Sneak preview: behind the scenes at carol burnett’s 90th birthday tv special

LILY TOMLIN WAS TOTALLY STARSTRUCK TO MEET BURNETT, THEN TRANSFORMED When Tomlin, 83, first burst into prominence as the snarky, snorting telephone operator Ernestine on _Laugh-In_, she was

on the CBS-TV lot — then the province of Burnett. “I’d only been on the air two or three weeks, and I was totally rigid with fear that I would run into you and you didn't know who I

was,” she told Burnett from the stage. One day, as Tomlin was in the bathroom, “I was just about to leave, and I heard your voice in the hall and I didn't have time enough to fake my

own death.” In the next moment, however, “You [said you] knew that I was the phone operator, and you were so kind and so generous to me. You talked to me for a long time, and you gave me all

the compliments.​ “You have always been a gold standard to me and to Jane [Wagner, Tomlin’s wife and colleague] in our work,” Tomlin said. “Total commitment to characters.” (Left to right)

Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews Photo by: Amy Sussman/WireImage GREAT PAL JULIE ANDREWS REVEALED AN “I KISSED A GIRL” STUNT THE PAIR PULLED THAT WENT OFF THE RAILS Both women were in

Washington for the 1965 inauguration of Lyndon Johnson, explained Andrews, 87. Their mutual friend, director Mike Nichols, suggested a drink in their hotel after the gala. The pair posted

themselves on a couch facing the elevator bank, and as Andrews said, “I don't remember which one of us came up with it, but one of us said, 'Why don't we just pretend to be

kissing?’​ “We thought this was terribly funny, by the way. The elevator at that point went ping and so I flung her across my lap and bent down in a deep embrace.​ “And that elevator was

absolutely packed with Secret Service men.”​ Mortified but still game, they again faced the elevators. With the next ping, “We bent over once again.” This time, it was Mike Nichols. “And all

he did was say, `Hi, girls,’ and walked on.” STEVE MARTIN IS A LIFELONG FAN, AND CHER LEANED ON HER FOR SUPPORT WHEN SONNY WAS GONE​ Martin, 77, and comic partner Martin Short, 73, offered

zealous congrats via video. Said Martin, “We’re sending our birthday greetings to you because you are 90 years old, and we have loved you for every year of our lives [pausing]... to the

point where we weren't born.” Cher, 76, appeared in a glittering gold gown with a matching headdress, saying, “I always think of just her being so kind and helping me because I

wasn't really sure what I was doing … on my own. I was really frightened. [Turning to Burnett just below the stage] And you helped me, you know you did.​ “I just love her. I want her to

be just like her. And I'm not just like you, but I'm my own version of you.”​