Carol Burnett Surprises at the AFI Awards, Recalls Saving ‘Pennies’ Growing Up to See Movies

Carol Burnett is having a full-circle moment.

At the American Film Institute’s AFI Awards, held Friday, Jan. 9, the comedy legend stood before a room of stars that included George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Ethan Hawke, Timothée Chalamet, Keri Russell, Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler and Gwyneth Paltrow, marveling at her life’s journey.

“I grew up in Hollywood,” though a world away, noted Burnett, 92, who surprised the crowd by delivering the luncheon’s annual benediction as AFI honored a year of excellence in TV and film. “And my grandmother and I, we would save our pennies and we would see maybe six to eight movies a week.” 

Amid a long and storied career, she added: “I never lost the deep respect and love that I have for you [and] all the stories we tell through cinema and television. The world is a better place for having heard your voices.”

The appearance followed Burnett’s attendance earlier this week at the CBS and Paramount primetime special, Golden Eve, where she was praised by Sarah Jessica Parker, who called the comedian her “north star.”

Held at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, the AFI Awards spilled over with goodwill. Emma Stone and Ariana Grande, seated just a table away from each other, shared a private moment catching up, while Clooney, Paltrow and Ethan Hawke chatted a few tables over. Jacob Elordi stopped by DiCaprio’s table to say hello, as Patricia Arquette found Mia Goth in the crowd for a hug and Chalamet made a quiet arrival and sat next to his Marty Supreme co-star Odessa A’Zion.

This year’s AFI film honorees included Avatar: Fire and Ash, Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Train Dreams and Wicked: For Good. TV shows honored included Adolescence, Andor, Death by Lightning, The Diplomat, The Lowdown, The Pitt, Pluribus, Severance, The Studio and Task.

A special award was given to It Was Just an Accident.

Director Ava DuVernay, who was on hand to present the film awards, noted the tense political climate surrounding the event, which precedes this weekend’s Golden Globe Awards. 

“It’s dreamy to be here in a room with so many artists and crafts people and executives and friends,” DuVernay said. “There’s so many nightmares going on outside. So I hope we all leave this room a little stronger and keep doing good work.”

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AFI CEO Bob Gazzale echoed the feeling in his introductory remarks. “Let’s not forget that we began this year on fire,” Gazzale said of the January wildfires that killed 31 people and destroyed over 13,000 homes and other residential properties. “And then we said goodbye to Debbie Lynch and Robert Redford and Diane Keel and Robin Michelle [Reiner].”

They gathered, he added, because “we need your stories to help us make sense of emotions that we cannot escape.”