Eunice Harper Higgins

Eunice Harper Higgins

Eunice Higgins (née Harper) is the main character, played by Carol Burnett, in the comedy sketch, The Family (featured on The Carol Burnett Show). Eunice was also featured in a made-for-TV movie on CBS, titled after her, which aired in 1982. The film starred Carol Burnett as Eunice; Ken Berry as Eunice's well-to-do brother, Philip (later dumbed down as a locksmith and renamed Vinton for the spin-off TV series); Harvey Korman as Eunice's husband, Ed Higgins; Betty White as Eunice's sister, Ellen Harper-Jackson; Vicki Lawrence as Eunice's "Mama", Thelma Harper; and Dick Clair as the voice of Eunice's father, Carl Harper. The film takes the Harper family on a 23-year journey.

Eunice was also featured, though to a much lesser extent, in The Family skit's spin-off television series, Mama's Family. She was again played by Carol Burnett. Burnett would only play Eunice in 5 episodes of the spin-off television series, Mama's Family, all of which were in the original version of the show on NBC. 4 of Burnett's appearances were in the show's 1st season (1983) while only 1 appearance was in the 2nd season (1983-1984). The final time Burnett played the character is in the 5th episode of the 2nd season, entitled "Rashomama". In the episode, Mama is in the hospital, having been hit in the head with a stew pot. While this marks the final time Burnett plays the Eunice character, it isn't the last time the character is seen. The character makes two more appearances, though as a child and a teenager in flashback episodes. Actress Tanya Fenmore played a young, child version of Eunice during the 19th episode of the 2nd season, entitled "Mama's Birthday". This marked the character's final appearance in the show's two season long NBC run.

The Eunice character only makes one appearance in the first-run syndication version of Mama's Family, the character's final appearance. The episode was apart of the 4th season, entitled "Sins of the Mother". In this episode, Heather Kerr plays a teenage version of Eunice. While this is the final actual appearance of the character, Eunice is presented once more, but in voice only. This voice-only presentation of the character is in the final episode of the 4th season, titled "Pomp and Circumstance". In this episode, Eunice speaks to Mama over the phone and is voiced by Phyllis Franklin; here, Eunice is given a somewhat negative portrayal as a bad mother. She calls Mama to inform her that she can't make it for her son Bubba's high school graduation, with little excuse as to why. She wouldn't even talk to Bubba over the phone to explain herself or congratulate him, rather just hanging up the phone on Mama.

Always layered in tattered and raggedy green rags, with a very stormy, irrepressible, and browbeating persona, Eunice is a character that's usually seen melodramatically out of control and ranting and raving. The character is portrayed as a jealous antagonist in her appearances on Mama's Family, much more so than her appearances on The Family sketches. Carol Burnett has said that Eunice is her favorite character from her show. Burnett did not appear at all in the first-run syndication version of the show, likely due to her acrimonious 1984 divorce from Carol Burnett Show and Mama's Family producer, Joe Hamilton, who owned all the Mama's Family characters.