- Along with John Fiedler and Monica Evans, she is one of only 3 actors to appear in both The Odd Couple (1968) and the subsequent television adaptation The Odd Couple (1970).
- Won Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for "The Elephant Man" in a tie with Constance Cummings for "Wings." Miss Shelley was present to receive her award and dedicated it to the memory of her recently departed mother whom she called "Charlie." She was also nominated for Tony Awards on two other occasions: in 1975 as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "Absurd Person Singular," and in 1987 as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for "Stepping Out."
- She and Monica Evans have worked on four projects together: The Odd Couple (1968), The Odd Couple (1970) The Aristocats (1970) and Robin Hood (1973).
- Replaced Elaine Stritch in the Broadway run of "Show Boat".
- Nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance for a Featured Actress in a Musical for "Billy Elliot - The Musical".
- Her ashes were sprinkled in New York City's Central Park.
- She was nominated for a 1974 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress in a Principal for her performance in "A Doll's House" at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
- The only actress to play the role of Gwendolyn Pigeon in "The Odd Couple" on Broadway, in film (The Odd Couple (1968)) and on TV The Odd Couple (1970).
- In 1979 she originated the role of Mrs. Kendall in "The Elephant Man", winning a Tony Award for best actress. In 2002 Kate Burton played Mrs. Kendall in the first revival of the play on Broadway, garnering a Tony nomination (one of two nominations she received that year, the other being for "Hedda Gabler"). These two distinguished actresses have worked on film and in television but in New York they are revered as two of the greatest actresses working on stage today. In 1995 these two ladies shared the same dressing room at the Union Square Theater, where they played mother and daughter in Neil Simon's "London Suite".
- She and Monica Evans played the Pigeon Sisters in the original Broadway production of The Odd Couple as well as in the subsequent feature film and television series.
- She was an only child who was raised in St. John's Wood section of London, England where her family attended Westminster Synagogue in Knightsbridge, London, England.
- Her father was a German Jewish immigrant, and her mother was of Russian Jewish descent.
- She was awarded the 1975 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Performance in a Play for "The Norman Conquests," at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
- Carole won the Obie Award in 1982 for "Twelve Dreams".
- She was awarded the 1976 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Lead Performance in a Play for "The Royal Family" at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, California.
- In 1979, Carole Shelley and Constance Cummings tied for the Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Play. Carole won for "The Elephant Man" and Constance won for "Wings". It was the only tie in this category and the seventh out of ten ties overall in Tony history.
- Naturalized U.S. citizen.
- Currently appearing in the "Popular Tour" touring group version of the smash Broadway hit "Wicked." Will be at the Kennedy Center until mid-to-late January. (December 2005)
- She is survived by her godson, Mark Holden-Hindley.
- She is survived by her cousins: Sheila, Morton, Bobbie, Daniel, Adrienne, Susan and Raymond.
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