Betty White — comedian, actress, TV star and animal activist — was in show business for over 80 years until her death of natural causes on Dec. 31, 2021, a few weeks before her 100th birthday.
Her roles were iconic. She was Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls,” and most recently, as Elka Ostrovsky in “Hot in Cleveland.”
She’s also appeared on the big screen, in made-for-TV movies, on “Saturday Night Live,” and way before any of that, she regularly turned up on the game show circuit. In short, she was an entertainment legend.
Known as an all-around nice person, she loved animals and was also known as an activist for their causes. Let’s take a closer look at the twist and turns that her 99-year life took.
It Was Betty, Not Elizabeth
Betty White, shown here in 1965, was named “Betty” because her parents didn’t want people calling her any of the possible nicknames associated with Elizabeth. AP Photo
Betty Marion White was born on Jan. 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois. Her mother, Christine Tess, was a stay-at-home wife and mother, and her father, Horace Logan White, worked as an electrical engineer.
Her parents named her Betty because they didn’t want people calling her any of the possible nicknames associated with Elizabeth, like Beth or Liza. Betty White’s heritage was a mixture of Danish, Greek, Welsh and English.
At the age of 2, the family moved to Los Angeles. White never had any siblings.
She Helped the Troops During World War II
Betty White, shown here in Los Angeles in June 1986, volunteered to help troops during World War II. Reed Saxon / AP Photo
When the Second World War broke out, White was a teenager. She had some jobs in theater, radio and as a model, but she dropped all those to help the troops.
As a member of the American Women’s Voluntary Services, she donned a uniform and drove a Post Exchange (a U.S. Army base retail store) truck through Hollywood Hills delivering supplies to the bivouacs.
Come nighttime, she attended dances thrown to give send-offs to soldiers shipping out.
She Is One of Television’s Early Pioneers
One of White’s first roles was in “Life with Elizabeth,” a TV series that ran from 1952-1955. Guild Films
Not very many homes had televisions before 1947, and when they did very few channels were available. There were only three networks.
“Television and I discovered each other together,” White said in her book, “If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t).” She claims the timing was perfect for her to appear on TV shows.
Her first job was as a phone girl in the series “Hollywood on Television” in 1949. Next, she starred in “Life with Elizabeth,” another TV series, from 1952-1955. Many other series followed.
Third Time’s a Charm
Betty White appeared frequently on TV game shows, including on “Match Game.” Allen Betty / YouTube
During WWII, White met and married U.S. Army Air Corps Pilot Dick Barker. That marriage lasted six months. In 1945, she wed theatrical agent Lane Allen. They divorced four years later.
In the 1950s, she became famous as a regular celebrity contestant on “To Tell the Truth,” “What’s My Line,” “The Match Game,” “Pyramid” and other TV game shows. But it was on “Password” where she met Allen Ludden, the love of her life, in 1961.
She Was Addicted to … Word Puzzles
Betty White stands with Henry Winkler, center, and Beatrice Arthur, right, at the TV Land Awards in 2008 in Santa Monica, Calif. Matt Sayles / AP Photo
White referred to her obsession with crosswords as “mental gymnastics” in “If You Ask Me.
She played Scrabble every lunch break on the set of the Hallmark movie, “The Lost Valentine.” Wherever she went, White would always have crossword puzzles and acrostics in her purse. She had subscriptions to two puzzle clubs and received a new set every month, so she never ran out.
Maybe that was the secret to her 99-year success?
She Won Awards Galore
Betty White and Michael J. Fox stand backstage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, in 1986, after receiving their Emmys. Fox won for his role in “Family Ties,” and White for her role in “The Golden Girls.” Douglas C. Pizac / AP Photo
As a nod to her incredible acting chops, White was honored numerous times. She took home eight Emmys, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, one People’s Choice Award and numerous others.
White’s take on any of these awards was that it was an honor just to be nominated. She said that was also a good time to tell yourself that you’re not going to win. Because of that mindset, she never wrote an acceptance speech.
She Was a True Golden Girl
Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur and Betty White, left to right, from the television series “The Golden Girls” are shown during a break in taping in 1985. Nick Ut / AP Photo
For eight years, beginning in 1985, White portrayed Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls” alongside Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty. Rose was naïve, funny and not too bright.
The four of them lived in Miami, but the actual house where the series was filmed was in Los Angeles. White and McClanahan often played word games during breaks from filming.
You can still catch this hilarious comedy in reruns. Also, now try to get the song “Thank You for Being a Friend” out of your head.
