Betty Marion White Ludden or Betty White (born on January 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois – died on December 31, 2021, in Los Angeles, California) was an American actress, comedian, voice actress, presenter, and producer.
She is best known for her roles in comedic television series and films. She became popular worldwide in the role of Rose Nylund in the series Golden Girls. Other major series successes include Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland. In the cinema she was successful with films such as Self is the Bride, in which she played in 2009 at the age of 87 years at the side of Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.
As one of the first female producers, White paved the way for women in the film and television business behind the camera and in senior positions. In 2009, she was named a “Disney Legend”. For the longest television career of an entertainer, she was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 2013.
Biography of Betty White
Family
Betty Marion White was born in 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois, the only child of Horace Lawrence White and Tess Curtis Cachikis. She spent much of her youth in a suburb of Los Angeles. White’s mother was of Greek, English and Welsh descent; her father had Danish and English ancestry.
White was married three times. She divorced her first husband, Frederick R. “Dick” Barker, in 1945. She was married to Lane Allen from 1947 to 1949. In 1963, she married the widowed presenter Allen Ludden. The two had met on the show Password, which he hosted. He brought with him three children from his first marriage and died in 1981.
Betty White career
Beginnings
When Betty White appeared on talk shows or award ceremonies in recent years, she was usually announced with the following words:
“… and here comes Betty White, the woman who’s been watching TV for an eternity”.
This reflects the fact that White’s beginnings in television date back to 1939. During her school years, she and one of her classmates were selected for a test screening of The Merry Widow. Since there was no possibility to record films at that time, the performance of the young people was transmitted in real-time to a television set on another floor.
After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, White had the goal of becoming an actress. She gained experience as a stage actress with the Bliss-Hayden Little Theater Group and began speaking commercials for radio. In 1949, the young actress was hired by radio disc jockey Al Jarvis for his television show. White was the first female disc jockey in Los Angeles.
Hollywood on Television
The talk show Hollywood on Television went on air in November 1949 and was initially a television version of Al Jarvis’ radio show. While the music was playing, the audience saw the two presenters talking to each other. However, due to viewers’ requests, the conversations of Al and Betty soon became the main part of the show, and the format developed into a talk show with emerging talents from the music business such as Sarah Vaughn, Peggy Lee or Nat King Cole. But also established stars and friends of Jarvis like Buster Keaton were guests.
The young presenter quickly became known to viewers and also received her own show entitled The Betty White Show, which ran directly after Hollywood on Television. The success of Hollywood on Television led to the expansion of the show to include vocals and sketches by White and Jarvis. The two were supported by new presenters such as George Tibbles, Ronnie Kemper and Erin O’Brien. In early 1952, Al Jarvis withdrew from the project, leaving White in charge.
Life with Elizabeth
The sketches from Hollywood on Television were well received by the audience, and it was decided to make them an independent format. Together with writer George Tibbles and producer Don Fedderson, White founded her own production company, Bandy Productions. Along with Gertrude Berg, she was one of the first women to act both as the lead actress of a series in front of the camera and as a producer behind the camera. Another special feature of the series was the division into three independent situations. Previous sitcoms had only one continuous plot.
In the 30-minute comedy show, Elizabeth, played by Betty White, often drove her husband Alvin, played by Del Moore, to white heat in ten-minute situations. The theme of the individual skits was explained in advance by presenter Jack Narz and introduced by him through a short conversation with the title heroine. At the end of each scene, Elizabeth was asked by the moderator about her behavior with the words “Elizabeth, aren’t you ashamed? (Elizabeth, aren’t you ashamed?)” questioned, which she always denied by vigorous shaking of the head.
White won an Emmy Award in 1952 for her performance. The show, which was initially broadcast in real-time in a television syndicate, made it to network television the following year. Due to her duties as the lead actress and producer of the series, the actress was forced to end her work with Hollywood on Television – which also meant the end of the show. After 65 episodes, Life with Elizabeth was also canceled in 1955.
