Before Carol Burnett became a major TV star, she was a young theater student at UCLA. Don Saroyan was part of that early chapter. The two met through theater. They also shared the same dream of working in show business.

Saroyan never became as famous as Burnett. Still, he built a real career in entertainment. He acted in film and TV. He also worked behind the scenes on shows and tours.

Their marriage lasted from 1955 to 1962. Yet his story did not end with the divorce. His later work with Rowan and Martin and UCLA shows that he stayed active in entertainment for years.

Quick Bio

Who Was Don Saroyan?

Don Saroyan was an American actor and production worker. His career included film, TV, theater, tours, and live shows. He spent much of his working life in entertainment.

A UCLA theater program from 1974 gives a useful look at his work. It called him a former UCLA graduate student. It also listed years of work with Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.

He managed live shows for the comedy team. He also helped produce summer tours and TV specials. These jobs show that his work went far past acting.

Many people know him only as Burnett’s first husband. That link matters, but it is only one part of his life. His own credits cover many years.

Early Life and UCLA Years

Don Saroyan was born on October 4, 1928, in Omaha, Nebraska. Public records give few clear details about his childhood. Strong sources focus more on his adult life and work.

By the 1950s, he was studying at UCLA. Theater became an important part of his life there. A later UCLA program called him a former graduate student.

Carol Burnett also studied at UCLA. She first planned to study journalism. She later moved into theater and found a strong interest in acting.

The two met through the school’s theater world. Both wanted to perform for a living. That shared goal soon became part of their relationship.

How Did Don Saroyan Meet Carol Burnett?

Don Saroyan met Carol Burnett while both were linked to UCLA theater. By 1954, they were dating. They were also performing together.

One well known story from that time involved a private party in Hollywood. Saroyan and Burnett performed a scene from Annie Get Your Gun. A guest at the party asked about their plans.

They said they wanted to move to New York. They hoped to find acting work there. The guest later gave each of them a $1,000 loan.

The money helped them take a real step toward that goal. The loan came with simple terms. They were asked to repay it within five years.

The donor also asked them to help other young artists one day. That request would matter more if they found success.

Burnett moved to New York in 1954. Saroyan was part of the same early plan. At the time, both were young performers seeking steady work.

Marriage and Life in New York

Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett married on December 15, 1955. Neither was a major star at the time. Both were still trying to build careers.

New York gave Burnett new chances. Her career began to rise near the end of the 1950s. She found work on stage and TV.

In 1959, Burnett appeared in Once Upon a Mattress. The role became an important step for her. That same year, she joined The Garry Moore Show.

Saroyan’s career moved at a slower pace. He found acting work, but his name did not become widely known. Their jobs also took them in different ways.

Later accounts show that career pressure hurt the marriage. But claims about jealousy go too far. Strong records do not prove one clear cause for the split.

His Acting Career

Saroyan worked mainly in supporting roles. One of his best known film credits came in Blast of Silence. He played Lorrie’s boyfriend in the 1961 crime film.

The part was small. Still, the film later gained a strong following. Allen Baron directed it.

Saroyan had also worked with Baron on Cuban Rebel Girls. That earlier credit needs care. Some sites list it as an acting job.

Better credit records place him in the sound department. This is an important difference. It shows that he was already doing more than acting.

Television gave him more small roles. His credits include Decoy, McHale’s Navy, The Fugitive, and Occasional Wife.

He later appeared in Airwolf. He also had a credit linked to Disney TV. These were guest parts, not long term lead roles.

Still, the credits show steady work. Saroyan did not leave the business after his marriage ended. He kept taking jobs in front of the camera.

Production Work Behind the Camera

Acting was only one part of his career. Don Saroyan also worked in TV production. This side of his work grew during the 1970s.

He served as a production coordinator on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In. Records credit him with 24 episodes. The work came in 1972 and 1973.

His link with Rowan and Martin was much larger than one TV job. A UCLA program said he spent six years as their production manager.

He managed personal shows for the comedy pair. He also produced summer tours for them. Later, he worked as an associate producer on TV specials.

These jobs required close work with crews and performers. They also involved travel and careful planning.

One 1973 special carried his associate producer credit. The show included major stars. Among them were Bob Newhart, Dolly Parton, and John Wayne.

