Totie Fields

Totie Fields – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Totie Fields (1930–1978) was a pioneering American comedian known for her bold, self-deprecating humor, musical talent, and indomitable spirit. Explore her life, career, achievements, legacy, and memorable quotes below.

Introduction

When one hears the name Totie Fields, few immediately think of a quiet or conventional entertainer. Instead, they recall a force of nature — someone who transformed personal challenges into comic gold, who refused to let society’s expectations dim her light, and who left a legacy that continues to influence female comics and humor lovers alike.

Born Sophie Feldman on May 7, 1930, Totie Fields rose from modest beginnings in Hartford, Connecticut, to become a beloved comedian, singer, and television performer. She carved a space in a male-dominated comedy world by using wit, courage, and self-deprecating humor — embracing her own vulnerabilities, especially around her weight and health, and turning them into material that resonated with audiences. Even as she faced severe health setbacks late in life, she continued to perform, integrating hardship into her acts rather than hiding from it.

In this article, we delve into her life, her unique comedic voice, and her enduring influence — and present a curated collection of her wittiest, sharpest, and most poignant quotes.

Early Life and Family

Totie Fields was born Sophie Feldman on May 7, 1930, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents were members of a Jewish family, and she grew up in a modest environment. From a young age, Sophie showed an inclination toward performance and music. While still in high school, she began singing in clubs around Boston, adopting the stage name “Totie Fields.”

She married George William Johnston, Jr. in 1950, and the two remained married until her death in 1978. The couple had two children together.

Youth and Education

Little is documented about Totie’s formal schooling or higher education; her earliest public steps into performance came through singing in local venues during her teenage years. Her experience on the Boston club circuit gave her exposure to live audiences and early stage confidence.

As she matured as a performer, she shifted more toward comedic speaking and routines, developing a stage persona that combined musical interludes, one-liners, and storytelling. Her early immersion in performance helped her learn to pace, project, and respond to audiences — skills which would serve her well in the nightclub and television world of the 1950s and 1960s.

Career and Achievements

Breaking Through in Nightclubs and Television

By the 1950s and 1960s, Totie Fields was performing regularly in nightclubs. Her big break came when Ed Sullivan saw her perform at the Copacabana in New York and booked her on The Ed Sullivan Show in March 1964. Once that door opened, she appeared on numerous television variety and talk shows, including The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She also made guest appearances on comedic programs, such as The Carol Burnett Show (1971) and Here’s Lucy (1972).

Her television exposure expanded her reach far beyond nightclub audiences. She also participated in game shows like Hollywood Squares and Tattletales with her husband George Johnston.

Comedy Style and Innovations

What made Totie Fields distinct was her willingness to jokes about her weight, appearance, relationships, and physical struggles — areas many comedians (especially women of her era) avoided. Rather than seeing them as liabilities, she leaned into them, turning them into shared vulnerability between herself and her audience.

Her humor was self-deprecating, bold, and rapid-fire. She didn’t shy away from taboo subjects or harsh truths; she turned them into connection. For example, she wrote (in 1972) a comedic diet book titled I Think I’ll Start on Monday: The Official 8½ Oz. Mashed Potato Diet.

Over time, health problems became part of her material. After surgeries, illness, and even leg amputation, she integrated those experiences (painful, humiliating, frightening as they were) into her performances, shifting tone but retaining honesty and humor.

Health Struggles and Later Years

In March 1976, Totie underwent surgery to remove a blood clot, but complications led to phlebitis, and in April 1976, she had her left leg amputated above the knee. During recovery, she had heart attacks and significant mobility challenges. Her health troubles continued: in October 1977 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy, followed by an eye operation.

Despite physical pain and limitations, Totie continued performing. One of her most celebrated moments came during a Home Box Office special in June 1977: she began seated in a wheelchair, then stood, to thunderous applause, quipping “I’ve waited all my life to say this … I weigh less than Elizabeth Taylor!”

In 1978, she was honored as Entertainer of the Year and Female Comedy Star of the Year by the American Guild of Variety Artists — a tribute to her talent and perseverance even in the year of her decline.

Death

On August 2, 1978, Totie Fields was preparing to open a two-week engagement at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas when she was struck by a pulmonary embolism. She was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward. She was 48 years old.

