When Tim Conway prowled onto The Carol Burnett Show stage dressed as a lion, nobody — not even Carol Burnett — was prepared for what came next. With a shaggy mane, a sleepy growl, and that slow-burn comedic timing only Conway could master, he transformed a simple costume bit into a full-blown circus of laughter.
The scene begins innocently enough — Carol tries to deliver her lines while Conway, crouched in his lion suit, stalks behind her like a mischievous cat with a law degree in troublemaking. He roars too softly, sneezes mid-pounce, then breaks character to scratch his ear with regal dignity. The absurdity builds as Harvey Korman enters, trying to keep the sketch on track but dissolving into uncontrollable laughter.
No props explode, no punchline is forced — yet the entire set collapses into hysteria, thanks to Conway’s impeccable instinct for when not to speak. His lion is part philosopher, part goofball, and entirely unforgettable.
Decades later, fans still replay this clip for one reason: no one could make silence roar louder than Tim Conway.
