Don Saroyan was an American actor and production professional best known as the first husband of actress and comedian Carol Burnett. He was born on October 4, 1928, in Omaha, Nebraska, and later studied at UCLA, where he met Burnett in 1952.
Don and Carol married in 1955 while both were trying to build careers in entertainment. They separated in 1
959 and later divorced. Don continued working in television and film, both as an actor and behind the scenes. He died in 1990 at age 62.
Don Saroyan’s Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Don Saroyan |
| Date of birth | October 4, 1928 |
| Birthplace | Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actor, production coordinator |
| Education | Studied at UCLA |
| Parents | Anna and Harvey Saroyan |
| Sibling | One brother who died in infancy |
| Known for | Acting and being Carol Burnett’s first husband |
| First wife | Name not publicly confirmed |
| Second wife | Carol Burnett |
| Children | One daughter from his first marriage |
| Marriage to Carol Burnett | December 1955 |
| Separation | December 25, 1959 |
| Divorce | Commonly reported as 1962 |
| Date of death | November 24, 1990 |
| Age at death | 62 |
| Place of death | Los Angeles area, California |
| Cause of death | Not publicly disclosed |
| Net worth | Not reliably known |
Don Saroyan’s Early Life
Don Saroyan was born on October 4, 1928, in Omaha, Nebraska.
He grew up in a family involved in business. His childhood also included several family losses.
There is limited public information about other parts of his early life.
Don Saroyan’s Parents
Don’s parents were Anna and Harvey Saroyan.
They reportedly owned a dry-cleaning plant in Omaha. The family later added a drive-through restaurant to its business interests.
Don lost both of his parents relatively early in life.
His mother died when he was young. His father later died when Don was in his late 20s.
The exact dates and causes of their deaths are not provided in the available information.
Don Saroyan’s Brother
Don had a brother who reportedly died only a few months after being born.
His brother’s name and exact birth and death dates are not publicly available in the information collected.
Don Saroyan’s First Marriage
Don married for the first time when he was 18 years old.
The name of his first wife has not been publicly confirmed in the available sources.
After their marriage, the couple moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
They had one daughter together.
Their marriage later ended after they returned to Omaha. Following the separation, Don’s former wife reportedly moved back to Pennsylvania with their daughter.
Don Saroyan’s Daughter
Don had one daughter from his first marriage.
Her name and date of birth are not given in the available information.
Don was reportedly very close to her.
His daughter later died while Don was married to Carol Burnett. Her age, cause of death, and exact date of death have not been publicly confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Her death reportedly had a major effect on Don’s personal life.
His Move to Los Angeles
After his first marriage ended, Don moved to Los Angeles, California.
He wanted to build a career in entertainment.
His early ambitions included becoming a singer and actor. He later also became interested in directing for Broadway.
Don Saroyan’s Education
Don studied at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
He reportedly enrolled in graduate studies there.
His exact field of study and degree have not been clearly confirmed.
UCLA was also important to his personal life because it was where he met Carol Burnett.
How Don Saroyan Met Carol Burnett
Don met Carol Burnett at UCLA in 1952.
A mutual friend named Peggy McKenna reportedly introduced them.
Don and Carol soon began dating.
Both were interested in theater and show business. They shared the goal of building careers on Broadway.
Don and Carol’s Early Relationship
Don and Carol reportedly went on dates at the Village Delicatessen in Westwood, Los Angeles.
They talked about theater, Broadway, show business, and their plans for the future.
Neither had reached major fame at the time.
After their studies, they went to New York to continue pursuing entertainment careers.
Don reportedly lived there with two former classmates and considered becoming a Broadway director.
Their Early Work in New York
In early 1955, Don and Carol reportedly organized a show and invited producers and other entertainment professionals to attend.
Their performances attracted attention.
Both reportedly obtained agents after the show.
They married later that same year.
Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett’s Marriage
Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett married in December 1955.
The exact wedding date and location are not clearly established in the information collected.
Don was 27 years old.
Both were still trying to establish themselves in entertainment when they married.
Who Is Carol Burnett?
Carol Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, and television performer.
She became one of the best-known comedy stars in American television.
Her most famous television project was The Carol Burnett Show, which ran from 1967 to 1978.
She also worked in Broadway productions, films, television specials, and other entertainment projects.
Don Saroyan was her first husband.
Don Saroyan’s Acting Career
Don pursued acting after moving into the entertainment industry.
His acting career was smaller than Carol Burnett’s, but he continued working in television and film for many years.
One of his earliest reported television appearances came in 1958, when he played a salesman in Decoy.
He later appeared in several other productions.
Cuban Rebel Girls
Don is credited with appearing in the 1959 film Cuban Rebel Girls.
The film was released during the period when Don and Carol’s marriage was beginning to experience difficulties.
Blast of Silence
Don also appeared in the 1961 film Blast of Silence.
It became another of his early film credits.
Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In
Years after his marriage to Carol ended, Don continued appearing on television.
He was featured in Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In in 1972 and 1973.