Tournament of Roses Parade
On New Year’s Day 1955, White hosted the Pasadena Rose Parade for the first time with Bill Goodwin. For the next twenty years, this remained their annual occupation on New Year’s Day. Her moderation partners included Roy Neal, Bill Cullen and Lorne Greene. In addition, there were other flower parades in Portland and New York as well as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The actress said:
“Every time I saw a row of cars in front of a traffic light, I had to suppress the reflex to comment on it.”
Betty White
The Gameshow Years
From the 1960s, White appeared regularly on various game and talk shows on television, including numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar and later host Johnny Carson, What’s My Line, Wheel of Fortune, Pyramid, To Tell the Truth, I’ve Got a Secret or Jeopardy! In addition, she was more or less regularly seen in the show Match Game with Gene Rayburn, and during the summer months, she played in plays and musicals such as The King and I, Critic’s Choice, Guys and Dolls or South Pacific.
In October 1961, a new game show came to American television: Password was hosted by Allen Ludden, and White was also a prominent guest. It did not stop at one time, and White also appeared in the follow-up shows Password Plus and Super Password. Ludden and White finally married in 1963. The show was reissued in 2009 and runs under the title Million Dollar Password on CBS; White was also seen here. Because the show was ended and revived so many times, White said in one of these so-called last broadcasts:
“This is the third final broadcast of Password. Don’t worry, we’ll be back right after the advertisement.”
Betty White
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In the 1970s, White was part of the regular cast of the innovative Mary Tyler Moore Show, which was one of the most successful series of its time. The role of Sue Ann Nivens was described by the writers as a “sugar-sweet, Betty White-like character” and after an unsuccessful casting, White himself was finally asked to play the role. From the fourth season, she played the perfect housewife and hostess in a cooking show on the fictional television studio WJM, while after work she had affairs with the men of the neighborhood, including Phyllis’ husband, played by Cloris Leachman. White was awarded an Emmy twice in a row for her performance.
In 1977, Mary Tyler Moore’s team left the screens, and White, like her colleagues Ed Asner, Cloris Leachman and Valerie Harper, received a spin-off series. However, the sitcom The Betty White Show, named after its leading actress, was canceled after just a few episodes due to a lack of success.
Golden Girls
In the 1980s, White appeared in various guest roles, including the recurring role of Eunice’s wealthy sister in Mama’s Family. As Ellen, she showed Carol Burnett on each of her visits how much better off she was, as she had a rich husband and not a failure like her sister. Rue McClanahan also appeared as a guest on the series, and when the series was briefly canceled after two years, the two actresses signed a contract for the new series Golden Girls.
Initially, it was planned that White would take on the role of Blanche and McClanahan the role of the Rose. However, the resemblance to McClanahan’s character of the virgin aunt in Mama’s Family and White’s most famous alter ego Sue Ann Nivens prompted the producers to swap roles. When the first season of the series aired in 1985, the success confirmed this decision, and White received an Emmy and numerous other awards for his portrayal of the kind-hearted but hopelessly naïve widow from the country. Rue McClanahan as well as Beatrice Arthur and Estelle Getty were also awarded this important television prize in the following years.
Beatrice Arthur’s decision to leave the series led to the end of Golden Girls in 1992 after seven successful years. However, the remaining three actresses agreed to participate in a spin-off. In the series Golden Palace, which ran until 1993, the three ladies bought a hotel of the same name, which they ran together with a hotel manager (Don Cheadle) and a chef (Cheech Marin). Over the course of the series, Rose became a more confident woman who no longer bored her two friends with her St. Olaf stories, but also prevailed in arguments. Such attempts had mostly been suppressed by Dorothy in the mother series. Despite two guest appearances by Arthur, the spin-off could not build on the success of Golden Girls and was discontinued after only one season.
From the 1990s
Betty White continued to be active as an actress, presenter and guest on talk and late-night shows. Through numerous guest appearances in well-known series such as The Wild 70s, Malcolm in the Middle, Everwood or Alles Betty! The actress was still well-known and very popular with international television audiences. In the series Boston Legal, she appeared several times as Catherine Piper; a role she had previously played in the lawyer series The Practice. In an award-winning guest appearance, she played a psychiatrist’s replacement in the series Ally McBeal, who is always too happy to prescribe the “good Prozac” antidepressant to the title heroine.
