Carol Channing
Acting • Born 1921-01-31
Biography
Carol Elaine Channing (born January 31, 1921) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian. Known for starring in Broadway and film musicals, her characters typically radiated a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, whether singing or for comedic effect. Channing also studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. She began as a Broadway musical actress, starring in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949 and Hello, Dolly! in 1964, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the latter. She revived both roles several times throughout her career, most recently playing Dolly in 1995. Channing was nominated for her first Tony Award in 1956 for The Vamp followed by a nomination in 1961 for Show Girl. She received her fourth Tony Award nomination for the musical Lorelei in 1974. As a film actress, she won the Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Her other film appearances include The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) and Skidoo (1968). On television, she appeared as an entertainer on variety shows, from The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s to Hollywood Squares. She had a standout performance as The White Queen in the TV production of Alice in Wonderland (1985), and had the first of many TV specials in 1966, An Evening with Carol Channing. Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995. She continued to perform and make appearances well into her 90s, singing songs from her repertoire and sharing stories with fans, cabaret style. She released an autobiography, Just Lucky I Guess, in 2002, and Larger Than Life, a documentary film about her career, was released in 2012.
Filmography
90 credits
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Movie • 1967
Muzzy Van Hossmere
Skidoo
Movie • 1968
Flo Banks
Thumbelina
Movie • 1994
Ms. Fieldmouse (voice)
The People's Command Performance: '77
Movie • 1977
Self
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Movie • 1978
Our Guests at Heartland
Show Girl
Movie • 1961
Lynn / Naomi / Performer
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Movie • 2003
Self
The First Traveling Saleslady
Movie • 1956
Molly Wade
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Movie • 1995
Self
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
Movie • 1998
Fanny (voice)
Happily Ever After
Movie • 1989
Muddy (voice)
Carol Channing: Larger Than Life
Movie • 2012
Self
Night of 100 Stars III
Movie • 1990
Self
Shinbone Alley
Movie • 1970
Mehitabel (voice)
Night of 100 Stars II
Movie • 1985
Self
Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television
Movie • 2011
Self
George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business
Movie • 1983
Self
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Movie • 2007
Self
Words and Music by Jerry Herman
Movie • 2007
Self
Great Broadway Musical Moments from the Ed Sullivan Show
Movie • 2003
Lorelei Lee (archive footage)
The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story
Movie • 1996
Self
Jerry Herman's Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl
Movie • 1994
Self
Paid in Full
Movie • 1950
Mrs. Peters (uncredited)
Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey: On Broadway
Movie • 1969
Self
The Outrageous Sophie Tucker
Movie • 2014
Self
Kaye Ballard - The Show Goes On!
Movie • 2019
Self
Broadway's Lost Treasures
Movie • 2003
Dolly Levi (segment "Hello, Dolly!")
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
Movie • 2005
Self - Host
The Christmas Tree
Movie • 1958
Promenade Member
Live from Broadway: Hello, Dolly!
Movie • 1995
Carol Channing and 101 Men
Movie • 1968
Self
Free to Be… You and Me
Movie • 1974
Self (voice) (uncredited)
Night of 100 Stars
Movie • 1982
Self
Festival at Ford's
Movie • 1971
Self
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1920s: The Dawn of the Hollywood Musical
Movie • 2008
Self
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
Movie • 1974
Self - Presenter
George Burns: His Wit and Wisdom
Movie • 1989
Self - Burns Dinner Friend (uncredited)
The Day of the Oath
Movie • 1965
Self
Three Men on a Horse
Movie • 1957
Mabel
One More Time
Movie • 1974
Self
The Drew Carey Show
TV • 1995
Carol Channing
Magnum, P.I.
TV • 1980
Carol Channing
Family Guy
TV • 1999
Carol Channing (voice)
The Colgate Comedy Hour
TV • 1950
Self
Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers
TV • 1989
Canina LaFur (voice)
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
The Nanny
TV • 1993
Carol Channing
The View
TV • 1997
Self
The Merv Griffin Show
TV • 1962
Self
Omnibus
TV • 1952
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
TV • 1994
Self
Where's Wally?
TV • 1991
(voice)
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV • 1948
Self
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
The Muppet Show
TV • 1976
Self - Special Guest Star
Password
TV • 1961
The Magic School Bus
TV • 1994
Cornelia C. Contralto II (voice)
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV • 1968
Self
The Dean Martin Show
TV • 1965
The Addams Family
TV • 1992
Grandmama (voice)
The Flip Wilson Show
TV • 1970
Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
TV • 1956
Self
The Carol Channing Show
TV • 1966
Carol Honeycutt
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
The George Burns Show
TV • 1958
Hollywood Squares
TV • 1998
Self - Panelist
The Lux Show
TV • 1957
Self
The Rosemary Clooney Show
TV • 1956
Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV • 1996
Self - Guest
DuPont Show of the Month
TV • 1957
Self
Burke's Law
TV • 1994
Daphne LeMay
The Big Party
TV • 1959
Self
The Carol Burnett Show
TV • 1967
Self
The Carol Burnett Show
TV • 1967
Self - Guest / Various Characters
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Sylvia Duvall
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Aunt Sylvia
What's My Line?
TV • 1950
Self - Mystery Guest
What's My Line?
TV • 1950
Self - Panelist
Broadway: The American Musical
TV • 2004
Self
RuPaul's Drag Race
TV • 2009
Self - Video Message
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
Style & Substance
TV • 1998
Touched by an Angel
TV • 1994
Carol Channing
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Presenter
Great Performances
TV • 1971
Self
Alice in Wonderland
TV • 1985
White Queen
The Mike Douglas Show
TV • 1961
Self
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV • 1968
Self (uncredited)
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Aunt Sylvia Duvall