Famous Birthdays·December 5·Carrie Hamilton
Carrie Hamilton

USCarrie Hamilton

An artist and actress who channeled a rebellious spirit into raw, autobiographical theater before her life was cut tragically short.

1963–2002 (age 39)·American dramatist·Birthday: December 5·Baby Boomers

Photo: Series: Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989 Collection: White House Photographic Collection, 1/20/1981 - 1/20/1989 · Public domain

Biography

Carrie Hamilton entered the world as the daughter of comedy titan Carol Burnett, a legacy that brought both opportunity and intense scrutiny. Her early years were marked by a public struggle with addiction, a story she would later confront with unflinching honesty. After finding sobriety, Hamilton redirected her creative energy into acting, with roles on television shows like 'Fame,' and into music. But her most profound work emerged in collaboration with her mother. Together, they adapted Burnett's memoir into the stage play 'Hollywood Arms,' a project that showcased Hamilton's growing skill as a playwright. Her own one-woman show, 'Hidden Sky,' further revealed a writer of depth and vulnerability, exploring themes of recovery and self-discovery. Hamilton's life and career were a testament to resilience and artistic courage, making her death from cancer at age 38 a profound loss. She is remembered not just as a famous child, but as a formidable creative voice who was just beginning to be heard.

Baby Boomers

1946–1964

The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.

Carrie was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.

#1 When Carrie Was Born

The biggest hits of 1963

#1 Movie

Cleopatra

Best Picture

Tom Jones

#1 TV Show

Beverly Hillbillies

Carrie's Life & Times

The world at every milestone

1963Born

JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech

Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school

Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated

Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager

Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial

Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive

Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident

Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote

MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified

Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21

Apple Macintosh introduced

Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30

European Union officially established

Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Died at 39

Euro currency enters circulation

Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago

Key Achievements

  • Co-wrote the play 'Hollywood Arms' with her mother, Carol Burnett, which premiered on Broadway in 2002.
  • Won a Daytime Emmy Award for directing a public service announcement on substance abuse.
  • Starred as 'Regine' in the 1980s television series adaptation of 'Fame'.
  • Her one-woman show, 'Hidden Sky', was performed in Los Angeles and reflected her personal journey.

Did You Know?

She was named after Carrie Nations, the temperance activist, a choice her mother later found ironic given Hamilton's struggles.

She was in a punk band called 'The Lowlifes'.

The Carol Burnett Award for humor and empowerment, given by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, was established in her memory.

She was married to musician and writer Mark Taper.

“I write to understand the things I can't forget.”

— Carrie Hamilton

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