Betty White
Encyclopedia
Betty White Ludden better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens
on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
and Rose Nylund
on The Golden Girls
. , she is starring as Elka Ostrovsky in the TV Land
sitcom Hot in Cleveland
. She has also released several books over the span of her career. In August 2010, she entered a deal with G.P. Putnam Sons to produce two more books, the first of which was scheduled for release in 2011.
White has won seven Emmy Award
s (six for acting) and has received 20 Emmy nominations over the course of her career, including being the first woman ever to receive an Emmy for game show hosting
(for the short-lived Just Men!
) and is the only female to have an Emmy in all female performing comedic categories. In May 2010, White became the oldest person to guest-host Saturday Night Live
, for which she also received a Primetime Emmy Award
. White also holds the record for longest span between Emmy nominations for performances – her first was in 1951 and her most recent was in 2011, a span of 60 years – and has become the oldest nominee , aged 89. She has made regular appearances on the game shows Password and Match Game
and played recurring roles on Mama's Family
, Boston Legal
, The Bold and the Beautiful
and Community
.
, on January 17, 1922, she is the daughter of Tess Curtis (née Cachikis), a homemaker, and Horace Lawrence White, a traveling salesman and electrical engineer. Her mother was of Greek
, English
, and Welsh
descent, and her father was of Danish
and English ancestry. White's family moved to Los Angeles, California
during the Great Depression
. She attended Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, California
, and Beverly Hills High School
. Hoping to become a writer, she wrote and played the lead in a graduation play at Horace Mann School and discovered her interest in performing.
on an experimental Los Angeles channel. White found work modeling
, and her first professional acting job was at the Bliss Hayden Little Theatre. White's career was disrupted immediately, as World War II
broke out, causing her to join the American Women's Voluntary Services
. In the 1940s, she worked in radio appearing on shows such as Blondie
, The Great Gildersleeve
and This Is Your FBI
. She then got her own radio show, called The Betty White Show.
In 1949 she began appearing with Al Jarvis on his daily, live variety show
Hollywood on Television on KLAC
in Los Angeles. White began hosting the show in 1952 after Jarvis' departure. In 1950, Betty was nominated for her first Emmy Award
as "Best Actress" on television, competing with such legendary stars as Judith Anderson
, Helen Hayes
, and Imogene Coca
(the award went to Gertrude Berg
). This was the very first award and category in the new Emmy history designated for women on television.
In 1952, the same year she began hosting Hollywood on Television, White co-founded Bandy Productions with writer George Tibbles
and Don Fedderson
, a producer. The trio worked to create new shows using existing characters from sketches shown on Hollywood on Television. White, Fedderson and Tibbles created the television comedy
Life With Elizabeth
, based on a Hollywood on Television sketch. White portrayed the title character on the sitcom from 1952 to 1955, which effectively boosted her career. Life With Elizabeth was nationally syndicated by the mid-1950s, allowing White to become one of the few women in television with full creative control in front of and behind the camera at the time. Although several sources state White won an Emmy for the show this appears to be incorrect http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924508/awards and may be a matter of confusing the 1950 nomination with a win.
In 1954, she briefly hosted and produced
her own daily talk show
, The Betty White Show, on NBC
(not to be confused with her 1970s sitcom of the same name). Following Life with Elizabeth, she appeared as Vicki Angel on the sitcom Date with the Angels
from 1957 to 1958. The show later became another variety series before going off the air. White performed in commercials seen on live television in Los Angeles, including a spirited rendition of the "Dr. Ross Dog Food" advertisement at KTLA
during the 1950s.
She made her feature film debut as Kansas Senator Elizabeth Ames Adams in the 1962 drama
, Advise and Consent
. It would be her only big-screen appearance for decades.
Betty White's greatest fame during the 1960's and early 1970's with the general public was likely from her long stint as hostess and commentator on the annual Tournament of Roses Parade
broadcast on NBC
, often co-hosting with Lorne Greene
. White began a nineteen-year run as host on the program in 1956; NBC replaced her in 1975, feeling she was too identified with rival network CBS due to her new-found success on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
. White admitted to People Magazine it was difficult "watching someone else do my parade"
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20067239,00.html, although she soon would start a ten-year run as hostess of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
for CBS.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, White appeared on a number of late night talkshows and daytime game shows, including Password. White made many appearances on the hit game show Password as a celebrity guest from 1961 through 1975. She married the show's host, Allen Ludden
, in 1963. She subsequently appeared on the show's three updated versions Password Plus, Super Password, and Million Dollar Password, having been on versions of the game with five different hosts (Allen Ludden
, Bill Cullen
, Tom Kennedy, Bert Convy
, and Regis Philbin
).
White made frequent game show appearances on What's My Line?
(starting in 1955), To Tell the Truth
(in 1961 and in 1990), I've Got a Secret
(in 1972–73), Match Game
(1973–1982) and Pyramid
(starting in 1982). Both Password and Pyramid were created by White's friend, Bob Stewart. In 1983, she became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award
in the category of Outstanding Game Show Host, for the NBC
entry Just Men!
. Due to the amount of work she has done on them, she has been deemed the "First Lady of Game Shows".
in season four of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
as The Happy Homemaker. As a result of her guest appearance, White landed her most significant role at that point as the sardonic, man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens
, The Happy Homemaker, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
as a full time cast member. The running gag
was that Sue Ann's hard-edged private personality was the complete opposite of how she presented herself on her show. "We need somebody who can play sickeningly sweet, like Betty White," Moore herself suggested at a production meeting, which resulted in casting White herself. White won two back-to-back Emmy Awards for her role in the hugely popular series.
Following that show's end in 1977, she was given her own sitcom on CBS, The Betty White Show
, during the 1977–78 season, in which she co-starred with John Hillerman
and former Mary Tyler Moore co-star Georgia Engel. It was canceled after one season. White appeared several times on the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson appearing in many sketches, and began guest-starring in a number of television movies and television miniseries, including With This Ring
, The Place to Be, Before and After, and The Gossip Columnist.
From 1983 through 1985, she had a recurring role playing Ellen Harper Jackson
on the series Mama's Family
, along with future Golden Girls co-star Rue McClanahan
. White had originated this character in a series of sketches on The Carol Burnett Show
in the 1970s. When Mama's Family was picked up in syndication after being canceled by NBC
in 1985, White left the show (with the exception of one final appearance in the show's syndicated version in 1986).
on The Golden Girls. The series chronicled the lives of four widowed or divorced women in their "golden years" who shared a home in Miami. The Golden Girls, which also starred Beatrice Arthur
, Estelle Getty
, and Rue McClanahan
, was immensely successful and ran from 1985 through 1992. White won one Emmy Award, for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, for the first season of The Golden Girls and was nominated in that category every year of the show's run (the only cast member to receive that distinction — Getty was also nominated every year, but in the supporting actress category). When Beatrice Arthur left in 1992, White, McClanahan, and Getty reprised their roles Rose, Blanche, and Sophia in the spin-off
The Golden Palace
. The series was short-lived, lasting only one season. In addition, White reprised her Rose Nylund character in guest appearances on the NBC shows Empty Nest
and Nurses
, both of which were set in Miami.
White was originally offered the role of Blanche in The Golden Girls, and Rue McClanahan was offered the role of Rose (the two characters being similar to roles they had played in Mary Tyler Moore and Maude
, respectively). Jay Sandrich
, the director of the pilot, suggested that since they had played similar roles in the past, they should switch roles, Rue McClanahan later said in a documentary
on the series. White was originally scared to play Rose, feeling that she would not be able to play the role—until the show's creator took her aside and told her not to play Rose as stupid but to play her as someone "terminally naive, a person who always believed the first explanation of something." Despite being the eldest of the four women, White is the only surviving regular cast member, following the deaths of Estelle Getty in July 2008, Bea Arthur in April 2009, and Rue McClanahan in June 2010.