From December 2006, White played for two years in the US soap opera Reich und Schön the recurring role Ann Douglas, the mother of Stephanie Forrester alias Susan Flannery. In 2008, she returned to the series to replay the character. On Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show, White was a regular sketch partner of the host. A campaign on the Internet platform Facebook in 2010 ensured that the actress could be won as a guest presenter for the popular late-night show Saturday Night Live. Not only was she the oldest guest host in the history of the series, but White also brought the format one of the largest viewers in its history, which was honored with an Emmy. Due to her great success and cult status, she was invited to the show Saturday Night Live for a second time in 2015.
From 2010 to 2015, White played a series lead role in the sitcom Hot in Cleveland, which marked another career highlight. She played a quirky old housekeeper who makes life difficult for the house’s three new owners (Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick). In 2011, she won her first Screen Actors Guild Award as an actress for her role as Elka Ostrovsky in Hot in Cleveland; In 2012 she repeated this success, and in 2013 she was rewarded with another nomination. In 2009, she was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
From the mid-1990s, the actress was also increasingly seen on the big screen, such as in 1998 in Hard Rain alongside Morgan Freeman or in 1999 as the quirky Delores Bickerman, who decimates her livestock in Lake Placid so that a crocodile from the lake always has enough to eat. In 2003, she starred alongside Steve Martin and Queen Latifah in the comedy House Over Head. In 2009, White appeared in Anne Fletcher’s comedy Self is the Bride. As the quirky grandmother of Ryan Reynolds, she interfered in the preparations for the sham marriage with Sandra Bullock and brought the unlikely couple closer together with unusual methods.
In 2010, White appeared alongside Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Victor Garber, Christine Lakin, Patrick Duffy and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as well as the pop music duo Hall & Oates, consisting of Daryl Hall and John Oates, in the comedy Du schon again. There her character meets her former actress colleague Cloris Leachman, who plays her old rival in the film. In one of the last scenes in the film, Leachman’s character insults White by saying that White’s dress probably still comes from the Golden Girls ‘ collection. In 2017, White was inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which annually awards the Oscars.
Animal welfare
White was committed to animal welfare for many years. Her parents had encouraged her love of animals and especially dogs. She was on the board of the Morris Animal Foundation for several years and used her own fame to promote the organization and its projects.
Along with her then-husband Allen Ludden, she also began supporting the Los Angeles Zoo, both financially and through practical help in setting up various projects and as a prominent speaker. There is a plaque in honor of Ludden in the zoo. The couple also developed an animal show together. In The Pet Set, celebrities such as James Stewart, Eddie Albert or Doris Day were guests with their pets to bring the audience closer to the care, rearing and keeping. In her other series, White repeatedly tried to integrate topics related to animal welfare and various animals as a guest actor. In one episode of Golden Palace, for example, the fate of greyhounds is discussed. White has also authored and co-authored several books on animal care and welfare. In 2009, the actress was the first person to receive the Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Jane Goodall Institute for her many years of successful commitment to animal welfare. The animal rights organization American Humane honored her with her highest honor, the National Humanitarian Medal.
Death of Betty White
White died on December 31, 2021, 17 days before her 100th birthday as a result of a stroke. Shortly before, a documentary called Betty White: 100 Years Young – A Birthday Celebration had been shot for her 100th birthday, in which stars such as Ryan Reynolds, Robert Redford and Jennifer Love congratulated Hewitt White. On the occasion of this film and her upcoming birthday, the magazine People published an issue with Betty White on the cover two days before her death, in which an extensive interview with her and many colleagues could be found. The documentary was nevertheless released under the modified title Betty White: A Celebration on January 17, 2022, as it had already been shot before her death.
US President Joe Biden released the following statement on Betty White’s death:
“Betty White brought a smile to the lips of generations of Americans. She’s a cultural icon who will be sorely missed. Jill and I are thinking of her family and all those who loved her this New Year’s Eve.”
