"Little by little by little, I was getting to my persona. I will never forget, when I was working Boston, the guy that I worked for there said, 'you should do something about wardrobe.' To me, wardrobe was a piece of furniture you put clothes in. He meant I should think about dressing more theatrically."

    About This Interview

    In her three-hour-plus interview, Phyllis Diller (1917-2012) speaks of her beginnings as a successful comic breaking out of her shell as a middle-aged housewife when she appeared for the first time on stage at San Francisco's Purple Onion. She speaks of her first appearance on television, on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life. She talks of her many appearances on television variety shows including numerous appearances on The Jack Paar Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. She discusses her long association with Bob Hope in films and on television— making more appearances on his specials than anyone else. She talks about her television series The Pruitts of Southampton (1966-67), a sitcom, and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show (1968), a variety-talk series, as well her roles on the comedy-anthology series Love, American Style. She describes her appearance as a regular panelist on television's The Gong Show (1976-80) and her regular role from 1995-96 on the daytime serial The Bold and the Beautiful. She describes her work as a trend-setting female comic and details her successful formula for stand-up comedy. Fred Wostbrock conducted the interview on March 8, 2000 in Los Angeles, CA.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Phyllis Diller

    Phyllis Diller on her trademark laugh

    01:09
    Thumbnail of Phyllis Diller

    Phyllis Diller on her costume; gloves, cigarette holder, boots

    12:02
    Thumbnail of Phyllis Diller

    Phyllis Diller on her television debut on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life

    04:09
    Thumbnail of Phyllis Diller

    Phyllis Diller on the The Pruitts of Southampton, which later became The Phyllis Diller Show

    05:18
    Thumbnail of Phyllis Diller

    Phyllis Diller on her advice to aspiring comics

    02:16
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On her early years in Lima, Ohio; on her education

    13:57

    On marrying, and moving to California, having a family, and starting in newspaper and radio copywriting

    15:17

    Chapter 2

    On starting her career in standup comedy

    22:30

    On her TV debut on You Bet Your Life; on creating her stage persona; on Jack Paar's influence

    06:07

    Chapter 3

    On crafting her onstage look and act

    12:26

    On performing on television; on the rise of her career and headlining in Las Vegas

    47:35

    Chapter 4

    On her early television show; on working with Bob Hope

    04:13

    On working with iconic show hosts including Johnny Carson, Steve Allen, Mike Douglas, and Bob Hope

    18:57

    On starring in the sitcom The Pruitts of Southampton

    05:43

    Chapter 5

    On The Pruitts of Southampton; on some of her guest roles

    12:35

    On The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show; on her stagework; on appearing on the Tiny Tim episode of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson; on plastic surgery

    47:25

    Chapter 6

    On Jonathan Winters, Liberace, George Burns, and others she's worked with; on her concerts; on her appearance on Night Gallery

    09:28

    On The Gong Show; on The Friars Club; on appearances in the 1970s and 1980s

    50:39

    Chapter 7

    On her advice to aspiring comics

    02:23

    On the importance of laughter; on her legacy

    03:15

    Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show, The

    Phyllis Diller on starring in the short-lived The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show

    02:27

    Bob Hope Specials

    Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope's comic sensibilities

    02:18

    Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope

    03:28

    Bold and the Beautiful, The

    Phyllis Diller on her recurring character "Gladys Pope" on The Bold and the Beautiful

    00:51

    Ed Sullivan Show, The aka Toast of the Town

    Phyllis Diller on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show; on Ed Sullivan

    02:38

    Gong Show, The

    Phyllis Diller on being a celebrity judge on The Gong Show

    01:36

    Night Gallery

    Phyllis Diller on guest starring on the Night Gallery episode "Pamela's Voice" (airdate: January 13, 1971)

    01:58

    Pruitts of Southampton, The

    Phyllis Diller on her 1966 sitcom, The Pruitts of Southampton

    05:34

    Phyllis Diller on the The Pruitts of Southampton, which later became The Phyllis Diller Show

    05:18

    Tonight

    Phyllis Diller on Steve Allen

    01:05

    Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The

    Phyllis Diller on being a guest on the Tonight Show for the wedding of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki (airdate: December 17,1969)

    03:00

    Tonight Starring Jack Paar aka The Jack Paar Show

    Phyllis Diller on her first appearance on The Tonight Show; on Jack Paar

    06:18

    Tony Orlando & Dawn

    Phyllis Diller on a funny incident that happened when she guest-starred on Tony Orlando and Dawn

    02:00

    You Bet Your Life

    Phyllis Diller on her television debut on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life

    04:09

    Comedian

    Phyllis Diller on her trademark laugh

    01:16

    Phyllis Diller on her advice to aspiring comics

    02:22

    Late Night

    Phyllis Diller on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show; on Ed Sullivan

    02:38

    Steve Allen

    Phyllis Diller on Steve Allen

    01:05

    Bob Hope

    Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope's comic sensibilities

    02:18

    Phyllis Diller on Bob Hope

    03:28

    Gypsy Rose Lee

    Phyllis Diller on Gypsy Rose Lee

    00:54

    Groucho Marx

    Phyllis Diller on her television debut on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life

    04:09

    Jack Paar

    Phyllis Diller on her first appearance on The Tonight Show; on Jack Paar

    06:18

    Red Skelton

    Phyllis Diller on comedian Red Skelton

    58:54

    Ed Sullivan

    Phyllis Diller on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show; on Ed Sullivan

    02:38

    Tiny Tim

    Phyllis Diller on being a guest on the Tonight Show for the wedding of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki (airdate: December 17,1969)

    03:00

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