Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the “Saturday Night Live” alums who star in comedy “Sisters,” will present Carol Burnett with her lifetime achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, SAG officials announced today.
Fey made headlines over the weekend when she returned to “SNL” to resurrect her spot-on impersonation of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in a spoof of Palin’s endorsement of GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump.
Fey and Palin also earned raves for their recent stint as co-hosts of the Golden Globe Awards.
Burnett will receive the SAG-AFTRA Lifetime Achievement Award during the SAG ceremony Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium. Burnett, 82, is the 52nd recipient of the award.
SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard called Burnett “a creative dynamo and a comedic genius.”
“She embodies the generosity and courage that the greatest actors use in creating enduring and memorable characters,” he said. “From her heartbreakingly hilarious Starlet O’Hara to the adorably inept Eunice and alarmingly funny Miss Hannigan, Carol has delighted and inspired millions of viewers and thousands of comedic actors.
“She took risks as a performer and through her courage, encouraged fellow actors to try new things and always, always reach for the sky,” Howard said. “Her innate love of actors led to the creation of an ensemble cast that made ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ a masterpiece of variety programming.”
Burnett’s show ran for 11 years, averaging 30 million viewers a week and receiving 25 Emmy Awards, making it one of the most honored shows in television history.
Burnett’s many career accolades include multiple Emmys, a special Tony, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Mark Twain Prize for Humor.