Joe Biden on Twitter
Numerous colleagues paid tribute to Betty White, including actor, director and producer Henry Winkler, Carol Burnett, Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Redford, Reese Witherspoon, Cher, Dolly Parton, William Shatner, Jamie Lee Curtis and many more.
This was also true for many media outlets in commentaries and cover stories, as the Washington Post emphasized in an obituary that she had been one of the most famous Americans for decades and described her in another obituary as one of the most enduring and lovable television personalities. In its obituary, the BBC paid tribute to Betty White as a “Golden Girl with a Heart of Gold” and the Guardian recalled how revolutionary her work often was.
Effect
White was in the television business for more than 80 years. She was considered a well-known and popular American television actress “thanks to her cheeky and engaging charm”. Already at the beginning of her career, her image as a “girl next door” manifested itself. The TV Guide, for example, described the actress as the new “America’s Sweetheart”. This image was supported by White’s characters in the series as well as their numerous appearances on various talk and game shows.
After the deaths of her three series colleagues Estelle Getty in 2008, Beatrice Arthur in 2009 and Rue McClanahan in 2010, Betty White was the last surviving actress from the series Golden Girls. This led to even greater media interest in the United States for the then 88-year-old, who is considered an “ideal grandmother” by numerous age groups.
White commented on the fact that she is the last “Golden Girl” with the sentence:
“So I’m the last survivor and it’s so ironic, cause I was the oldest of the four of us. Isn’t that silly?”
“So now I’m the last survivor and that’s such an irony because I was the oldest of the four of us. Isn’t that absurd?”
White was the last surviving lead actress from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The eponymous lead actress, Mary Tyler Moore, who was 14 years younger than White, died in 2017, Valerie Harper in 2019, Cloris Leachman in January, Gavin MacLeod in May and Ed Asner in August 2021.
In addition to her commitment to animals, White has always stood up for discriminated people and minorities. Already in 1954, she took a clear position when, after a performance by the black tap dancer Arthur Duncan in her show, numerous spectators boycotted the show and demanded its cancellation. In response, she gave him even more airtime and said to these viewers: “Live with it”. Arthur Duncan, who later had a great career, has repeatedly emphasized that he also owed this to Betty White and her integrity. In addition, she campaigned for many years for the rights of homosexuals and long before their implementation called for the opening of marriage to same-sex couples.
Until her death, Betty White was repeatedly asked in interviews and at award ceremonies how she managed to stay mentally and physically fit into old age and maintain her sense of humor. She emphasized again and again that this is due to her optimism and cheerfulness and that she always sees the positive, because negative thoughts cost too much strength.
Awards
American Comedy Awards
- 1987: Award for “Funniest Actress in a Television Series” for Golden Girls
- 1990: Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1990: Nomination for “Funniest Actress in a Television Series” for Golden Girls
- 2000: Best Guest Actress in a Television Series Award for Ally McBeal
Emmys
- 1951: Nominated: Best Actress
- 1952: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Life with Elizabeth
- 1975: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Mary Tyler Moore
- 1976: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Mary Tyler Moore
- 1977: Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Mary Tyler Moore
- 1983: Award for “Outstanding Host of a Game or Audience Participation Show” for Just Men!
- 1984: Nomination for “Outstanding Host of a Game or Audience Participation Show” for Just Men!
- 1986: Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Golden Girls
- 1987: Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Golden Girls
- 1988: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Golden Girls
- 1989: Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Golden Girls
- 1990: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Golden Girls
- 1991: Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Golden Girls
- 1992: Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Golden Girls
- 1996: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for The John Larroquette Show
- 1997: Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Susan
- 2003: Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Yes, Dear
- 2004: Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for The Practice
- 2009: Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for My Name Is Earl
- 2010: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live
- 2011: Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Hot in Cleveland
- 2015: Lifetime Achievement Award
Golden Globe Awards
- 1986: Nominated: Best Series Actress – Comedy or Musical for Golden Girls
- 1987: Nominated: Best Series Actress – Comedy or Musical for Golden Girls
- 1988: Nominated: Best Series Actress – Comedy or Musical for Golden Girls
- 1989: Nominated: Best Series Actress – Comedy or Musical for Golden Girls
Screen Actors Guild Awards
- 2009: Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
- 2011: Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hot in Cleveland
- 2012: Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hot in Cleveland
- 2013: Nominated: Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hot in Cleveland
Other awards
- 1987: Viewers for Quality Television Award for “Best Actress in a Comedy Series” for Golden Girls
- 1988: Viewers for Quality Television Award for “Best Actress in a Comedy Series” for Golden Girls
- 1988: Women’s International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award
- 1995: Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame
- 2009: Disney Legend Award
- 2012: Grammy Award for “Best Spoken Album” for If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t)
- 2013: Inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records
- 2015: People’s Choice Awards 2015 in the category “Favorite TV Icon”
For her achievements in the television business, White has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6747 Hollywood Boulevard right next to her third husband’s star.