This part of his career is easy to miss. Yet it gives a much fuller view of his work in show business.

Why Did Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett Divorce?

Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett divorced in 1962. Their marriage had lasted about seven years. They had no children together.

Many short biographies give a simple reason for the divorce. They say Burnett became more successful. Some also claim this caused jealousy.

That claim is too firm. Burnett’s career did grow much faster. She was becoming known on stage and TV.

Saroyan’s career stayed much quieter. That difference may have created pressure. But it does not prove one clear reason for the divorce.

A review of Burnett’s memoir said early career struggles often kept them apart. It also suggested that their bond changed over time.

That gives useful context. Still, there is no need to turn the split into a dramatic story. The safest view is simple.

Their lives changed. Their careers also changed. The marriage ended as those changes grew.

Burnett later married producer Joe Hamilton. Her three daughters were born during that later marriage.

Career After the Divorce

Saroyan kept working after 1962. He appeared in several TV shows during the 1960s. His credits include McHale’s Navy, The Fugitive, and Occasional Wife.

By the 1970s, production work became a larger part of his career. His years with Rowan and Martin gave him steady work.

Those jobs covered live shows, tours, and television. They also showed another side of his skills.

In 1974, he returned to UCLA for South Pacific. The program listed him as managing director and general manager.

That return is worth noting. UCLA was where much of his early story began. Years later, he came back with real work experience.

His acting career also continued. An Airwolf guest role came in 1986. This shows that he still took screen jobs late in his career.

A 1988 newspaper report also mentioned Saroyan. It called him an executive at a Los Angeles tennis club.

The same report said he had given a long interview for a book about Burnett. It is one of the clearer reports about his later years.

Life After the Marriage

After the divorce, Burnett’s career rose much higher. She became one of the best known comedy stars on American TV.

Saroyan followed a different path. He worked in small acting roles and behind the scenes. This kept him out of the public eye.

Their names stayed linked because he was Burnett’s first husband. But his later credits show a separate work life.

He built years of experience in production. He also worked in live entertainment and television.

There is no need to judge his career against Burnett’s. Her success reached a much larger level. His work followed a quieter path.

Both facts can be true. His place in Burnett’s early life matters. But it should not erase the work he did on his own.

Facts About Saroyan

• Born in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 4, 1928.
• Married Carol Burnett on December 15, 1955.
• Studied at UCLA and later returned there for theater work.
• Shared Burnett’s early goal of finding acting work in New York.
• Received a $1,000 loan to help support that move.
• Appeared in the 1961 film Blast of Silence.
• Worked in the sound department on Cuban Rebel Girls.
• Guest starred in shows such as The Fugitive and Airwolf.
• Worked on 24 episodes of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In.
• Managed personal shows for Rowan and Martin.
• Produced summer tours for the comedy team.
• Worked as an associate producer on TV specials.
• Divorced Carol Burnett in 1962.
• Died in Los Angeles on November 24, 1990.

Later Years and Death

He spent much of his adult life around entertainment. His work moved between acting, live shows, and production. He never became a major celebrity.

That does not make his career less real. He worked on known TV shows. He also worked with major comedy names.

His return to UCLA also showed how much experience he had gained. He was no longer only a young theater student.

Saroyan died on November 24, 1990, in Los Angeles, California. He was 62 years old.

One detail gives his story a fitting close. UCLA brought him back for South Pacific in 1974.

The school listed his work and his years with Rowan and Martin. That record remembered him for his own career.

FAQs

Who was Carol Burnett’s first husband?

Don Saroyan was an American actor and production worker. He was Carol Burnett’s first husband and worked in film, TV, theater, and production.

When did Saroyan marry Carol Burnett?

The couple married on December 15, 1955. They divorced in 1962 after about seven years of marriage.

Did Don Saroyan and Carol Burnett have children?

No. They did not have children together. Burnett later had three daughters with producer Joe Hamilton.

What movies and TV shows was Don Saroyan in?

His credits include Blast of Silence, Decoy, McHale’s Navy, The Fugitive, Occasional Wife, and Airwolf.

What did Don Saroyan do on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In?

He worked as a production coordinator on 24 episodes. He also held other production jobs with Rowan and Martin.