The Golden Life of Betty White

With the longest television career of any entertainer, this “Golden Girl” is truly a legend. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re taking a look at the extraordinary journey of actress, producer, and female pioneer Betty White. Betty White was born in 1922 to Christine Tess and Horace Logan White. When Betty was one, they moved from Illinois to California. During the Great Depression, it was hard to make ends meet. Her father had to trade homemade radios for goods. Since her parents were big animal lovers, this sometimes included dogs - encouraging Betty’s own love of animals. Inspired by family trips to the High Sierras, she dreamed of becoming a forest ranger. Unfortunately, women couldn’t become rangers at the time; so White turned to acting instead. Three months after graduating high school, Betty White sang on an obscure television channel in LA. In 1939, television was still an experimental medium, and the channel never did get off the ground. But thankfully for us, Betty did. When World War II broke out however, White had to put her career on hold to join the war effort. As part of American Women’s Voluntary Services, she helped transport supplies and participated in events to support the troops before they left for battle. After the war, White started co-hosting the show “Hollywood on Television” with radio legend Al Jarvis. After he left, she hosted the show on her own for five hours a day, six days a week. White’s hard work was recognized in 1951, when she won her very first Emmy nomination. Boosted by this success, in 1953, White co-produced and starred in “Life With Elizabeth,” a sitcom about a clumsy housewife and her long-suffering husband. As a producer, White had creative control behind as well as in front of the camera - which, at the time, was unheard of for a woman. In the sixties, White started appearing on game shows like “What’s My Line,” “To Tell the Truth,” and “Pyramid.” Her dazzling smile and playful good humour made her a popular guest, and she continued to pop up on game shows throughout her life. Game show sets were basically a second home to her, and her work on them earned her the moniker “First Lady of Game Shows.” It was during her appearance on “Password” that she met her future husband and love of her life, game show host Allen Ludden. White had been married twice before, and Ludden proposed to her several times before she accepted. The two were happily married until his death in 1981. In 1973, White was cast as the flirtatious Sue Ann Nivens on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show.” The show’s creators had wanted an “icky sweet Betty White type”. They got the real deal! She was on the show for four years, during which White received three Emmy nominations and won twice. After hosting 1983’s “Just Men!”, she picked up another Emmy, becoming the first woman to win one for hosting a game show. Two years later, White was cast as Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls.” She’d auditioned for the part of Blanche, and was nervous about playing Rose. But as we now know, she rocked it. Her performance earned her an Emmy in the show’s first season, and nominations in each following year. In the mid 2000s, Betty White returned to the small screen with recurring roles in “The Bold and the Beautiful”, as well as the comedy drama “Boston Legal”. Her role as the calculating office gossip Catherine Piper was a stark departure from her role as the sweet and innocent Rose Nylund. She continued to appear on popular talk shows, with hosts like Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres. Most notably, she reconnected with old friends during a “Mary Tyler Moore Show” cast reunion on the set of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” 2006 was a big year for Betty, the animal lover. After decades of working with the LA Zoo, the city honoured her with a plaque next to the gorilla exhibit. White was named “Ambassador to the Animals” - a worthy reward for so many years of dedication. Despite being known as a television icon, White also had roles in movies. In 2009, she appeared in the rom-com “The Proposal,” alongside Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Her performance stole our hearts, but also those of her co-stars - who are still to this day competing for her love. In 2010, White was featured in a Super Bowl ad for snickers. The ad included her getting “tackled” by NFL players, before delivering a well-placed burn to one of her teammates. The hilarious clip proved that White was as spry and sassy as ever - not that we needed a reminder. After the sensation caused by the ad, a Facebook group called “Betty White hosting SNL… Please?” quickly gained traction. After some reluctance, White granted their wish. She earned another Emmy for her performance, bringing her up to a total of seven. You can’t keep Betty White away from television for long. In 2010, the 87-year old actress signed on to another sitcom called “Hot in Cleveland.” White was only supposed to appear in the pilot; but when she saw the amazing chemistry between her co-stars, she decided that she wanted in. While starring in “Hot in Cleveland,” White also produced and hosted her own live television show, “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.” The show featured elderly people playing pranks on the younger generation, and earned her three more Emmy nominations. 2012 was a landmark in the life of Betty White. In honour of her 90th birthday, NBC released a “Betty White’s 90th Birthday” television special, featuring several of the stars that had had the privilege of working with her. White even received a happy birthday message from President Barack Obama. In 2015, the Daytime Emmys honoured White’s long and fruitful career by giving her a Lifetime Achievement Award. White was visibly overjoyed and delivered an acceptance speech that was every bit in character - simultaneously hilarious, witty, and deeply moving. After eight decades on television, White seems far from retiring. In 2019, she made a cameo in Toy Story 4 as a tiger named “Bitey White.” In an interview, White said that the experience was “so much fun” and that, for an animal lover, the tiger was “perfect.” Even approaching 100 years old, Betty White has become one of America’s most beloved celebrities. It came as no surprise when many fans voiced their concern for her in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully, this legendary lady confirmed she was fine. For almost a century now, Betty White has been blessing our screens with her sharp wit and incredible zest for life. This one-of-a-kind lady is proof that true icons are timeless. Stay golden, Betty.