Carrie Hamilton - Cast member of the Month

Carrie Hamilton

Carrie Hamilton was born on 5th December 1963 in New York City as Carrie Louise Hamilton. He star sign is Sagittarians, who have been described as optimistic, restless, progressive and adventurous. They don't like to be contained, thwarted or bossed about.

Carrie is the daughter Carol Burnett and producer Joe Hamilton and had 2 younger sisters Jody and Erin. She also had 8 half siblings from her father’s previous marriage. Her Godmother was Julie Andrews.

She attended Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles however, in 9^th Grade Carrie was struggling and she started smoking cigarettes.  This led to a nightmare three year period where she was taking heavy drug and abusing alcohol. “I was always Carol Burnett’s daughter. When I got high I wasn’t anymore. I wanted my own image.”

Carrie's  problems were driving the family apart. “I wanted someone to say it was okay and my parents were crazy.  I didn’t think I was doing anything heavy. I was content to get high for the rest of my life”.

Eventually and despite being angry and resistant, Carrie was sent to Houston to Deer Park General Hospital to undergo the Palmer Drug Abuse Programme.  By age 17, she remained drug and alcohol free for the remainder of her life

She decided to stay in Houston and attended Houston Public High School. She later studied music and acting at the Pepperdine University in Malibu. She then made her stage debut in “Member of the Wedding” at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.

By age 19 she was in a relationship with 31 year old singer Fergie Frederiksen but the age difference led to them separating.  In 1983 Fergie wrote a song for his band “LaRoux” titled “Carrie’s Gone”.

Her parents divorced in 1984 and in 1985 Carrie appeared in the TV Movie “Love Lives On”.   

At the end of 1985 she took the role of Reggie Higgins in “Fame” appearing in 29 episodes from the fifth and sixth seasons from 1985 to 1987.  In Season 6 her Mother Carol guest-starred in an episode titled "Reggie and Rose".  “I was on ‘Fame’ a season and a half. It was the best and most creative acting experience ever.”

In the episode "Hold That Baby" Carrie co-wrote the song "East of Eden". 

After “Fame” she starred in the role of Maureen Johnson in the first national tour of the stage musical Rent to considerable acclaim.

In 1988 she was the lead in cult film Tokyo Pop, in which she played an American singer who journeys to Japan and Carrie performed several songs in the film. Also in 1988 Carrie appeared in the TV movie “Hostage” with her mother.

Throughout the late 80s and 90s she appeared in TV shows like “Murder She Wrote” “Beverley Hill 90201”, “Carol and Com pany”, “Walker Texas Ranger”and  “The X Files”.

Carrie married  musician Mark Templin in 1994 on the same soundstage where The Carol Burnett Show was filmed. The couple divorced in 1998.

Carrie sadly died from pneumonia as a complication of lung cancer that spread to her brain in Los Angeles on 20^th January 20 2002 at age 38, and is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

In July 2006, the former Balcony Theatre of the Pasadena Playhouse was rededicated as the Carrie Hamilton Theatre as Carol Burnett was a board member.