Carol Elaine Channing (born January 31, 1921) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian. Known for starring in Broadway and film musicals, her characters typically radiated a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, whether singing or for comedic effect. Channing also studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. She began as a Broadway musical actress, starring in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949 and Hello, Dolly! in 1964, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the latter. She revived both roles several times throughout her career, most recently playing Dolly in 1995. Channing was nominated for her first Tony Award in 1956 for The Vamp followed by a nomination in 1961 for Show Girl. She received her fourth Tony Award nomination for the musical Lorelei in 1974. As a film actress, she won the Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Her other film appearances include The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) and Skidoo (1968). On television, she appeared as an entertainer on variety shows, from The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s to Hollywood Squares. She had a standout performance as The White Queen in the TV production of Alice in Wonderland (1985), and had the first of many TV specials in 1966, An Evening with Carol Channing. Channing was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 1995. She continued to perform and make appearances well into her 90s, singing songs from her repertoire and sharing stories with fans, cabaret style. She released an autobiography, Just Lucky I Guess, in 2002, and Larger Than Life, a documentary film about her career, was released in 2012.

Filmography

• 2003Broadway's Lost Treasures — Dolly Levi (segment "Hello, Dolly!")
• 2003Great Broadway Musical Moments from the Ed Sullivan Show — Lorelei Lee (archive footage)
• Family Guy — Carol Channing (voice)
• Style & Substance
• 1998The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars — Fanny (voice)
• 1995Live from Broadway: Hello, Dolly!
• The Drew Carey Show — Carol Channing
• Burke's Law — Daphne LeMay
• The Magic School Bus — Cornelia C. Contralto II (voice)
• 1994Thumbelina — Ms. Fieldmouse (voice)
• Touched by an Angel — Carol Channing
• The Nanny — Carol Channing
• The Addams Family — Grandmama (voice)
• Where's Wally? — (voice)
• Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers — Canina LaFur (voice)
• 1989Happily Ever After — Muddy (voice)
• Alice in Wonderland — White Queen
• Magnum, P.I. — Carol Channing
• 1978Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band — Our Guests at Heartland
• The Love Boat — Sylvia Duvall, Aunt Sylvia, Aunt Sylvia Duvall
• 1970Shinbone Alley — Mehitabel (voice)
• 1968Skidoo — Flo Banks
• 1967Thoroughly Modern Millie — Muzzy Van Hossmere
• The Carol Channing Show — Carol Honeycutt
• The Dean Martin Show
• Password
• 1961Show Girl — Lynn / Naomi / Performer
• 1958The Christmas Tree — Promenade Member
• The George Burns Show — Carol Channing, Self
• 1957Three Men on a Horse — Mabel
• 1956The First Traveling Saleslady — Molly Wade
• Omnibus
• Hallmark Hall of Fame
• 1950Paid in Full — Mrs. Peters (uncredited)

Appearances as themselves (53)

• 2023Commitment to Life — Self (archive)
• 2019Kaye Ballard - The Show Goes On! — Self
• 2014The Outrageous Sophie Tucker — Self
• 2012Carol Channing: Larger Than Life — Self
• 2011Ruth Lyons: First Lady of Television — Self
• RuPaul's Drag Race — Self - Video Message
• 2008Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1920s: The Dawn of the Hollywood Musical — Self
• 2007ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway — Self
• 2007Words and Music by Jerry Herman — Self
• 2005Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards — Self - Host
• Broadway: The American Musical — Self
• 2003Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There — Self
• Hollywood Squares — Self - Panelist
• The View — Self
• 1996The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story — Self
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show — Self - Guest
• 1995The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies — Self
• 1994Jerry Herman's Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl — Self
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast — Self
• Late Show with David Letterman — Self
• 1990Night of 100 Stars III — Self
• 1989George Burns: His Wit and Wisdom — Self - Burns Dinner Friend (uncredited)
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self
• 1985Night of 100 Stars II — Self
• 1983George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business — Self
• 1982Night of 100 Stars — Self
• 1977The People's Command Performance: '77 — Self
• The Muppet Show — Self - Special Guest Star
• 1974Free to Be… You and Me — Self (voice) (uncredited)
• 1974One More Time — Self
• 1974The 1974 Annual Las Vegas Entertainment Awards — Self - Presenter
• 1971Festival at Ford's — Self
• Great Performances — Self
• The Flip Wilson Show — Self
• 1969Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey: On Broadway — Self
• 1968Carol Channing and 101 Men — Self
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In — Self, Self (uncredited)
• The Carol Burnett Show — Self, Self - Guest / Various Characters
• 1965The Day of the Oath — Self
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• The Big Party — Self
• DuPont Show of the Month — Self
• The Lux Show — Self
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show — Self
• The Rosemary Clooney Show — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Presenter, Self - Recipient, Self - Presenter / Performer
• The Oscars — Self
• The Colgate Comedy Hour — Self
• What's My Line? — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Presenter