After The Golden Girls ended, White guest-starred on a number of television programs including Ally McBeal
, The Ellen Show
, My Wife and Kids
, That '70s Show
, Everwood
, Joey
, and Malcolm in the Middle
. She received Emmy Award nominations for her appearances on Suddenly Susan
, Yes, Dear
and The Practice
. She won an Emmy in 1996 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, appearing as herself on an episode of The John Larroquette Show
. In that episode, titled "Here We Go Again", a spoof
on Sunset Boulevard, a diva-like White convinces Larroquette to help write her memoirs. In one bit, Golden Girls co-stars McClanahan and Getty appear as themselves. Larroquette is forced to dress in drag as Beatrice Arthur, when all four appear in public as the "original" cast members. White comically envisions her Rose as the central character with the other cast members as mere supporting players.
The actress has lent her voice to several animated shows, including The Simpsons
, King of the Hill
, The Wild Thornberrys
, Family Guy
and Father of the Pride
. In 1999, she had a supporting role in the monster film Lake Placid
, as a widow who later is revealed to have raised the giant crocodile (which accidentally ate her husband).
White's career has been in revival throughout the first decades of the 2000s, and her continuing cultural relevance is reflected in the numerous television and film projects she has been a part of. In December 2006, White joined the soap opera
The Bold and the Beautiful
in the role of Ann Douglas, the long-lost mother of the show's matriarch Stephanie Forrester, who is played by Susan Flannery
. In February 2007, White returned as Ann, who had an intent to move to Los Angeles
to be near her daughters. The characters of Ann and Pamela Douglas (Alley Mills) disappeared after their March 27, 2007, appearance and were not mentioned again until October 19, 2007, when Ann appeared briefly. White would go on to appear in three more episodes following that, one on December 10, 2007; August 28, 2008; and October 28, 2008. She returned to the show on November 18, 2009 and in the November 19, 2009 episode her character revealed that she was dying of advanced pancreatic cancer. To date she has made 22 appearances as Ann Douglas. In the November 23, 2009 episode Ann passes away due to complications from her illness, with both of her daughters at her side on the beach at Paradise Cove.
In the broadcast of the 2007 TV Land Awards
, White starred in a parody of Ugly Betty, aptly titled Ugly Betty White, in which she played America Ferrera
's title character
, with Charo
playing White's sister Hilda
, and Erik Estrada
playing her father Ignacio
. Her performance earned her a part on Ugly Betty as herself, the victim of Wilhelmina Slater
's temper as they vie for a cab in the episode "Bananas for Betty
", which aired December 6, 2007.
White had a recurring role in ABC's Boston Legal
from 2005 to 2008 as the calculating, blackmailing gossip-monger Catherine Piper, a role she originally portrayed as a guest star on The Practice
in 2004.
White appeared as a roaster on the Comedy Central Roast
of William Shatner
in 2006. On May 19, 2008, White appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, taking part in the host's Mary Tyler Moore Show reunion special alongside every surviving cast member of the series.
Beginning in 2007, White was featured in television commercials for PetMeds, highlighting her interest in animal rights and welfare.
She was honored at the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards with the Pop Culture Award on June 8, 2008. She accepted it along with co-stars Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan
.
White returned to Password in its latest incarnation, Million Dollar Password
, on June 12, 2008, (episode #3), participating in the Million Dollar challenge at the end of the show. Her quick correct responses helped the contestant win $100,000. White returned to the show again on December 28, 2008 (episode #9), helping the contestants win $25,000 each. White has made a number of appearances in skits on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
, playing the part of an Exxon representative, a Girl Scout, an accountant with a briefcase full of cocaine, a nurse who just got her medical license from El Salvador, a newspaper delivery girl, a prison guard, and an Apple representative. She appeared as herself with a shoe box full of receipts, explaining that she was doing her taxes. She appeared as herself to promote Together: A Story of Shared Vision by her and Tom Sullivan. On July 18, 2008, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
in a skit entitled "Can You Make Betty White Flinch".
White guest starred as the "Witch Lady" on an episode of My Name is Earl
, and starred on Chelsea Handler
's late night show Chelsea Lately
. Some of her other most recent television credits in the 2000s include Stealing Christmas
, Annie's Point
and The Retrievers
. Her film credits in the late 1990s and early 2000s included Hard Rain
, Dennis the Menace Strikes Again
and Bringing Down the House
, in which she co-starred with Steve Martin
and Queen Latifah
.
White appeared in the 2009 motion picture The Proposal
with Sandra Bullock
and Ryan Reynolds
. White provided the English-language voice of Yoshie in the anime
film Ponyo
, which was released in Japan
in 2008 and in the United States
and Canada
on August 14, 2009. She co-starred with Kristen Bell
in the 2010 film, You Again
.
White appeared alongside Abe Vigoda
in an advertisement for Snickers
during the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV
. The ad won the top spot on the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter
. It was also featured on Television with the caption; "You're not you when you're hungry".
A grassroots campaign on Facebook
called "Betty White to Host SNL (Please)" began in January 2010. The group was approaching 500,000 members when NBC confirmed on March 11, 2010 that White would in fact host Saturday Night Live
on May 8. The appearance made her, at age 88, the oldest person to host the show, beating out Miskel Spillman
, the winner of SNLs "Anybody Can Host" contest, who was 80 when she hosted in 1977. The May 8 SNL episode garnered the show's highest ratings since November 1, 2008, when Ben Affleck
hosted. In her opening monologue, White thanked Facebook and joked that she "didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time." The appearance earned her a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series, her seventh Emmy win overall. Years earlier, White's character Rose Nylund
on The Golden Girls in an episode from season 7 while laying in a hospital bed awaiting open heart surgery, says to her daughter; "There's something else I wanna tell you. Now lean in close, this is very important...LIVE FROM NEW YORK IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!
In June 2010, White took on the role of Elka Ostrovsky the house caretaker on TV Land
’s original sitcom Hot in Cleveland
, now in its third season.
In July 2010, it was announced that she posed for her own calendar for the year 2011; the calendar also features photos from her career and her pictured with various animals. She also debuted her own clothing line on July 22, 2010, which features shirts with her face on them. All proceeds will also go to various animal charities she supports.
She guest-starred in the second-season premiere of NBC
's Community
as an anthropology professor. In 2010 she also guest starred in The Middle
& 30 Rock
. She also had a role as Mrs. Claus in Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa, the sequel to Disney's Prep & Landing.
Betty also starred in the Hallmark
Hall of fame presentation of The Lost Valentine
on January 30, 2011. This presentation garnered the highest rating for a Hallmark Hall of Fame
presentation in the last four years and according to the Nielsen Media Research
TV rating service won first place in the prime time slot for that date.
Betty White's latest book, If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't), was published in 2011.
NBC announced in 2011 that White will be hosting a new show on the network, [Betty White's] Off Their Rockers.
White is scheduled to serve as a judge alongside Whoopi Goldberg
and Wendy Diamond
for the American Humane Association
's Hero Dog Awards airing on The Hallmark Channel on November 8th, 2011 at 8PM ET/PT
In September 2011, she teamed up with English singer Luciana to produce a remix of her song I'm Still Hot
. The song was realesed digitally on September 22, 2011 and the video later premiered on October 6, 2011. It was made for a campaign for a life setttlement program, The Lifeline.
who works with a number of animal organizations, including the Los Angeles Zoo
Commission, the Morris Animal Foundation, and Actors & Others for Animals. Her interest in animal rights
and welfare began in the early 1970s while she was both producing and hosting the syndicated series, The Pet Set, which spotlighted celebrities and their pets.
As of 2009, White is the president emerita
of the Morris Animal Foundation, where she has served as a trustee
of the organization since 1971. She has been a member of the board of directors of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association since 1974. Additionally, White served the zoo association as a Zoo Commissioner for eight years.
According to the Los Angeles Zoo
& Botanical Garden's "ZooScape" Member Newsletter, White hosted "History on Film" from 2000 to 2002. White donated nearly $100,000 to the zoo in the month of April 2008 alone.
. The marriage was short-lived.
In 1947, she married Lane Allen, a Hollywood agent
. This marriage ended in divorce in 1949.
