Carol Burnett Delivers Surprise Benediction at AFI Awards

Carol Burnett surprised attendees at the American Film Institute's AFI Awards on Friday, Jan. 9 by delivering the luncheon benediction, People reports.

The 92-year-old comedian stood before a room that included George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Ethan Hawke, Timothée Chalamet, Keri Russell, Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler and Gwyneth Paltrow and recalled growing up in Hollywood. “And my grandmother and I, we would save our pennies and we would see maybe six to eight movies a week,” Burnett said, adding that she “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.”

Her appearance followed an earlier attendance at the CBS and Paramount primetime special Golden Eve, where Sarah Jessica Parker called Burnett her “north star.” The AFI ceremony, which precedes this weekend's Golden Globe Awards, honored a slate of film and television projects, presented a special award to It Was Just an Accident, and included remarks from director Ava DuVernay and AFI CEO Bob Gazzale, who referenced January wildfires that killed 31 people and destroyed over 13,000 homes and other residential properties.

Key Topics

Culture, Carol Burnett, Afi Awards, American Film Institute, Golden Eve, Ava Duvernay