Filmography of Betty White
The most famous German dubbing voice of White was Verena Wiet. In later cinema and television productions, she was dubbed by Christel Merian.
Films
- Advise and Consent (1962)
- 1989: Hanna-Barbera’s 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration (voice)
- Hard Rain (1998)
- Holy Man (1998)
- Dennis the Menace Strikes Again (1998)
- The Story of Us (1999)
- Lake Placid (1999)
- Tom Sawyer (2000)
- Whispers: An Elephant’s Tale (2000)
- Bringing Down the House (2003)
- The Third Wish (2005)
- 2008: Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ, anime film, voice in the English version)
- The Proposal (2009)
- Love N’ Dancing (2009)
- You Again (2010)
- The Lorax (2012, voice)
- 2019: A Toy Story: Everything Listens to No Command (Toy Story 4, voice)
- 2019: Trouble (animated film, voice)
Television films
- The Jury (1945)
- Time to Kill (1945)
- The Daring Miss Jones (1951)
- Vanished (1971)
- The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976)
- A Different Approach (1978)
- With This Ring (1978)
- Snavely (1978)
- The Best Place to Be (1979)
- Before and After (1979)
- The Gossip Columnist (1980)
- The Hollywood Knights (1980)
- 1981: Stephanie (short film)
- Eunice (1982)
- Big City Comedy (1986)
- Alf Loves a Mystery (1987)
- 1988: Mickey’s 60th Birthday (voice)
- The Earth Day Special (1990)
- 1991: Mary Tyler Moore: The 20th Anniversary Show (film special)
- 1991: Hurricane Saturday (film special: Golden Girls, Harry’s Nest, Hello Sister)
- Chance of a Lifetime (1991)
- Fast Food Family (1991)
- Full Moon Over Miami (1992)
- Bob Hope: The First 90 Years (1993)
- A Weekend in the Country (1996)
- The Story of Santa Claus (1996)
- Noddy: Anything Can Happen at Christmas (1998)
- 2001: The Wild Thornberrys: The Orgin of Donnie (voice)
- The Retrievers (2001)
- 2002: The Mary Tyler Moore Reunion (film special)
- Stealing Christmas (2003)
- The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments (2003)
- Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam an Burt (2003)
- Annie’s Point (2005)
- Where’s Marty (2006)
- 2007: In Search of Puppy Love (documentary)
- Your Mommy Kills Animals (2007)
- Sea Tales (2007)
- 2009: Part Two: The Warm Mission (short film)
- 2010: Prep & Landing Stocking Stuffer: Operation: Secret Santa (short film)
- The Lost Valentine (2011)
- 2011: Betty White: Champion for Animals (documentary)
- 2011: Luciana featuring Betty White: I’m Still Hot (short film)
- 2013: Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy (documentary)
- 2013: Betty White Goes Wild (documentary)
- 2014: St. Vincent
- 2017: If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast
- 2018: Betty White: First Lady of Television (documentary)
- 2020: Untitled Lifetime Christmas Movie
- 2022: Betty White: A Celebration (documentary)
Television series and shows
- Hollywood on Television (1949–1953)
- The Eddy Albert Show (1952)
- Life with Elizabeth (1953–1955) (65 episodes)
- The Betty White Show (1954)
- What’s My Line (1955–1956) (8 episodes)
- The Millionaire (1956)
- Date with the Angels (1957–1958) (33 episodes)
- To Tell the Truth (1958–2001) (39 episodes)
- 1958: The Betty White Show (14 episodes)
- 1958–1962: The Jack Paar Show (36 episodes)
- Password (1961–2008)
- The United States Steel Hour (1962)