After her death, her ashes were initially interred in Las Vegas. Later, following her husband’s death in January 1995, her remains were moved to Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles to rest beside him.

Historical Milestones & Context

• Totie Fields emerged at a time when few women dominated stand-up comedy; most were men, and the industry often dismissed or marginalized female comics. Her success marked an important step forward.

• Her routine about weight and body image came before “body positive” movements became mainstream; she turned social stigma and shame into humor and ownership.

• Her ability to continue performing despite amputations, illness, and personal suffering challenged public conceptions of health, ability, and humor.

• She paved the way for later female comedians who adopted vulnerable, confessional styles, often about identity, body, and health.

• Her presence on television in the 1960s and 1970s allowed broader audiences to see a comedian who didn’t fit the conventional mold.

Legacy and Influence

Totie Fields left an imprint on American comedy and pop culture. Her bravery in confronting physical limitations and integrating them into her work contributed to broadening what audiences expected of comedians. Female comedians who followed have cited her influence in opening spaces for more personal, irreverent, and body-aware humor.

While she died relatively young, her performances, television specials, and recorded routines remain accessible as a testament to her gift. Her life story also resonates as an example of resilience — showing that laughter and honesty can survive, even thrive, in adversity.

Though not as widely remembered today as some of her contemporaries, Totie Fields remains a touchstone in the history of women’s comedy, especially for those who find strength in confronting personal struggle head-on.

Personality and Talents

Totie Fields was more than a one-liner machine — she was multifaceted. Her background in singing allowed her to incorporate musical elements into her act. Her boldness, improvisational instincts, and willingness to shift tone (from comedy to emotional reflection) made her performances unpredictable and deeply human.

Her personality combined warmth, sharpness, frankness, and theatrical flair. She was not afraid to be “too big,” too loud, too messy — she leaned into her excesses, including weight, dress style, emotion, and physicality. She used vulnerability, self-mockery, and defiance as comedic tools.

Her talent also lay in timing, audience awareness, and the ability to pivot — turning a joke about dieting, for example, into a reflection on suffering or ambition. Her courage in the face of health challenges underscored a spirit that refused to bow down.

Famous Quotes of Totie Fields

Here is a curated selection of memorable quotes from Totie Fields, illustrating her wit, courage, and perspective:

1. “I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is two weeks.”

2. “I break all the rules and wear everything. Ruffles, ostrich feathers, fox coats. You look fat in fox anyway, so if you start fat, you only look a little fatter.”

3. “Happiness is getting a brown gravy stain on a brown dress.”

4. “I exercise daily to keep my figure. I keep patting my hand against the bottom of my chin. It works too. I have the thinnest fingers in town.”

5. “Shirley Temple had charisma as a child. But it cleared up as an adult.”

6. “I’ve waited all my life to say this... I weigh less than Elizabeth Taylor!”

These quotes showcase Totie’s signature style — playful, self-aware, biting, and rooted in everyday experiences.

Lessons from Totie Fields

Her life and work offer several enduring lessons:

• Turn vulnerability into strength. Totie refused to hide her struggles — weight, illness, loss — and instead used them as tools for connection and humor.

• Persistence in adversity. Even after debilitating health setbacks, she continued performing and evolving her act.

• Own your body (and your identity). She refused to let others define her worth by her size or appearance.

• Humor is a bridge. She used laughter to navigate hardship, provoke empathy, challenge taboos, and spark conversation.

• Growth through adaptation. Her ability to shift tone — from light jokes to reflections on suffering — showed creative flexibility and emotional depth.

Conclusion

Totie Fields was more than a comedian: she was an artist who turned life’s raw edges into laughter, connection, and authenticity. Her journey from Sophie Feldman in Hartford to a television star battling illness onstage illustrates the power of resilience, honesty, and humor.

As you explore her routines, writings, and recorded performances, pay attention not only to the laughs but to the courage behind the jokes. Her legacy invites us to face life’s challenges with defiance, wit, and humanity — reminding us that even in darkness, laughter can be a vital spark.

If you’d like, I can help you compile a more expansive collection of her routines, audio/video links, or deeper analysis of her comedic style.