Carol Channing
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Family Guy
Carol Channing (voice)
1999
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
Late Show with David Letterman
Self
1993
Series
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Video Message
2009
Series
The Nanny
Carol Channing
1993
Series
The Love Boat
Sylvia Duvall
1977
Series
The Love Boat
Aunt Sylvia
1977
Series
The Love Boat
Aunt Sylvia Duvall
1977
Series
The View
Self
1997
Series
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Series
Hollywood Squares
Self - Panelist
1998
Series
Magnum, P.I.
Carol Channing
1980
Series
Great Performances
Self
1971
Series
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter
1944
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self
1988
Series
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
1956
Series
Tony Awards
Self - Recipient
1956
Series
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter / Performer
1956
Series
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
Series
The Drew Carey Show
Carol Channing
1995
Series
Touched by an Angel
Carol Channing
1994
Series
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest
1950
Series
What's My Line?
Self - Panelist
1950
Series
The Carol Burnett Show
Self
1967
Series
The Carol Burnett Show
Self - Guest / Various Characters
1967
Series
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self
1950
Series
Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers
Canina LaFur (voice)
1989
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Series
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Series
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Self
1994
Series
The Muppet Show
Self - Special Guest Star
1976
Series
The Magic School Bus
Cornelia C. Contralto II (voice)
1994
Series
Omnibus
1952
Series
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self
1968
Series
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self (uncredited)
1968
Series
The Dean Martin Show
1965
Series
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self
1956
Series
Burke's Law
Daphne LeMay
1994
Series
The Flip Wilson Show
Self
1970
Film
Thumbelina
Ms. Fieldmouse (voice)
1994
Series
Password
1961
Series
The Addams Family
Grandmama (voice)
1992
Series
DuPont Show of the Month
Self
1957
Series
Alice in Wonderland
White Queen
1985
Series
Where's Wally?
(voice)
1991
Series
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self - Guest
1996
The Lux Show
Self
1957
The Big Party
Self
1959
Film
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
Fanny (voice)
1998
Series
Style & Substance
1998
Film
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Our Guests at Heartland
1978
Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Film
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Self
2007
Film
Commitment to Life
Self (archive)
2023
The Rosemary Clooney Show
Self
1956
Film
Happily Ever After
Muddy (voice)
1989
Series
Broadway: The American Musical
Self
2004
Film
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Muzzy Van Hossmere
1967
Film
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
1985
Film
Night of 100 Stars III
Self
1990
The George Burns Show
Carol Channing
1958
The George Burns Show
Self
1958
Film
Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982
Film
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Self
2003
Film
The First Traveling Saleslady
Molly Wade
1956
Film
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
1995
Film
Skidoo
Flo Banks
1968
The Carol Channing Show
Carol Honeycutt
1966
Film
Broadway's Lost Treasures
Dolly Levi (segment "Hello, Dolly!")
2003
Film
Shinbone Alley
Mehitabel (voice)
1970
Film
Paid in Full
Mrs. Peters (uncredited)
1950
Film
Live from Broadway: Hello, Dolly!
1995
Film
The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story
Self
1996
Film
The People's Command Performance: '77
Self
1977
Film
Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards
Self - Host
2005
Film
Carol Channing: Larger Than Life
Self
2012
Film
Jerry Herman's Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl
Self
1994
Film
Carol Channing and 101 Men
Self
1968
Film
Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television
Self
2011
One More Time
Self
1974
Film
George Burns: His Wit and Wisdom
Self - Burns Dinner Friend (uncredited)
1989
Film
George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business
Self
1983
Film
Three Men on a Horse
Mabel
1957
Festival at Ford's
Self
1971
Film
Kaye Ballard - The Show Goes On!
Self
2019
The Christmas Tree
Promenade Member
1958
Film
The Outrageous Sophie Tucker
Self
2014
Film
Words and Music by Jerry Herman
Self
2007
Film
Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey: On Broadway
Self
1969
Film
The Day of the Oath
Self
1965
Film
Show Girl
Lynn / Naomi / Performer
1961
Film
The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards
Self - Presenter
1974
Film
Free to Be… You and Me
Self (voice) (uncredited)
1974
Film
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1920s: The Dawn of the Hollywood Musical
Self
2008
Film
Great Broadway Musical Moments from the Ed Sullivan Show
Lorelei Lee (archive footage)
2003