Born December 5, 1963, in New York, NY; daughter of Joe Hamilton (a television producer) and Carol Burnett (an actress and comedienne). Addresses:AGENT--c/o Camden Artists, Ltd., 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 410, Los Angeles, CA 90067.
As the daughter of Carol Burnett, one of television's most popular performers, Carrie Hamilton first made headlines when she was a teenager trying to recover from serious drug problems. More recent attention, however, has focused on her successful appearances on television and in her first film. In the television movie Hostage she played an escaped convict who abducts and then comesto trust a wealthy widow. Parade's James Brady reported: "Just about every review was a rave, with critics asking, 'Just where did the kid come from, andhow did she get so good?'"
In an interview with Karen Croke of the Daily News, Hamilton reflected: "To tell the truth, I never really cared about acting. I was always so serious about my music." That interest in rock and roll dovetailed with the role in Tokyo Pop in which she made her film debut. Portraying an aspiring American singer who becomes a star in Japan, Hamilton also wrote one of the songs featuredin the movie.
Several of the young performer's earlier appearances had some connection withher mother. The two co-starred in Hostage; Burnett participated in the special Superstars and Their Moms hosted by Hamilton and had a guest role on Famewhile her daughter was a regular. They have also collaborated on Under One Roof, a recollection of how they weathered Hamilton's troubled teenage years. Nevertheless, recently Hamilton has tried to turn interviewers' attention awayfrom her famous parent. "Look, you can't divorce yourself from your parents," she exclaimed to Croke. "But you can't abuse the connection either. You have to find a middle ground."
Hamilton died on January 20, 2002, in Los Angeles, California, of cancer. Shewas 38.
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