- 1963–1972: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (TV parade, annual host)
- You Don’t Say! (1963–1975) (10 episodes)
- Another World (1964)
- That’s Live (1968)
- 1969: Allen Ludden’s Gallery (talk show, 60 episodes)
- Petticoat Junction (1969)
- 1970–1977: Mary Tyler Moore (TV series) (168 episodes)
- 1971: The Pet Set (31 episodes)
- Vanished (1971) (2 episodes)
- The Odd Couple (1972, one episode)
- 1972: O Hara, U.S.Treasury (one episode)
- I’ve Got a Secret (1972–1973)
- 1973–1977: Oh Mary (45 episodes)
- 1973–1982,1991: Match Game (game show)
- 1975: Lucas Tanner (one episode)
- 1975: Ellery Queen (one episode)
- The Carol Burnett Show (1975–1977)
- 1976–1977: The Sonny and Cher Show (2 episodes)
- 1976–1979: Liar’s Club, (game show, 48 episodes)
- 1977–1978: The Betty White Show (14 episodes)
- 1978: Snavely (1 episode)
- 1979–1982: Password Plus (game show, 25 episodes)
- 1980–1985: Love Boat (The Love Boat, 5 episodes)
- Best of the West (1981)
- 1981: The Tonight Show (one episode, as Jane During in Tarzan and the Apes)
- 1982: Love, Sidney (one episode)
- 1982–1991: The $25,000 Pyramid (game show, 85 episodes)
- Just Men! (1983) (Gameshow, 65 episodes)
- Fame (1983)
- 1983–1986: Mama’s Family (15 episodes)
- One to Grow on (1983–1989)
- Trivia Trap (1984)
- 1984: Hotel (one episode)
- Who’s the Boss (1985) (Who’s the Boss?, 2 episodes)
- 1985: Chief Physician Dr. Westphall (St. Elsewhere, 2 episodes)
- 1985–1992: Golden Girls (The Golden Girls, 180 episodes)
- 1987: D.C. Follies (one episode)
- Matlock (1987)
- Another World (1988)
- 1988: California Clan (Santa Barbara, 3 episodes)
- 1989–1992: Empty Nest (3 episodes)
- Carol & Company (1990)
- 1991: Hallo Schwester! (Nurses, one episode)
- 1992–1993: Golden Palace (The Golden Palace, 24 episodes)
- 1993: Bob (8 episodes)
- Diagnosis Murder (1994, one episode)
- 1995: The Naked Truth (2 episodes)
- 1995–1996: Maybe This Time (18 episodes)
- 1996: Susan (Suddenly Susan, one episode)
- Mrs. Santa Claus (1998)
- 1998: The Lionhearts (5 episodes, voice)
- 1998: L.A. Doctors (one episode)
- 1999: Hercules, (one episode, voice)
- 1999–2001: Ladies Man (30 episodes)
- 1999, 2002: King of the Hill (2 episodes, voice)
- Ally McBeal (2000)
- 2000: The Wild Thornberries (3 episodes, voice)
- The Ellen Show (2001)
- 2000, 2007: The Simpsons (guest appearance, voice)
- 2002: Yes, Dear (one episode)
- Providence (2002)
- That ’70s Show (2002–2003, 4 episodes)
- I’m with Her (2003)
- 2003: Gary the Rat (Gary’s mother, one episode, voice)
- 2003: The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (one episode)
- 2003: Grim & Evil (1 episode, voice)
- 2003–2004: Everwood (2 episodes)
- 2004: Malcolm in the Middle (episode 5×20 Victor’s Second Family)
- What’s Up, Dad? (2004) (My Wife and Kids, one episode)
- 2004: The Practice (3 episodes)
- Father of the Pride (2004)
- 2004–2005: Complete Savages (2 episodes)
- 2004–2007: Higglytown Heroes (3 episodes)
- 2005–2008: Boston Legal (16 episodes)
- Joey (2005)
- 2006: Family Guy (one episode, voice)
- 2006: Gameshow Marathon (Gameshow, 7 episodes)
- 2006–2009: The Bold and the Beautiful (23 episodes)
- 2007: Alles Betty! (Ugly Betty, one episode)
- 2007–2020: Entertainment Tonight (57 episodes)
- 2008, 2010: The Oprah Winfrey Show (2 episodes)
- 2008–2019: Pioneers of Television (6 episodes)