On June 14, 1963, White married television host and personality Allen Ludden
, whom she had met on his game show Password as a celebrity guest in 1961, and is legally Betty White Ludden. He proposed to White at least twice before she accepted. The couple appeared together in an episode of The Odd Couple
featuring Felix's and Oscar's appearance on Password. Ludden appeared as a guest panelist on Match Game
, with White sitting in the audience. (She was prompted to criticize one of Ludden's wrong answers on camera during an episode of Match Game '74). The two appeared together on the Match Game panel in 1975.
Ludden died from stomach cancer
on June 9, 1981, in Los Angeles
. They had no children together. White has not remarried since Ludden's death.
When asked about her real-life heroes White told Vanity Fair, "Charles Darwin
".
White is a practicing member of the Unity Church
..
She is also a registered Democrat
..
(including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990), and two Viewers For Quality Television
Awards. She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame
in 1995 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6747 Hollywood Boulevard
alongside the star of her late husband Allen Ludden
.
White was the recipient of the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters
Golden Ike Award and the Genii Award from the American Women in Radio and Television in 1976. The American Comedy Awards awarded her the award for Funniest Female in 1987 as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. She was formally inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
in 1995. In 2009, White received the Career Achievement Award from the Television Critics Association
.
The American Veterinary Medical Association
awarded White with its Humane Award in 1987 for her charitable work with animals. The City of Los Angeles
further honored her for her philanthropic work with animals in 2006 with a bronze
plaque
near the Gorilla Exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo
. The City of Los Angeles named her "Ambassador to the Animals" at the dedication ceremony.
In September 2009, the Screen Actors Guild
(SAG) announced plans to honor White with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
. Sandra Bullock
presented White with the award on January 23, 2010, at the ceremony, which took place at the Shrine Auditorium
in Los Angeles. She is a Kentucky Colonel
. In 2009, White and her now deceased Golden Girls cast mates Beatrice Arthur
, Rue McClanahan
and Estelle Getty
were awarded honorary Disney Legend awards. Betty was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in December 2010. In 2010 she was chosen as the Associated Press
's Entertainer of the Year.
On November 9, 2010, the USDA Forest Service along with Smokey Bear
made actress Betty White an honorary forest ranger, fulfilling her lifelong dream. White said in previous interviews that she wanted to be a forest ranger as a little girl but that women were not allowed to do that then. Today’s United States Forest Service
is 38 percent female, including rangers, scientists and leaders at every level.
In January 2011, White received a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as Elka Ostrovsky in Hot In Cleveland
. The show itself was also nominated for an award as Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, but lost to the cast of Modern Family
.
A 2011 poll conducted by Reuters
and Ipsos
revealed that White was considered to be the most popular and most trusted celebrity among Americans, beating out the likes of Denzel Washington
, Sandra Bullock
and Tom Hanks
.
In October 2011, White was awarded an honorary degree and white doctors coat by Washington State University at the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association’s centennial gala in Yakima, Washington.
Sue Ann Nivens
Sue Ann Nivens was a fictional character on the long-running situation comedy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was played by television perennial Betty White.- The Happy Homemaker :...
on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
and Rose Nylund
Rose Nylund
Rose Nylund was born May 1930 in St. Olaf, Minnesota. She is a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years and 208 episodes.Rose was comically portrayed as naïve and simple,...
on The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
. , she is starring as Elka Ostrovsky in the TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
sitcom Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
. She has also released several books over the span of her career. In August 2010, she entered a deal with G.P. Putnam Sons to produce two more books, the first of which was scheduled for release in 2011.
White has won seven Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s (six for acting) and has received 20 Emmy nominations over the course of her career, including being the first woman ever to receive an Emmy for game show hosting
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host
The Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host is one of the performance awards awarded annually at the Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. Game show hosts that host daytime or syndicated game shows are eligible for the award....
(for the short-lived Just Men!
Just Men!
Just Men! was a game show that aired on NBC Daytime from January 3 to April 1, 1983. The show starred Betty White, who won an Emmy award for her work on the show, with Steve Day announcing.-Gameplay:...
) and is the only female to have an Emmy in all female performing comedic categories. In May 2010, White became the oldest person to guest-host Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, for which she also received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
. White also holds the record for longest span between Emmy nominations for performances – her first was in 1951 and her most recent was in 2011, a span of 60 years – and has become the oldest nominee , aged 89. She has made regular appearances on the game shows Password and Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
and played recurring roles on Mama's Family
Mama's Family
Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
, Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
, The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
and Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
.
Early life
Born Betty Marion White in Oak Park, IllinoisOak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, on January 17, 1922, she is the daughter of Tess Curtis (née Cachikis), a homemaker, and Horace Lawrence White, a traveling salesman and electrical engineer. Her mother was of Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, and Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
descent, and her father was of Danish
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
and English ancestry. White's family moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. She attended Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, and Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills High School is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. Beverly is part of the Beverly Hills Unified School District and located on on the west side of Beverly Hills, at the...
. Hoping to become a writer, she wrote and played the lead in a graduation play at Horace Mann School and discovered her interest in performing.
1939–1973: Radio career, Life With Elizabeth and television pioneer
White began her television career in 1939, three months after high school graduation, when she and a classmate sang songs from The Merry WidowThe Merry Widow
The Merry Widow is an operetta by the Austro–Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play,...
on an experimental Los Angeles channel. White found work modeling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, and her first professional acting job was at the Bliss Hayden Little Theatre. White's career was disrupted immediately, as World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, causing her to join the American Women's Voluntary Services
American Women's Voluntary Services
American Women's Voluntary Services was the largest American women's service organization in the United States during World War II...
. In the 1940s, she worked in radio appearing on shows such as Blondie
Blondie (radio)
Blondie is a radio situation comedy adapted from the long-run Blondie comic strip by Chic Young. The radio program had a long run on several networks from 1939 to 1950....
, The Great Gildersleeve
The Great Gildersleeve
The Great Gildersleeve , initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. Built around Throckmorton Philharmonic Gildersleeve, a character who had been a staple on the classic radio situation comedy Fibber McGee and Molly, first Introduced to...
and This Is Your FBI
This is Your FBI
This Is Your FBI was a radio crime drama which aired in the United States on ABC from April 6, 1945 to January 30, 1953 for a total of 409 shows. FBI chief J...
. She then got her own radio show, called The Betty White Show.
In 1949 she began appearing with Al Jarvis on his daily, live variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
Hollywood on Television on KLAC
KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
in Los Angeles. White began hosting the show in 1952 after Jarvis' departure. In 1950, Betty was nominated for her first Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
as "Best Actress" on television, competing with such legendary stars as Judith Anderson
Judith Anderson
Dame Judith Anderson, AC, DBE was an Australian-born American-based actress of stage, film and television. She won two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award and was also nominated for a Grammy Award and an Academy Award.-Early life:...
, Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes Brown was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...
, and Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
(the award went to Gertrude Berg
Gertrude Berg
Gertrude Berg was an American actress and screenwriter. A pioneer of classic radio, she was one of the first women to create, write, produce and star in a long-running hit when she premiered her serial comedy-drama The Rise of the Goldbergs , later known as The Goldbergs.-Career:Berg was born...
). This was the very first award and category in the new Emmy history designated for women on television.
In 1952, the same year she began hosting Hollywood on Television, White co-founded Bandy Productions with writer George Tibbles
George Tibbles
George Tibbles was a screenwriter, contributing to TV series such as Leave it to Beaver, Date with the Angels, The Munsters, Alice, Family Affair and Who's the Boss?...
and Don Fedderson
Don Fedderson
Don Fedderson was an American television executive producer who created a number of television programs including The Millionaire, Date with the Angels, Who Do You Trust?, My Three Sons, Family Affair, To Rome with Love and The Smith Family...
, a producer. The trio worked to create new shows using existing characters from sketches shown on Hollywood on Television. White, Fedderson and Tibbles created the television comedy
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
Life With Elizabeth
Life with Elizabeth
Life with Elizabeth is an American sitcom which aired in syndication from October 7, 1953, to September 1, 1955. The show stars Betty White and Del Moore; Jack Narz was the on-camera announcer and narrator....
