>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY! LOOK AT THAT.
THE STAR OF "PALM ROYALE," CAROL BURNETT.
YOU'RE IN THE NEW SERIOUS "PALM ROYALE" ABOUT OF FANCY
PALM BEACH COUNTRY CLUB IN 1969. WHO DO YOU PLAY?
>> Carol: I PLAY NORMA, WHO IS THE MATRIARCH AND KIND OF RUNS
THE WHOLE SOCIETY THING. SHE HAS SECRETS ON EVERYBODY.
SHE'S KIND OF A BLACKMAILER AND SHE HAS SECRETS OF HER OWN AND
IN THE FIRST TWO OR THREE, THREE EPISODES, SHE'S IN A COMA.
>> Stephen: WAIT A SECOND. FIRST THREE EPISODES YOU'RE IN A
COMA? HOW DOES ONE DO GOOD COMA
ACTING? BECAUSE THE REASON I ASK IS IT'S
MORE THAN SLEEP BUT LESS THAN DEATH.
[LAUGHTER] >> Carol: YOU NAILED IT.
I WOULD GET UP AT 5:00 IN THE MORNING, AS WE DO COME AND GO TO
THE SET. YOU GET IN THE MAKEUP TRAILER
AND YOU GET ALL MADE UP AND EVERYTHING, DRESSED.
AND THEN I WENT TO BED. [LAUGHTER]
>> Stephen: YOU JUST LAY DOWN. >> Carol: YEAH.
AND I GOT PAID. >> Stephen: NICE WORK IF YOU
CAN GET IT. >> Carol: I DO START TO WAKE
UP OF COURSE LATER ON. AND SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYBODY TO
KNOW THAT SHE'S KIND OF COMING OUT OF IT.
>> Stephen: OLD. >> Carol: BECAUSE SHE'S NOT A
VERY NICE PERSON. BUT THEY ARE THE MOST FUN TO
PLAY. >> Stephen: YOUR CHARACTER IS
ASSESSED WITH POWER BUT ALSO MONEY.
YOU DID NOT GROW UP WITH MUCH. >> Carol: NO.
>> Stephen: I'M CURIOUS HOW YOUR FAMILY STRETCHED A DOLLAR.
WHAT DID YOU DO? >> Carol: WELL, MY GRANDMOTHER
RAISED ME. AND WE LIVED IN ONE ROOM WITH A
PULL DOWN MURPHY BED THAT SHE SLEPT ON AND I SLEPT ON THE
COUCH. WE WOULD SAVE OUR PENNIES TO GO
TO THE MOVIES. THAT WAS OUR ONE THING.
AND SO WHEN WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE, NANNY, MY GRANDMOTHER
WOULD SAY "LET'S HIT THE LADIES ROOM."
WE DID AND WE WOULD STEAL ALL THE TOILET PAPER.
[LAUGHTER] >> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
YOU'VE GOT TO USE YOUR HEAD. GOT TO USE YOUR NOGGIN.
THE COSTUMES ON THE SHOW ARE INCREDIBLE WORKS OF ART.
HERE YOU ARE. HERE YOU ARE IS CLEOPATRA FOR
SOME REASON. SURE YOU ARE AS MARIE ANTOINETT.
FOR ANOTHER REASON. YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD FANTASTIC
COSTUMES. >> Carol: BOB MACKIE.
>> Stephen: I'M CURIOUS, HOW DOES THE COSTUME IN FORM OR
CHANGE OR PERFORMANCE? >> Carol: COMPLETELY.
THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I DIDN'T KNOW HOW I WAS GOING TO DO A
CHARACTER UNTIL I WENT TO THE COSTUME FITTING.
BOB MACKIE PUT ME IN WHAT WAS HE WAS GOING TO DESIGN, FOR
INSTANCE, MRS. WIGGINS. >> Stephen: SURE.
THAT TIGHT DRESS. >> Carol: ORIGINALLY, TIM
CONWAY WROTE THOSE CHARACTERS AND HE HAD WRITTEN MRS. WIGGINS
TO BE A DODDERING OLD LADY SO I WENT INTO COSTUME FITTING THAT
WE CAN BOB MACKIE SAID WE BEEN DOING DODDERING OLD LADIES.
LET'S MAKE HER INTO A BIMBO WHOM THE I.Q. FERRY NEVER VISITED.
SO HE PUT ME IN THE BLOND WIG AND THE PUSH BRA AND THE
TIGHT, TIGHT SKIRT BUT IT WAS AN OLD SKIRT HE HAD IN THE COSTUME
DEPARTMENT AND IT BAGGED IN THE BEHIND.
I SAID. ALSO HE PUT ME IN THESE STILETTO
HIGH HEELS. THE SKIRT WAS TIGHT AROUND THE
KNEES BUT IT BAGGED. I SAID BOB, I'M FLAT BACK THERE.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THIS INTO PURE HE SAID NO, NO.
STICK YOUR BEHIND INTO IT. AND I DID, AND THAT'S HOW THE
WALK HAPPENS. [APPLAUSE]
>> Stephen: WORKING THE SUIT. >> Carol: THAT GAVE ME MY
CHARACTER. >> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND THAT
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG ACTRESS TRYING TO MAKE IT, YOU AND SOME
OF YOUR FRIENDS HAD A SPECIAL AUDITION DRESS.
>> Carol: I LIVED AT A PLACE CALLED THE REHEARSAL CLUB HERE,
WHICH WAS A WONDERFUL BOARDINGHOUSE THAT HOUSED WOMEN
WHO WANTED TO BE IN THE THEATER. IT WAS ALL VERY MUCH ON THE UP
AND UP. WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH MONEY OR
ANYTHING. AND SO I DECIDED THAT FIVE OF US
SHOULD GO TO BLOOMINGDALE'S AND EACH ONE OF US, WE PUT IN $5 SO
WE GOT A DRESS FOR $25, THAT WOULD STAND OUT IN AUDITIONS.
AND WE WERE BUILT THE SAME AND THEN THE WAIST SO WE GOT THAT
FIT. BUT THEN IT WAS A FULL SKIRT
ENDS. LONG SLEEVES AND TURTLENECK AND
IT WAS ORANGE AND IT STOOD OUT. AND THEN IF YOU HAD AN AUDITION,
WE WOULD SIGN UP FOR THE DRESS, WEAR IT FOR THE AUDITION, BRING
IT BACK TO THE CLUB. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING IT
CLEANED AND THEN HUNG BACK UP IN THE CLOSET WAITING FOR THE NEXT
PERSON TO USE IT. >> Stephen: WOW.
DID IT WORK? >> Carol: YEAH.
I MEAN, I GOT A FEW CALLBACKS. I DIDN'T GET THE JOB.
>> Stephen: BABY STEPS. >> Carol: RIGHT, ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: CAROL, IT'S SUCH A JOY TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HE HERE.
"PALM ROYALE" IS AVAILABLE NOW ON APPLE TV+.
IT'S CAROL BURNETT, EVERYBODY. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK
WITH A PERFORMANCE BY WAXAHATCHEE
FEATURING MJ LENDERMAN.