The comedy series was one of the major television programs of its era.
Don Saroyan in Airwolf
Don appeared in an episode of Airwolf in 1986.
It was among his final known acting appearances.
The Magical World of Disney
Don was also reportedly featured in The Magical World of Disney in 1986.
His known on-screen career therefore stretched from the late 1950s into the 1980s.
Don Saroyan’s Work Behind the Camera
Acting was only one part of Don’s entertainment career.
He also worked behind the scenes as a production coordinator.
He reportedly served as a production coordinator on more than 25 projects.
This behind-the-scenes work became an important part of his professional career even though he never reached the same level of public fame as Carol Burnett.
Don Saroyan’s Career Compared With Carol Burnett’s
Don and Carol entered their relationship with similar ambitions.
Over time, their careers developed differently.
Carol’s career began growing rapidly, while Don had more difficulty reaching the level of success he originally wanted.
Reports about their marriage say this difference in professional success created some tension between them.
However, Don continued working in the entertainment industry, particularly in production roles.
The Death of Don’s Daughter and His Marriage
The death of Don’s daughter reportedly happened during his marriage to Carol.
According to accounts about the couple, Don struggled greatly with the loss.
He reportedly became more withdrawn and lost some of his earlier enthusiasm for his entertainment ambitions.
The available information does not provide enough details about his daughter’s death to explain the circumstances further.
Why Did Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett Separate?
Several issues reportedly affected Don and Carol’s marriage.
Don was dealing with the death of his daughter. At the same time, Carol’s career was becoming more successful while Don’s own career was developing more slowly.
The couple also began spending their lives in different directions.
Carol later described them as having started to live parallel lives.
Their Christmas Day Separation
Don and Carol reportedly decided to separate on Christmas Day, December 25, 1959.
According to Carol’s later account, their separation did not follow a major argument.
They had simply grown apart.
Their separation was described as amicable.
When Did Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett Divorce?
Don and Carol separated in 1959.
Their legal divorce is commonly reported as being finalized in 1962.
Some accounts describe the marriage as effectively ending four years after their 1955 wedding because that was when they separated.
The difference comes from separating the end of their relationship from the later legal divorce.
Did Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett Have Children?
Don and Carol did not have any known children together.
Don already had one daughter from his first marriage.
Carol later became a mother during her second marriage.
Don Saroyan’s Relationship With Carol After Divorce
Don and Carol appear to have remained on reasonably friendly terms after their marriage ended.
Years later, Don participated in an interview for a book about Carol’s life.
There is little reliable information about how frequently they remained in contact.
Don Saroyan’s Life After Carol Burnett
Don continued working in film and television after his divorce.
His later work included television appearances and production jobs behind the scenes.
Very little information is publicly available about his private life during his later years.
No later wife or long-term partner is identified in the sources reviewed.
Did Don Saroyan Remarry?
There is no reliable information confirming that Don married again after his divorce from Carol Burnett.
Carol was not Don’s first wife. He had already been married and had a daughter before meeting her.
Carol Burnett’s Life After Don Saroyan
Carol Burnett married television producer Joe Hamilton in 1963.
Carol and Joe had three daughters: Carrie Hamilton, Jody Hamilton, and Erin Hamilton.
Their marriage ended in divorce in 1984.
Carol later married musician Brian Miller in November 2001.
When Did Don Saroyan Die?
Don Saroyan died on November 24, 1990.
He was 62 years old.
His death occurred in the Los Angeles area of California.
He died about one month after his 62nd birthday.
Don Saroyan’s Cause of Death
Don Saroyan’s cause of death has not been publicly disclosed in the information available.
It would therefore be inaccurate to give a specific medical condition or cause without stronger evidence.
Where Was Don Saroyan Buried?
Don was reportedly buried in Hollywood Hills, California.
The available source does not clearly identify a specific cemetery or grave location.
Don Saroyan’s Net Worth
Don Saroyan’s personal net worth is not reliably known.
There is no confirmed information about his wealth, salary, assets, or estate at the time of his death.
Don Saroyan’s Social Media
Don died in 1990, years before modern social media platforms became available.
He did not have personal Instagram, Facebook, X, or other modern social media accounts.
Facts About Don Saroyan
- Don Saroyan was born on October 4, 1928.
- He was born in Omaha, Nebraska.
- His parents were Anna and Harvey Saroyan.
- His parents reportedly owned a dry-cleaning business.
- Don had a brother who died in infancy.
- His mother also died when he was young.
- His father died when Don was in his late 20s.
- Don married for the first time at age 18.
- He had one daughter from his first marriage.
- His daughter later died.
- Don moved to Los Angeles to pursue an entertainment career.
- He studied at UCLA.
- He met Carol Burnett at UCLA in 1952.
- Their mutual friend Peggy McKenna introduced them.
- Don and Carol shared an interest in Broadway and show business.
- They married in December 1955.
- They separated on December 25, 1959.
- Their divorce is commonly reported as being finalized in 1962.
- Don and Carol did not have children together.
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