, based on a Hollywood on Television sketch. White portrayed the title character on the sitcom from 1952 to 1955, which effectively boosted her career. Life With Elizabeth was nationally syndicated by the mid-1950s, allowing White to become one of the few women in television with full creative control in front of and behind the camera at the time. Although several sources state White won an Emmy for the show this appears to be incorrect http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924508/awards and may be a matter of confusing the 1950 nomination with a win.
In 1954, she briefly hosted and produced
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
her own daily talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
, The Betty White Show, on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(not to be confused with her 1970s sitcom of the same name). Following Life with Elizabeth, she appeared as Vicki Angel on the sitcom Date with the Angels
Date with the Angels
Date with the Angels is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from May 10, 1957 to January 29, 1958. The series, which stars Betty White and Bill Williams, began as a late season replacement for The Ray Anthony Show for the same sponsor, Chrysler's Plymouth division...
from 1957 to 1958. The show later became another variety series before going off the air. White performed in commercials seen on live television in Los Angeles, including a spirited rendition of the "Dr. Ross Dog Food" advertisement at KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
during the 1950s.
She made her feature film debut as Kansas Senator Elizabeth Ames Adams in the 1962 drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent (film)
Advise & Consent is a 1962 American motion picture based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Allen Drury, published in 1959. The movie was adapted for the screen by Wendell Mayes and was directed by Otto Preminger...
. It would be her only big-screen appearance for decades.
Betty White's greatest fame during the 1960's and early 1970's with the general public was likely from her long stint as hostess and commentator on the annual Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
broadcast on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, often co-hosting with Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene
Lorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
. White began a nineteen-year run as host on the program in 1956; NBC replaced her in 1975, feeling she was too identified with rival network CBS due to her new-found success on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
. White admitted to People Magazine it was difficult "watching someone else do my parade"
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20067239,00.html, although she soon would start a ten-year run as hostess of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
for CBS.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, White appeared on a number of late night talkshows and daytime game shows, including Password. White made many appearances on the hit game show Password as a celebrity guest from 1961 through 1975. She married the show's host, Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
, in 1963. She subsequently appeared on the show's three updated versions Password Plus, Super Password, and Million Dollar Password, having been on versions of the game with five different hosts (Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
, Bill Cullen
Bill Cullen
William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades...
, Tom Kennedy, Bert Convy
Bert Convy
Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy was an Emmy Award winning American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for his tenure as the host for Tattletales, Super Password, and Win, Lose or Draw.-Early life:...
, and Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
).
White made frequent game show appearances on What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
(starting in 1955), To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
(in 1961 and in 1990), I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
(in 1972–73), Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
(1973–1982) and Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
(starting in 1982). Both Password and Pyramid were created by White's friend, Bob Stewart. In 1983, she became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
in the category of Outstanding Game Show Host, for the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
entry Just Men!
Just Men!
Just Men! was a game show that aired on NBC Daytime from January 3 to April 1, 1983. The show starred Betty White, who won an Emmy award for her work on the show, with Steve Day announcing.-Gameplay:...
. Due to the amount of work she has done on them, she has been deemed the "First Lady of Game Shows".
1973–1985: Continued success, comedic endeavors and The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In 1973, White made a guest appearanceGuest appearance
In show business , a guest appearance is a participation of an outsider performer , usually called guest artist , in an event , i.e., the participation of a performer which does not belong to the regular crew In performance...
in season four of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
as The Happy Homemaker. As a result of her guest appearance, White landed her most significant role at that point as the sardonic, man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens
Sue Ann Nivens
Sue Ann Nivens was a fictional character on the long-running situation comedy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was played by television perennial Betty White.- The Happy Homemaker :...
, The Happy Homemaker, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
as a full time cast member. The running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
was that Sue Ann's hard-edged private personality was the complete opposite of how she presented herself on her show. "We need somebody who can play sickeningly sweet, like Betty White," Moore herself suggested at a production meeting, which resulted in casting White herself. White won two back-to-back Emmy Awards for her role in the hugely popular series.
Following that show's end in 1977, she was given her own sitcom on CBS, The Betty White Show
The Betty White Show
The Betty White Show is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from September 12, 1977, to January 2, 1978. Fourteen episodes were transmitted. The series was produced by MTM Enterprises.-Synopsis:...
, during the 1977–78 season, in which she co-starred with John Hillerman
John Hillerman
John Benedict Hillerman is an American actor, known for his starring role on the television show Magnum, P.I.-Early life:...
and former Mary Tyler Moore co-star Georgia Engel. It was canceled after one season. White appeared several times on the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson appearing in many sketches, and began guest-starring in a number of television movies and television miniseries, including With This Ring
With This Ring
With This Ring was a prime time panel show aired by the DuMont Television Network from January 21, 1951 to March 11, 1951. The show featured engaged couples discussing marriage and marital problems...
, The Place to Be, Before and After, and The Gossip Columnist.
Ellen Harper
Ellen Jackson is a fictional character who made sporadic appearances in the sketch comedy, The Family, and its spin-off sitcom, Mama's Family. She was played by Betty White.-Biography:...
on the series Mama's Family
Mama's Family
Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
, along with future Golden Girls co-star Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
. White had originated this character in a series of sketches on The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33...
in the 1970s. When Mama's Family was picked up in syndication after being canceled by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1985, White left the show (with the exception of one final appearance in the show's syndicated version in 1986).
1985–2000: The Golden Girls and new career heights
In 1985, she scored her second signature role and the biggest hit of her career as the St. Olaf, Minnesota-native Rose NylundRose Nylund
Rose Nylund was born May 1930 in St. Olaf, Minnesota. She is a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years and 208 episodes.Rose was comically portrayed as naïve and simple,...
on The Golden Girls. The series chronicled the lives of four widowed or divorced women in their "golden years" who shared a home in Miami. The Golden Girls, which also starred Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice "Bea" Arthur was an American actress, comedienne and singer whose career spanned seven decades. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, winning Emmy Awards for both...
, Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
, and Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
, was immensely successful and ran from 1985 through 1992. White won one Emmy Award, for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, for the first season of The Golden Girls and was nominated in that category every year of the show's run (the only cast member to receive that distinction — Getty was also nominated every year, but in the supporting actress category). When Beatrice Arthur left in 1992, White, McClanahan, and Getty reprised their roles Rose, Blanche, and Sophia in the spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1992, to May 14, 1993. The show was a spin-off and continuation of the sitcom The Golden Girls....
. The series was short-lived, lasting only one season. In addition, White reprised her Rose Nylund character in guest appearances on the NBC shows Empty Nest
Empty Nest
Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs...
and Nurses
Nurses (TV series)
Nurses is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris as a spin-off of Empty Nest .-Synopsis:...
, both of which were set in Miami.
White was originally offered the role of Blanche in The Golden Girls, and Rue McClanahan was offered the role of Rose (the two characters being similar to roles they had played in Mary Tyler Moore and Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, respectively). Jay Sandrich
Jay Sandrich
Jay Henry Sandrich is an American television director.He began his career as an Assistant Director on I Love Lucy. Sandrich has directed and/or produced episodes of The Bill Dana Show, Get Smart, 2/3 of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Soap, first 3 seasons of The Cosby Show, and The Odd Couple...
, the director of the pilot, suggested that since they had played similar roles in the past, they should switch roles, Rue McClanahan later said in a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
on the series. White was originally scared to play Rose, feeling that she would not be able to play the role—until the show's creator took her aside and told her not to play Rose as stupid but to play her as someone "terminally naive, a person who always believed the first explanation of something." Despite being the eldest of the four women, White is the only surviving regular cast member, following the deaths of Estelle Getty in July 2008, Bea Arthur in April 2009, and Rue McClanahan in June 2010.
After The Golden Girls ended, White guest-starred on a number of television programs including Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
, The Ellen Show
The Ellen Show
The Ellen Show is a television sitcom starring Ellen DeGeneres that aired during the 2001–2002 season on CBS. It was DeGeneres's second attempt at a sitcom, after Ellen on ABC , but it was unable to garner strong ratings and was quickly cancelled.After coming out of the closet as a lesbian on her...
