Betty at her 90th Birthday celebration last year. Pic: hollywire.com
Living Legend Betty White turned 91 yesterday.
It seems there is no stopping White, the older she gets, the funnier and busier she gets.
White is most famous for her roles in 2 very popular sitcoms, both about powerful women, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls. However she was working long before, and long after those shows.
White started out on the acting scene in 1945. Her very first role was, in a short, Time To Kill, where she played Lou’s Girl.
Her very first re-curring role was in the 1953 sitcom, Life With Elizabeth. White played the title character in this series, about newlyweds Elizabeth and Alvin. This ran for 13 episodes between 1953 & 1955.
White went on to feature in many TV shows after Life With Elizabeth was cancelled but got her big break when she landed a regular role, as Sue Ann Nivens, on the very popular The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973 – 77). Here she talks about some of her fondest memories of the show.
When The Mary Tyler Moore Show show ended, White got her own show – The Betty White Show. This show focused on the “exploits of hack TV actress Joyce Whitman, star of the fictitious Undercover Woman series”. (imdb.com)
Undercover Woman only lasted one season. White went on to appear on many other TV shows before nabbing the role that most people will remember her for. That of Rose Nyland, the naive ‘girl’ from St Olaf, in The Golden Girls (1985 – 1992).
She was originally cast to play the over sexed Blanche and Rue McClanahan was supposed to play Rose. However, when it came to filming the pilot episode, the director asked them to switch roles. White was nervous about playing Rose but the director knew what he was talking about as the actresses couldn’t be more perfect in those swapped roles!
White went on to receive an emmy nomination for all seven years that the show was on air. Here she is, in 1986, accepting an Emmy from a very young David Letterman.
Some of Rose’s best moments
White has appeared on many TV shows in her long and successful career. Here is a guest spot on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
From 2006 – 2009, she left the world of comedy behind to star as Stephanie Forrester’s mother, in the Daytime Drama, The Bold and The Beautiful. Here’s her teary final scene.
While most of White’s fabulous work has been on TV, she has ventured onto the big screen. In 2009, she co-starred alongside Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock in The Proposal. She was the best thing about it!
Here’s a sketch the 3 of them filmed for Funny or Die while filming The Proposal. Betty lets Ryan know who the star is.
White’s career isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, she is just as popular now, as she ever has been. Here she is on Ellen talking about her surprise at all of the attention.
White is currently starring as Elka, on Hot in Cleveland and still winning awards. Just last year she won, her second consecutive, SAG award for Best Actress in A Comedy series.
Happy Birthday to one of the funniest and most fabulous ladies in Hollywood – here’s to a year ahead that is as fabulous, hilarious, and fun, as you are! Looking forward to enjoying many more Betty White moments!
That’s Entertainment!
Sarina 🙂
