Vicki Lawrence did not let chronic illness stop her from being happy at 74 with loving husband Al Schultz
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Vicki Ann Lawrence is an icon, who recently turned 74 after entertaining her fans for years. One of her best works was in the NBC sitcom, ‘Mama's Family’ in which she played the role of Thelma Harper. But not just acting, she is also into hosting, comedy, and singing.
As per reports, the ‘Eunice’ star started her career by joining a musical group and participating in the Miss Fireball contest when she was 17. But her real break in showbiz came when Carol Burnett asked her to work with her on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ after she posted a fan letter to her.
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Played family matriarch despite being quite young
It has been said that Lawrence mailed the letter to Burnett along with a newspaper article that said she looked very similar to the legendary actress. The two then got along and began working together. Both the actress also featured together in ‘Mama's Family’ in which Lawrence played the role of the family matriarch despite being the youngest in the cast that included, among others, Burnett, Beverly Archer, Betty White, Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Rue McClanahan, and Harvey Korman.
However, before ‘Mama’s Family’ happened, the ‘Hart To Hart: Old Friends Never Die’ actress had already married twice, with the first marriage lasting only 2 years. She exchanged vows with country singer Bobby Russell in 1972, when she was only 23. They also co-created the song, ‘The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia’. But in 1974, they divorced.
‘Carol found my husband for me’
Following the divorce, Lawrence prioritized her work and dedicated herself to ‘The Carol Burnett Show’. However, it was the same show on which she met her present husband, Al Schultz. Also, it was Burnett that made that happen. In 2019, she told the Hollywood Reporter, “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, Lawrence and Schultz became parents to two children – Courtney Allison Schultz and Garrett Lawrence Schultz. In 2019, she proudly shared a photo with her husband on Facebook and wrote, “#fbf It’s #theweekend Spend it with someone you #love I love #thisguy ...for 45 years now‼️💕”
‘The welts kept coming and they started to merge’
But life is not exactly a bed of roses for the comedian, who suffers from chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), which is “red, itchy skin welts that last more than six weeks. Many people have these welts every day for a year or longer. People with certain autoimmune diseases are more prone to chronic hives,” according to Cleveland Clinic.
Last month, she took to Instagram and posted, “A serious look for a serious neck mess. I am in #serious trouble…$eriously! #happybirthday to me…😊.” She’s also the spokesperson of CIU & You, an educational campaign. In 2017, Lawrence opened up about her diagnosis and told New Beauty, “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.”
“I tried to figure out what was causing the hives with no success. I started avoiding things that I thought were causing the hives — I stopped drinking red wine, I changed soap and I submerged my hands in bowls of ice water. My allergist tested me for everything. I was seeking answers and relief and not getting any. After more than six weeks of trial and error, my allergist diagnosed me with CIU,” she explained at the time.
‘I couldn’t stop itching’
The ‘Eunice’ actress also mentioned the challenges she faced as she added, “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.”
However, her health issues have not stopped Lawrence from enjoying herself. Recently, she went out with her son Garrett and shared about the outing on her Instagram by writing, “#datenight with my baby boy! Taped an #NBC special for Carol’s 90th #birthday.”