, My Wife and Kids
My Wife and Kids
My Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television , it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules...
, That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, Everwood
Everwood
Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
, Joey
Joey (TV series)
Joey is an American sitcom, which stars Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom Friends. It premiered on the NBC television network, on September 9, 2004, in the former time slot of its parent series, Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m...
, and Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
. She received Emmy Award nominations for her appearances on Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
, Yes, Dear
Yes, Dear
Yes, Dear is a television sitcom that aired from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, on CBS. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa Kelly, Mike O'Malley and Liza Snyder....
and The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
. She won an Emmy in 1996 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, appearing as herself on an episode of The John Larroquette Show
The John Larroquette Show
The John Larroquette Show is a situation comedy that ran on the NBC network from 1993 to 1996. The show, created by Don Reo, was a vehicle for John Larroquette following his run as Dan Fielding on Night Court. The series took place in a seedy bus terminal in St. Louis, Missouri and focused on the...
. In that episode, titled "Here We Go Again", a spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
on Sunset Boulevard, a diva-like White convinces Larroquette to help write her memoirs. In one bit, Golden Girls co-stars McClanahan and Getty appear as themselves. Larroquette is forced to dress in drag as Beatrice Arthur, when all four appear in public as the "original" cast members. White comically envisions her Rose as the central character with the other cast members as mere supporting players.
The actress has lent her voice to several animated shows, including The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
, The Wild Thornberrys
The Wild Thornberrys
The Wild Thornberrys is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon. It was rerun in the USA on Nickelodeon and occasionally The N until 2009 and Nicktoons until 2007...
, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
and Father of the Pride
Father of the Pride
Father of the Pride is an American animated television series that began broadcasting on NBC on August 31, 2004 and was part of a short-lived trend of CGI series in prime-time network TV .-Overview:...
. In 1999, she had a supporting role in the monster film Lake Placid
Lake Placid (film)
Lake Placid is a 1999 American monster movie with elements of comedy, horror, bromance film, and the buddy genre. It was written and produced by David E. Kelley, directed by Steve Miner, and stars Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin Bacon, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Oliver Platt, and...
, as a widow who later is revealed to have raised the giant crocodile (which accidentally ate her husband).
2000–present: Hollywood mainstay, career resurgence and Saturday Night Live
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
in the role of Ann Douglas, the long-lost mother of the show's matriarch Stephanie Forrester, who is played by Susan Flannery
Susan Flannery
Susan Flannery is an American soap opera actress. She is known for her role Stephanie Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful and for her role as Dr. Laura Spencer Horton on Days of our Lives ....
. In February 2007, White returned as Ann, who had an intent to move to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to be near her daughters. The characters of Ann and Pamela Douglas (Alley Mills) disappeared after their March 27, 2007, appearance and were not mentioned again until October 19, 2007, when Ann appeared briefly. White would go on to appear in three more episodes following that, one on December 10, 2007; August 28, 2008; and October 28, 2008. She returned to the show on November 18, 2009 and in the November 19, 2009 episode her character revealed that she was dying of advanced pancreatic cancer. To date she has made 22 appearances as Ann Douglas. In the November 23, 2009 episode Ann passes away due to complications from her illness, with both of her daughters at her side on the beach at Paradise Cove.
In the broadcast of the 2007 TV Land Awards
TV Land Awards
The TV Land Awards is an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with awards such as the Emmys. It is presented in a manner that spoofs other entertainment award ceremonies...
, White starred in a parody of Ugly Betty, aptly titled Ugly Betty White, in which she played America Ferrera
America Ferrera
America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
's title character
Betty Suarez
Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
, with Charo
Charo
María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten , better known as Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, comedienne, and flamenco guitarist, best known for her flamboyant stage presence, her provocative outfits, and her trademark phrase...
playing White's sister Hilda
Hilda Suarez
Hilda Suarez Talercio is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by Ana Ortiz. Hilda's character is the American adaptation's equivalent to Julia Solano Galindo de Pinzón, Beatriz Pinzón Solano's mother, and is loosely based on creator Silvio Horta's older...
, and Erik Estrada
Erik Estrada
Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada is an American police officer and actor, known for his co-starring lead role in the 1977–1983 United States police television series CHiPs...
playing her father Ignacio
Ignacio Suarez
Ignacio Suarez is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is portrayed by Tony Plana. Ignacio's character is equivalent to Hermes Pinzón Galarza, father to Beatriz Pinzón Solano.-Background:...
. Her performance earned her a part on Ugly Betty as herself, the victim of Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...
's temper as they vie for a cab in the episode "Bananas for Betty
Bananas for Betty
"Bananas for Betty" is the tenth episode in the second season, and the 33rd episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on December 6, 2007...
", which aired December 6, 2007.
White had a recurring role in ABC's Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
from 2005 to 2008 as the calculating, blackmailing gossip-monger Catherine Piper, a role she originally portrayed as a guest star on The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
in 2004.
White appeared as a roaster on the Comedy Central Roast
Comedy Central Roast
The Comedy Central Roasts are a series of celebrity roast specials which air on the Comedy Central cable network.-History:Between 1998 and 2001, Comedy Central produced and televised the annual roasts of the New York Friars' Club. After the original five-year agreement expired, the network began...
of William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
in 2006. On May 19, 2008, White appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, taking part in the host's Mary Tyler Moore Show reunion special alongside every surviving cast member of the series.
Beginning in 2007, White was featured in television commercials for PetMeds, highlighting her interest in animal rights and welfare.
She was honored at the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards with the Pop Culture Award on June 8, 2008. She accepted it along with co-stars Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
.
White returned to Password in its latest incarnation, Million Dollar Password
Million Dollar Password
Million Dollar Password is an updated version of the game show Password on CBS, which was hosted by Regis Philbin and ran from June 1, 2008 to June 14, 2009. Based upon a format created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman, FremantleMedia produced the program.-Production and broadcast history:Million...
, on June 12, 2008, (episode #3), participating in the Million Dollar challenge at the end of the show. Her quick correct responses helped the contestant win $100,000. White returned to the show again on December 28, 2008 (episode #9), helping the contestants win $25,000 each. White has made a number of appearances in skits on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
, playing the part of an Exxon representative, a Girl Scout, an accountant with a briefcase full of cocaine, a nurse who just got her medical license from El Salvador, a newspaper delivery girl, a prison guard, and an Apple representative. She appeared as herself with a shoe box full of receipts, explaining that she was doing her taxes. She appeared as herself to promote Together: A Story of Shared Vision by her and Tom Sullivan. On July 18, 2008, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
in a skit entitled "Can You Make Betty White Flinch".
White guest starred as the "Witch Lady" on an episode of My Name is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
, and starred on Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Joy Handler is an American stand-up comedian, humorist, television host, actress, model and best-selling author. She currently hosts a late-night talk show titled, Chelsea Lately on the E! Cable Television Network. In 2009 she won a Bravo A-List Award...
's late night show Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
. Some of her other most recent television credits in the 2000s include Stealing Christmas
Stealing Christmas
Stealing Christmas is a TV movie starring Tony Danza and Lea Thompson. It premiered on USA Network in 2003. As of 2009, it was shown in the 25 Days of Christmas programming block on ABC Family, but it was not part of the block in 2010.-Plot:...
, Annie's Point
Annie's Point
Annie's Point is a 2005 made-for-television movie starring Betty White, Richard Thomas and Amy Davidson.Annie Eason , a recent widow, is living on her own before her son Richard decides that she shouldn't be and wants her to move to a retirement village where she will be taken care of...
and The Retrievers
The Retrievers
The Retrievers is a 2001 television film starring Robert Hays, Mel Harris, Alan Rachins, Alana Austin, Taylor Emerson, Betty White and Robert Wagner. It was directed by Paul Schneider and written by Larry Ketron.-Plot:...
