author. She was born Corinne Anita Loos in Sisson, California, though the family lived in Etna, the second child of Richard Beers Loos ( October 4, 1860- M and cast in the role of Lorelei Lee, which was to bring her to prominence. (Her signature song from the production was "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.") Carol's persona and that of the character were strikingly alike: simultaneously smart yet scattered, naïve but worldly.

She truly came to national prominence as the star of Jerry HermanJerry Herman is an American composer. He was born Gerald Herman on July 10, 1933 in New York City. Raised by musically-inclined parents, he learned to play piano at an early age, and the three frequently attended Broadway shows, particularly musicals.'s Hello, Dolly! She rarely missed a performance during her run, attributing her good health health to her Christian Science faith. Her performance won her the Tony AwardWhat is popularly called the Tony Award but is formally the Antoinette Perry Award is an annual American award celebrating achievements in theater, including musical theater. Awarded by a panel of approximately 700 judges from various areas of the industr for Best Actress in a Musical, in a year when her chief competition was Barbra StreisandBarbra Streisand is an American singer and film actress, producer and director. She was born Barbara Joan Streisand on April 24, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York and educated at Beis Yakov School and Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. Her father passed away for Funny GirlFunny Girl is a 1964 semi-biographical musical that tells the story of Broadway star Fanny Brice. It featured a book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The original production starred Barbra Streisand, Sydney Chaplin, Kay M. She was deeply disappointed when Streisand, who was far too young for the role, successfully campaigned to play the role of Dolly Levi in the film. (Channing was probably comforted to know that few who had seen her on stage were impressed by Streisand's bizarre interpretation of the role, an odd combination of Jewish yentaYenta is a Yiddish word referring to a busybody or gossip. It was also the name of the matchmaker in the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof''. Yiddish. and Mae WestMae West ( August 17, 1893 November 22, 1980) was an American actress. She was born Mary Jane West in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of John Patrick West and Matilda Delker Doelger. Her younger sister and brother were Mildred West, called Beverly, and J.)

She reprised the role of Lorelei Lee in the musical Lorelei, and appeared in two New York revivals of Hello, Dolly!, in addition to touring with it extensively throughout the United States.

She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie, opposite Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore.

She married four times. Her first husband, Theodore Naidish, was a writer; her second, Alexander Carson, was center for the Ottawa Rough Riders Canadian football team (they had one son, Chan, who is a cartoonist). In 1956 she married her manager and publicist Charles Lowe. They remained married for 42 years, but she filed for divorce in 1998, alleging they had had marital relations only twice in that timespan, not surprising since Lowe was gay, a fact she may not have realized when they wed. He died before the divorce was finalized. On May 10, 2003, she married Harry Kullijian, her high school sweetheart, who reunited with her after she mentioned him fondly in her memoir.