She had previously been married twice, with her first marriage lasting barely two years.
Vicki Ann Lawrence, a legendary performer who has been delighting her audience for many years, recently turned 74. She portrayed Thelma Harper in the NBC comedy Mama's Family, which is considered one of her greatest performances. The Eunice star reportedly began her career at the age of 17 by starting a band and competing in the Miss Fireball pageant. Today she lives her life to the fullest despite the hardships and health concerns. For the comedian, who has Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU), which also results in red, itchy skin welts, life is not exactly a bed of roses.
Lawrence, however, never lets health issues deter her from enjoying herself. Recently, she went on an outing with her son, Garrett Lawrence Schultz, and shared the same on Instagram, writing, “#datenight with my baby boy! Taped an #NBC special for Carol’s 90th #birthday.”
Lawrence also serves as the campaign's spokeswoman at CIU & You. She revealed her diagnosis to New Beauty in 2017 and said, “Seven years ago, I was walking my dogs, when suddenly a hive appeared on the palm of my hand. By the time I got home, the hives had multiplied. The welts kept coming and they started to merge. They looked like continents.” The actress also acknowledged the difficulties she had by stating, “When I had hives, I couldn’t stop itching. I tried everything. I would stand in the coldest shower until my body was numb and I was shaking, all to make the itching stop.”
“Then I’d rub menthol all over myself and sit on my bed shivering, ‘mentholating’ and hoping that when it stopped the hives would be gone. They weren’t. I actually convinced myself at some point that warm water was triggering the hives,” she told the outlet. Lawrence's health concerns haven't prevented her from having fun with her devoted husband Al Schultz, though. After being divorced, Lawrence focused on her career and gave her all to The Carol Burnett Show. She did, however, meet her current husband, Al, in the same program.
She had previously been married twice, with her first marriage lasting barely two years. She exchanged wows with Bobby Russell, a country artist in 1972 when she was just 23 years old before separating in 1974.
In an exclusive word with the Hollywood Reporter in 2019 she credited Carol Burnett for finding her a husband. She revealed, “Carol found my husband for me. Al [Schultz] had just gotten into the makeup union, and Carol was sitting in her dressing room when Al walked by. She told her secretary that he was adorable and wanted him on the show. Carol has been largely responsible for most everything in my adult life.” Eventually, Courtney Allison Schultz and Garrett were born into the Lawrence and Schultz family.
References:
https://www.newbeauty.com/vicki-lawrence-chronic-idiopathic-urticaria-hives/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/vicki-lawrence-how-carol-burnett-saved-her-job-1172651/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Amy Sussman