. Her film credits in the late 1990s and early 2000s included Hard Rain
Hard Rain
Hard Rain may refer to:* Hard Rain , 1976* Hard Rain , 1997* Hard Rain , a British rock band* Hard Rain , a 1998 action movie...
, Dennis the Menace Strikes Again
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again is a 1998 direct-to-video sequel to the 1993 theatrical feature Dennis the Menace. It was produced by Outlaw Productions and released by Warner Bros...
and Bringing Down the House
Bringing Down the House (film)
Bringing Down the House is a 2003 American romantic comedy film, written by Jason Filardi and directed by Adam Shankman. The film stars Steve Martin and Queen Latifah.-Plot:...
, in which she co-starred with Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
and Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
.
White appeared in the 2009 motion picture The Proposal
The Proposal (film)
The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles...
with Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
and Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds is a Canadian film and television actor, best known for his roles in such films as National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Waiting..., The Amityville Horror, Just Friends, Definitely, Maybe, The Proposal, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern.One of his best known...
. White provided the English-language voice of Yoshie in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
film Ponyo
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
, initially titled in English as Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is a 2008 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. It is Miyazaki's eighth film for Ghibli, and his tenth overall...
, which was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2008 and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on August 14, 2009. She co-starred with Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding, Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
in the 2010 film, You Again
You Again
You Again is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Andy Fickman and written by Moe Jelline. The film stars Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Odette Yustman, and Betty White...
.
White appeared alongside Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda is an American movie and television actor. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to...
in an advertisement for Snickers
Snickers
Snickers is a brand name chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated. It consists of peanut nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate. Snickers has annual global sales of $2 billion....
during the 2010 Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
. The ad won the top spot on the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter
USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter
The USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter is an annual survey taken of television commercials by the USA Today newspaper in a live poll during the telecast in the United States of the annual professional American football championship game of the National Football League...
. It was also featured on Television with the caption; "You're not you when you're hungry".
A grassroots campaign on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
called "Betty White to Host SNL (Please)" began in January 2010. The group was approaching 500,000 members when NBC confirmed on March 11, 2010 that White would in fact host Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on May 8. The appearance made her, at age 88, the oldest person to host the show, beating out Miskel Spillman
Miskel Spillman
Miskel Spillman was the winner of the first and only "Anyone Can Host" contest on NBC's late-night variety series Saturday Night Live, and hosted the December 17, 1977, broadcast of the show.-Role in SNL history:...
, the winner of SNLs "Anybody Can Host" contest, who was 80 when she hosted in 1977. The May 8 SNL episode garnered the show's highest ratings since November 1, 2008, when Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
hosted. In her opening monologue, White thanked Facebook and joked that she "didn’t know what Facebook was, and now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it sounds like a huge waste of time." The appearance earned her a 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series, her seventh Emmy win overall. Years earlier, White's character Rose Nylund
Rose Nylund
Rose Nylund was born May 1930 in St. Olaf, Minnesota. She is a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years and 208 episodes.Rose was comically portrayed as naïve and simple,...
on The Golden Girls in an episode from season 7 while laying in a hospital bed awaiting open heart surgery, says to her daughter; "There's something else I wanna tell you. Now lean in close, this is very important...LIVE FROM NEW YORK IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!
In June 2010, White took on the role of Elka Ostrovsky the house caretaker on TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
’s original sitcom Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
, now in its third season.
In July 2010, it was announced that she posed for her own calendar for the year 2011; the calendar also features photos from her career and her pictured with various animals. She also debuted her own clothing line on July 22, 2010, which features shirts with her face on them. All proceeds will also go to various animal charities she supports.
She guest-starred in the second-season premiere of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
as an anthropology professor. In 2010 she also guest starred in The Middle
The Middle (TV series)
The Middle is an American situation comedy television series that premiered on ABC on September 30, 2009. The show features Frances "Frankie" Heck , a working-class, Midwestern woman married to Mike Heck who resides in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three...
& 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. She also had a role as Mrs. Claus in Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa, the sequel to Disney's Prep & Landing.
Betty also starred in the Hallmark
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
Hall of fame presentation of The Lost Valentine
The Lost Valentine
The Lost Valentine is a 2011 American drama film starring Betty White, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Sean Faris. It is based on the novel by James Michael Pratt of the same name, previously titled The Last Valentine, a 1998 New York Times and USA Today bestseller.-Plot:The story follows the characters...
on January 30, 2011. This presentation garnered the highest rating for a Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
presentation in the last four years and according to the Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
TV rating service won first place in the prime time slot for that date.
Betty White's latest book, If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't), was published in 2011.
NBC announced in 2011 that White will be hosting a new show on the network, [Betty White's] Off Their Rockers.
White is scheduled to serve as a judge alongside Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
and Wendy Diamond
Wendy Diamond
Wendy Diamond is an entrepreneur and animal rescue advocate author of two cookbooks, founder and editor of Animal Fair magazine, and frequent media personality. Wendy is often seen with her dog Lucky Diamond, a Maltese adopted in 1999...
for the American Humane Association
American Humane Association
The American Humane Association is an organization founded in 1877 dedicated to the welfare of animals and children.The AHA's Film and Television Unit has monitored the welfare of animals during the production of films and television programs since 1940. They are the source of the familiar...
's Hero Dog Awards airing on The Hallmark Channel on November 8th, 2011 at 8PM ET/PT
In September 2011, she teamed up with English singer Luciana to produce a remix of her song I'm Still Hot
I'm Still Hot
"I'm Still Hot" is a song by British singer Luciana, released on April 19, 2011. Taken from a yet to be titled EP, David Audé produced the single. "I'm Still Hot" peaked at No. 1 on both the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Dance Airplay charts...
. The song was realesed digitally on September 22, 2011 and the video later premiered on October 6, 2011. It was made for a campaign for a life setttlement program, The Lifeline.
Charity
White is a pet enthusiast and animal health advocateAdvocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
who works with a number of animal organizations, including the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
Commission, the Morris Animal Foundation, and Actors & Others for Animals. Her interest in animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and welfare began in the early 1970s while she was both producing and hosting the syndicated series, The Pet Set, which spotlighted celebrities and their pets.
As of 2009, White is the president emerita
Emerita
Emerita may refer to:*Emerita , a genus of crustacean*Emerita Augusta, an ancient city of Spain* Saint Emerita, 3rd century martyr. See Digna and Emerita...
of the Morris Animal Foundation, where she has served as a trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the organization since 1971. She has been a member of the board of directors of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association since 1974. Additionally, White served the zoo association as a Zoo Commissioner for eight years.
According to the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
& Botanical Garden's "ZooScape" Member Newsletter, White hosted "History on Film" from 2000 to 2002. White donated nearly $100,000 to the zoo in the month of April 2008 alone.
Personal life
In 1945, White married Dick Barker, a U.S. Army Air Corps pilotAviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. The marriage was short-lived.
In 1947, she married Lane Allen, a Hollywood agent
Talent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
. This marriage ended in divorce in 1949.
On June 14, 1963, White married television host and personality Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
, whom she had met on his game show Password as a celebrity guest in 1961, and is legally Betty White Ludden. He proposed to White at least twice before she accepted. The couple appeared together in an episode of The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
featuring Felix's and Oscar's appearance on Password. Ludden appeared as a guest panelist on Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, with White sitting in the audience. (She was prompted to criticize one of Ludden's wrong answers on camera during an episode of Match Game '74). The two appeared together on the Match Game panel in 1975.
Ludden died from stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
on June 9, 1981, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. They had no children together. White has not remarried since Ludden's death.
When asked about her real-life heroes White told Vanity Fair, "Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
".
White is a practicing member of the Unity Church
Unity Church
Unity, known informally as Unity Church, is a religious movement within the wider New Thought movement and is best known to many through its Daily Word devotional publication...
..
She is also a registered Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
..
Awards, honors and nominations
White has won seven Emmy Awards, three American Comedy AwardsAmerican Comedy Awards
The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
(including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990), and two Viewers For Quality Television
Viewers For Quality Television
Viewers for Quality Television was an American nonprofit organization founded in 1984 to advocate network television series that members of the organization voted to be of the "highest quality." The group's goal was to rescue "...critically acclaimed programs from cancellation despite their...
