Vicki Lawrence

Vicki Lawrence
Vicki Lawrence Schultz, 2009
Born	Victoria Ann Axelrad (1949-03-26) March 26, 1949 (age 67) Inglewood, California, United States
Nationality	American
Other names	Vicki Lawrence Schultz
Education	Morningside High School
Occupation	Actress, comedian, singer, dancer, writer
Years active	1967–present
Spouse(s)	Bobby Russell (m. 1972; div. 1974) Al Schultz (m. 1974)
Children	2
Website	Official website

Victoria Ann "Vicki" Lawrence (born March 26, 1949), sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer known for the many characters she originated on CBS's The Carol Burnett Show, where she appeared from 1967 to 1978, for the entire series run. One such character, "The Family" matriarch Thelma Harper/Mama, later was the central character of the television situation comedy series Mama's Family on NBC and, later, in first-run syndication.

In 1973, she became a one-hit wonder on the U.S. chart with "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia". It reached number one on both the United States and Canada top charts. Lawrence has multiple Emmy Award nominations, winning one in 1976. She is also a multiple Golden Globe nominee, all for The Carol Burnett Show. Lawrence has made numerous post-Mama's Family guest TV show appearances in her famed Thelma Harper/Mama role. On February 5, 2013, Lawrence appeared as the character in a special sketch for Betty White's 2nd Annual 90th Birthday. In addition, Lawrence regularly hosts an untelevised stage show titled Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-Woman Show.

Lawrence was born Victoria Ann Axelrad in Inglewood, California, United States, the daughter of Anne Alene (née Loyd) and Howard Axelrad, a certified public accountant for Max Factor. The family surname was legally changed to "Lawrence" when Vicki was young. She is a graduate of Morningside High School in Inglewood, class of 1967. Lawrence had originally planned on being a dental hygienist. She attended UCLA while on The Carol Burnett Show, and even changed her major to theater arts, but dropped out after two years.