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Carol Burnett got to meet her "movie star idol," who turned out to be everything she'd hoped and more
"There was nobody that I ever met who was that big of a star who was so humble," Burnett said
PEOPLE previously reported that Burnett often watched the star's films when her grandmother took her and her half-sister to the theater as children
It's said you should never meet your idols — thoughCarol Burnettwould disagree.
In a conversation withLaura DernforInterview,Burnett revealed she got to meet one of the actors she most admired, and her time knowing him was everything she had wished for and more.
While chatting, Dern said that Burnett had the "kind of power" on a set that made everyone want to be their best, noting that the 92-year-old icon carried her influence with grace and humility. Dern's description reminded Burnett of another impactful star she once met.
"One of the nicest people I ever met in my life was my movie star idol, and that wasJimmy Stewart.Everybody loved him," Burnett said. "Of course, if you want to give somebody power, he certainly had it. But there was nobody that I ever met who was that big of a star who was so humble."
She added, "That's who he was. God knows he did some wonderful work and made some fantastic movies, but there was nobody that I ever knew that was sweeter, and that's just who he was."
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Stewart, who died in 1997 at age 89, got his big break in 1932, when he made his Broadway debut inCarry Nation.The actor then enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and became a commanding officer before ultimately returning to his storied acting career.
Stewart won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 1940'sThe Philadelphia Story, and was also nominated for 1939'sMr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1946'sIt's a Wonderful Life, 1950'sHarveyand 1959'sAnatomy of a Murder.
By the mid-1950s, Burnett was just getting started, scoring her first regular on-screen role in the sitcomStanleyas Celia, the girlfriend of Buddy Hackett's titular character. Soon after, in 1957, Burnett secured her spot as a beloved American comedienne with her hit parody routine, "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles," then starred onThe Garry Moore Show,which ultimately earned her an Emmy Award — her first of many.
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PEOPLE previously reportedthat Burnett spent her childhood primarily under the care of her grandmother, Mabel White, who often took her and her half-sister, Chrissie, to the movie theater. There, Burnett marveled at several films starring Stewart, as well as famed film icons Joan Crawford and Fred Astaire.
Stewart later guest-starred in the early days ofThe Carol Burnett Show,which ran from 1967 to 1978.
Read the original article onPeople