Awards. She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame
Television Hall of Fame
The Television Academy Hall of Fame was founded by a former president of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the late John H. Mitchell , to honor individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to television....
in 1995 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6747 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
alongside the star of her late husband Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
.
White was the recipient of the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters
Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters
Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters was founded in 1966 by veteran announcer Art Gilmore and 178 other original members, with Edgar Bergen as the founding chairman of the board...
Golden Ike Award and the Genii Award from the American Women in Radio and Television in 1976. The American Comedy Awards awarded her the award for Funniest Female in 1987 as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. She was formally inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
in 1995. In 2009, White received the Career Achievement Award from the Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
.
The American Veterinary Medical Association
American Veterinary Medical Association
The American Veterinary Medical Association , founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 81,500 U.S. veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services....
awarded White with its Humane Award in 1987 for her charitable work with animals. The City of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
further honored her for her philanthropic work with animals in 2006 with a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
near the Gorilla Exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
. The City of Los Angeles named her "Ambassador to the Animals" at the dedication ceremony.
In September 2009, the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
(SAG) announced plans to honor White with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
16th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Inglourious Basterds----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: Glee ...
. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
presented White with the award on January 23, 2010, at the ceremony, which took place at the Shrine Auditorium
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue, in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners.-History:...
in Los Angeles. She is a Kentucky Colonel
Kentucky colonel
Kentucky colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Commissions for Kentucky colonels are given by the Governor and the Secretary of State to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation...
. In 2009, White and her now deceased Golden Girls cast mates Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice "Bea" Arthur was an American actress, comedienne and singer whose career spanned seven decades. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, winning Emmy Awards for both...
, Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
and Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
were awarded honorary Disney Legend awards. Betty was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in December 2010. In 2010 she was chosen as the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
's Entertainer of the Year.
On November 9, 2010, the USDA Forest Service along with Smokey Bear
Smokey Bear
Smokey Bear is a mascot of the United States Forest Service created to educate the public about the dangers of forest fires. An advertising campaign featuring Smokey was created in 1944 with the slogan, "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires". Smokey Bear's later slogan,...
made actress Betty White an honorary forest ranger, fulfilling her lifelong dream. White said in previous interviews that she wanted to be a forest ranger as a little girl but that women were not allowed to do that then. Today’s United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
is 38 percent female, including rangers, scientists and leaders at every level.
In January 2011, White received a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as Elka Ostrovsky in Hot In Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland
Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The...
. The show itself was also nominated for an award as Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, but lost to the cast of Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
.
A 2011 poll conducted by Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and Ipsos
Ipsos
Ipsos S.A. is a global market research company headquartered in Paris, France. The Company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1 July 1999...
revealed that White was considered to be the most popular and most trusted celebrity among Americans, beating out the likes of Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
, Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
and Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
.
In October 2011, White was awarded an honorary degree and white doctors coat by Washington State University at the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association’s centennial gala in Yakima, Washington.
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Best Actress 3rd Primetime Emmy Awards The 3rd Annual Emmy Awards, retroactively known as the 3rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards after the debut of the Daytime Emmys, were presented at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California on January 23, 1951.... |
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| 1975 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977... |
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| 1976 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | |
| 1977 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | |
| 1983 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Game Show Host Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host The Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host is one of the performance awards awarded annually at the Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. Game show hosts that host daytime or syndicated game shows are eligible for the award.... |
Just Men! Just Men! Just Men! was a game show that aired on NBC Daytime from January 3 to April 1, 1983. The show starred Betty White, who won an Emmy award for her work on the show, with Steve Day announcing.-Gameplay:... |
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| 1984 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Game Show Host | Just Men! | |
| 1986 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Golden Girls The Golden Girls The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida... |
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| 1986 | Golden Apple Award Golden Apple Award The Golden Apple Award is an American award presented to entertainers by the Hollywood Women's Press Club, usually in recognition not of performance but of behavior. The award has been presented since 1941 and includes categories recognizing actors for being easy to work with, as well as categories... |
Female Star of the Year | ||
| 1986 | Golden Globes | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | The Golden Girls | |
| 1987 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1987 | Golden Globes | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | The Golden Girls | |
| 1987 | American Comedy Awards American Comedy Awards The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films... |
Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication | The Golden Girls | |
| 1987 | Viewers for Quality Television Viewers For Quality Television Viewers for Quality Television was an American nonprofit organization founded in 1984 to advocate network television series that members of the organization voted to be of the "highest quality." The group's goal was to rescue "...critically acclaimed programs from cancellation despite their... |
Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1988 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1988 | Golden Globes | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | The Golden Girls | |
| 1988 | Viewers for Quality Television | Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1989 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1989 | Golden Globes | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | The Golden Girls | |
| 1990 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1990 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication | The Golden Girls | |
| 1990 | American Comedy Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy | ||
| 1991 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1992 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The Golden Girls | |
| 1995 | Walk of Fame | Star on the Walk of Fame | ||
| 1996 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | The John Larroquette Show The John Larroquette Show The John Larroquette Show is a situation comedy that ran on the NBC network from 1993 to 1996. The show, created by Don Reo, was a vehicle for John Larroquette following his run as Dan Fielding on Night Court. The series took place in a seedy bus terminal in St. Louis, Missouri and focused on the... |
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| 1997 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Suddenly Susan Suddenly Susan Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else... |
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| 2000 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a TV Series | Ally McBeal Ally McBeal Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia... |
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| 2003 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The Practice The Practice The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston... |
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| 2003 | TV Land Awards TV Land Awards The TV Land Awards is an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with awards such as the Emmys. It is presented in a manner that spoofs other entertainment award ceremonies... |
Quintessential Non-Traditional Family | ||
| 2004 | TV Land Awards | Groundbreaking Show | ||
| 2008 | TV Land Awards | Pop Culture Award | ||
| 2009 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States... |
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| 2009 | Television Critics Association Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming... |
Career Achievement Award | ||
| 2009 | Disney Legends Disney Legends Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes people who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. The honor is awarded annually during a special ceremony.... |
Disney Legends | ||
| 2010 | Screen Actors Guild Screen Actors Guild Awards A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"... |
Life Achievement Award Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award The Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award is given by the Screen Actors Guild's National Honors and Tributes Committee "for outstanding achievement in fostering the finest ideals of the acting profession." The award predates the 1st Screen Actors Guild Awards by over thirty years, having been... |
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| 2010 | MTV Movie Awards MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general... |