- My Name Is Earl (2009)
- 30 Rock (2009)
- 2009–2010: Glenn Martin DDS (2 episodes)
- 2010: The Middle (one episode)
- 2010: Saturday Night Live (hostess)
- 2010: Community (2 episodes)
- 2010–2013: Pound Puppies (13 episodes, voice)
- 2010–2015: Hot in Cleveland (128 episodes)
- 2012: The Client List (one episode)
- 2012–2017: Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (46 episodes)
- Save Me (2013) (Save Me, one episode)
- 2013: Mickey Mouse (Episode: New York Weenie, voice)
- 2014: Adventure Time – Abenteuerzeit mit Finn und Jake (Adventure Time, voice)
- 2014: The Soul Man (one episode)
- 2014: WWE Monday Night RAW (one episode)
- 2015: Saturday Night Live
- 2015–2017: Bones (2 episodes)
- 2015–2017: Betty White’s Smartest Animals in America
- 2015–2018: Fireside Chat with Esther (3 episodes)
- 2016: Crowded (one episode)
- 2016: SpongeBob (Episode: Mall Girl Pearl, voice)
- 2016: To Tell the Truth (2 episodes)
- 2017: Young & Hungry (one episode)
- 2019: Forky Asks A Question (Episode: What Is Love?, Voice)
- 2021: The Hollywood Moment at Home Edition 2020
Literature
Books by Betty White
- Betty White, Thomas J. Watson: Betty White’s Pet-Love: how pets take care of us. William Morrow & Co, 1987, ISBN0-688-02207-3.
- Betty White: Betty White in person. Doubleday, 1987, ISBN0-385-23916-5.
- Betty White, Tom Sullivan: The Leading Lady: Dinah’s Story. Bantam, 1992, ISBN0-553-29870-4.
- Betty White: Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. Scribner, 1995, ISBN0-684-80042-X.
- Marcie Davis, Betty White, Melissa Bunnell: Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook. Thomas Nelson, 2007, ISBN1-57779-086-3.
- Tom Sullivan, Betty White: Together: A Novel of Shared Vision. Thomas Nelson, 2008, ISBN1-59554-456-9.
- Tom Sullivan, Betty White: Alive Day. Ctr Point Pub (Me), 2009, ISBN1-60285-560-9.
- Betty White: Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo. G. P. Putnam’s Sons Penguin, 2011, ISBN978-0-399-15754-7.
- Betty White: If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t). Putnam Pub Group/Mbr of Penguin, 2011, ISBN978-0-14-242936-5.
Two of her books were recorded by herself as audiobooks:
- 2004: Here We Go Again (read by the author), ISBN978-1451613698.
- 2011: If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) (read by the author), Penguin Audio, ISBN978-0-1424-2936-5.
Books about Betty White
- Pat Browne: The guide to United States popular culture. Popular Press, 2001, ISBN0-87972-821-3.
- Horace Newcomb: Encyclopedia of Television. CRC Press, 2004, ISBN1-57958-394-6.
- Robert William Kubey: Creating television: conversations with the people behind 50 years of… Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Mahwah, New Jersey 2004, ISBN0-8058-1077-3.
- David C. Tucker: The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms. McFarland & Company, Inc., 2007, ISBN0-7864-2900-3.
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Name | White, Betty |
| Alternative names | White, Betty Marion (full name); White-Ludden, Betty (married name) |
| Abstract | American actress |
| Birth date | January 17, 1922 |
| Birthplace | Oak Park, Illinois |
| Death date | December 31, 2021 |
| Death place | Los Angeles, California |
References (sources)
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