Exclusive: Vicki Lawrence as 'Mama' Calls Out Ted Williams

For many people, the tale of how homeless guy Ted Williams was discovered and given a chance to enjoy fame and fortune has been inspirational.

One person who was inspired was actress Vicki Lawrence, who found Williams' saga the perfect opportunity for satire using her famous "Mama" character that she introduced nearly 40 years ago on "The Carol Burnett Show."

Lawrence, 61, recently filmed a video dressed as "Mama" and declaring herself to be homeless because she sees it as a career move -- and she provided an early glimpse of this effort in a special preview for AOL News.

"I have decided to become homeless because that is the only way for a person to become famous in this country these days," she says in the video.

"So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to take this stupid a-- sign and go out on the street, and I'm gonna wait for some bozo to drive by.

"And when he gives me a dollar, I'm going to say, 'God bless you. God bless you,' in the sweetest, deepest voice that I pull out of my a-- and you know what? Next thing, I'm gonna be famous. I'm gonna be all over the TV, and I'm gonna have all kinds of people asking me to represent their product, like, I don't know, Super Poligrip. And Depends! I would be a perfect spokesperson for Depends!'"

If you haven't guessed, any resemblance to Ted Williams is by no means coincidental. And while the "Mama" character's comments about homeless people being on booze and drugs may be politically incorrect, Lawrence isn't hiding her own opinions about the Williams saga behind a gray-haired wig and padding.

"'Mama' gets a little carried away when she speaks, but it bothers me when people like Kim Kardashian and Ted Williams become celebrities for doing absolutely f--king nothing," Lawrence told AOL News, while stepping out of character.

"He's everywhere now. Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera were giving him a hug on 'The Today Show,' and I thought, 'I hope he took a bath.'

"Then he told them he'd been watching their show for years. Where? Through a window at an appliance store?"

If Lawrence sounds just an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny disgruntled, it's not without justification.

"I am classic TV," she said, pointing to a 43-year show business career that included an 11-year stint on "The Carol Burnett Show," a No. 1 hit in 1973 with "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" and a five-year run on "Mama's Family." "But I am struggling to get work on TV, so I've had to go on the road.

"Meanwhile, Ted Williams is getting hired by Kraft. I'm sorry, but how is he a spokesman for Kraft? How did he boil water when he was living on the streets? Did he eat mac and cheese in the bushes?"

After seeing how Williams managed to have the high of meeting Kobe Bryant and going into rehab in the same week, Lawrence decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and did her own video spoof.

"I came up with the idea on Tuesday night and recorded it near my house on Wednesday," Lawrence said. "It basically wrote itself, although the part where I yell 'Kiss my a--!' to a woman walking by was ad-libbed."

Lawrence hopes people who see the video, especially those who are in a capacity to hire her for acting roles, will appreciate the value of a seasoned performer who is professional and clean -- especially since Williams is showing them the alternative.

"We are handing him the world when he's already self-destructed," she said. "Fame and fortune doesn't necessarily mean a new life -- it doesn't change who you are. His story reminds me of those lottery winners who lose everything. Think about it. There's never a good ending."

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