Best WTF Moment MTV Movie Award for Best WTF Moment This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best WTF Moment. It was first awarded in 2009. In 2011, it was renamed Best Jaw Dropping Moment.-2009:*Peeing in the Sink – Amy Poehler ... |
The Proposal The Proposal (film) The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles... |
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| 2010 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Comedic Performance.-References:... |
The Proposal | |
| 2010 | Teen Choice Award 2010 Teen Choice Awards 2010 Teen Choice Awards were held on August 8, introducing a lot of new categories now separated into "Movie", "TV", "Music", "Summer", "Fashion" and "Other". The show aired on August 9, 2010 on Fox, co-hosted by Katy Perry, who also performed, and Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, and... |
Best Dance (with Sandra Bullock Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,... ) |
The Proposal | |
| 2010 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... |
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| 2010 | New Now Next Awards | Cause You're Hot | ||
| 2011 | People's Choice Awards People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett... |
Favorite TV Guest Star 37th People's Choice Awards The 37th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2010, were held on January 5, 2011 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET... |
Community Community (TV series) Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television... |
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| 2011 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Web Celeb | ||
| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The... |
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| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Hot in Cleveland | |
| 2011 | Gracie Allen Awards | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Hot in Cleveland | |
| 2011 | The Comedy Awards The Comedy Awards The Comedy Awards is an annual award ceremony run by the American television network Comedy Central, honoring the best of comedy. The first ceremony took place on March 26, 2011 and aired on April 10 on CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike TV, TV Land and VH1... |
Best Actress in a TV Comedy | Hot in Cleveland | |
| 2011 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Hot In Cleveland | |
| 11/1/2011 | UCLA Jack Benny Award | Comedian |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Time to Kill | Lou's Girl | |
| 1949–50 | Hollywood on Television | Phone Girl | |
| 1953–55 | Life with Elizabeth Life with Elizabeth Life with Elizabeth is an American sitcom which aired in syndication from October 7, 1953, to September 1, 1955. The show stars Betty White and Del Moore; Jack Narz was the on-camera announcer and narrator.... |
Elizabeth | 12 episodes |
| 1955 | Make the Connection Make the Connection Make the Connection is an American game show, sponsored by Borden, that ran on Thursday nights from July 7 to September 29, 1955 on NBC. Originally hosted by Jim McKay , he was replaced after the first four episodes by future Match Game host Gene... |
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| 1957–58 | Date with the Angels Date with the Angels Date with the Angels is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from May 10, 1957 to January 29, 1958. The series, which stars Betty White and Bill Williams, began as a late season replacement for The Ray Anthony Show for the same sponsor, Chrysler's Plymouth division... |
Vickie Angel | 33 episodes |
| 1959 | Santa Claus Santa Claus Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus... |
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| 1959–62 | |||
| 1961 | To Tell the Truth To Tell the Truth To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication... |
Herself | |
| 1962 | Advise and Consent Advise and Consent (film) Advise & Consent is a 1962 American motion picture based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Allen Drury, published in 1959. The movie was adapted for the screen by Wendell Mayes and was directed by Otto Preminger... |
Senator Bessie Adams | |
| 1961–75 | Password Password (game) Password is an American television game show which was created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman Productions. The host was Allen Ludden, who had previously been well known as the host of the G.E... |
Herself | |
| 1963 | Your First Impression Your First Impression Your First Impression is a NBC daytime game show which aired from January 2, 1962, to June 26, 1964. A panel of three celebrities tried to guess the identity of mystery guests from clues supplied by the host. Bill Leyden was the MC of the program, with Dennis James as a regular panelist or... |
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| 1965 | Concentration Concentration (game show) Concentration was an American TV game show based on the children's memory game of the same name. Matching cards represented prizes that contestants could win... |
Herself | |
| 1967 | What's My Line? What's My Line? What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations.... |
Herself | |
| 1971 | Vanished Vanished Vanished is an American serial drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox. The series premiered on August 21, 2006 on Fox and its last episode aired on November 10, 2006. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the series begins with the sudden disappearance of the wife of a Georgia senator, which is... |
TV Hostess | |
| 1973–82 | Match Game Match Game Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions... |
Herself | |
| 1973–77 | Sue Ann Nivens | 42 episodes | |
| 1974–78 | Tattletales Tattletales Tattletales is a game show which first aired on the CBS daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with several announcers, including Jack Clark, Gene Wood, Johnny Olson and John Harlan, providing the voiceover at various times... |
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| 1977 | |||
| 1977–78 | Joyce Whitman | 14 episodes | |
| 1978 | Liar's Club Liar's Club Liar's Club is an American comedy game show, produced by Ralph Andrews that had three syndicated runs. It was first seen in 1969 with Rod Serling as host, and returned for a three-season run from 1976-1979... |
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| 1978 | |||
| 1978 | The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast is a NBC television special show hosted by entertainer Dean Martin from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin would periodically “roast” a celebrity. These roasts were patterned after the roasts held at the New York Friars' Club in New York City... : Betty White |
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| 1979 | With This Ring With This Ring With This Ring was a prime time panel show aired by the DuMont Television Network from January 21, 1951 to March 11, 1951. The show featured engaged couples discussing marriage and marital problems... |
Evelyn Harris | |
| 1979 | |||
| 1979 | |||
| 1980 | |||
| 1980 | Before and After | ||
| 1980–83 | Password Plus | Herself | |
| 1982–88 | Herself | ||
| 1982 | Eunice | Ellen | |
| 1983 | Just Men! Just Men! Just Men! was a game show that aired on NBC Daytime from January 3 to April 1, 1983. The show starred Betty White, who won an Emmy award for her work on the show, with Steve Day announcing.-Gameplay:... |
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| 1983 | Doctor Detroit Doctor Detroit Doctor Detroit is a 1983 comedy film, written by Bruce Jay Friedman, Robert Boris and Carl Gottlieb. The film stars Dan Aykroyd, Howard Hesseman, Lynn Whitfield, Fran Drescher, and Donna Dixon, with a special appearance by James Brown. The film was directed by Michael Pressman.James Brown performed... |
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| 1984 | Kill Me If You Can | ||
| 1985 | Santa Claus: The Movie Santa Claus: The Movie Santa Claus: The Movie is a 1985 British/American Christmas film starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. It is the last major fantasy film produced by the Paris-based father-and-son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind... |
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| 1983–84, 1986 | Mama's Family Mama's Family Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,... |
Ellen Harper-Jackson | 15 episodes |
| 1984 | Body Language Body Language (game show) Body Language is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. The show aired on CBS from June 4, 1984 until January 3, 1986, and was hosted by Tom Kennedy... |
Herself | |
| 1985 | Trivia Trap Trivia Trap Trivia Trap is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. It was created by producer Goodson and originally ran from October 8, 1984 to April 5, 1985 on ABC. The game featured two teams of three contestants each who competed against each other to answer trivia questions in various... |
Herself | |
| 1985 | Who's the Boss | Bobby Barnes | |
| 1985–88 | Herself | ||
| 1985–92 | Rose Nylund Rose Nylund Rose Nylund was born May 1930 in St. Olaf, Minnesota. She is a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years and 208 episodes.Rose was comically portrayed as naïve and simple,... |
180 episodes | |
| 1987–99 | Super Password | Herself | |
| 1988 | Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (TV series) Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California... |
Waitress | 3 episodes |
| 1988 | Another World Another World (TV series) Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J... |
Brenda Barlowe | |
| 1990–91 | To Tell the Truth To Tell the Truth To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication... |
Herself | |
| 1991 | Chance of a Lifetime | Evelyn Eglin | |
| 1992–93 | Rose Nylund | 24 episodes | |
| 1993 | Bob Bob (TV series) Bob is an American television situation comedy starring Bob Newhart. It was the actor's third series for CBS and proved to be far less successful than The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, his previous outings with the network. It lasted a season and a half, running from September 18, 1992 until... |
Sylvia Schmidt | |
| 1994 | Diagnosis: Murder Diagnosis: Murder Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman... |
Dora Sloan | |
| 1995 | Family Feud Family Feud Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people... |
Herself | |
| 1995–96 | Maybe This Time Maybe This Time Maybe This Time is an American sitcom which aired on ABC from September 1995 to February 1996. Created by veteran TV creator Michael Jacobs and his longtime colleague, Bob Young.... |
Shirley Wallace | |
| 1996 | |||
| 1996 | |||
| 1997 | Hard Rain Hard Rain (film) Hard Rain is a 1998 American/British action thriller disaster movie, produced by Mark Gordon, written by Graham Yost and directed by former cinematographer turned director Mikael Salomon... |
Doreen Sears | |
| 1998 | Hercules: The Animated Series Hercules: The Animated Series Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles... |
Hestia | |
| 1998 | Me & George | ||
| 1998 | Dennis the Menace Strikes Again Dennis the Menace Strikes Again Dennis the Menace Strikes Again is a 1998 direct-to-video sequel to the 1993 theatrical feature Dennis the Menace. It was produced by Outlaw Productions and released by Warner Bros... |
Martha Wilson | |
| 1998 | Holy Man Holy Man Holy Man is a 1998 comedy drama film directed by Stephen Herek. It starred Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum and Kelly Preston. The film was a box office and critical failure.-Plot:... |
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| 1998–99 | (voice) | ||
| 1999 | Herself | ||
| 1999 | Gaia Symphony II | ||
| 1999 | Lake Placid Lake Placid (film) Lake Placid is a 1999 American monster movie with elements of comedy, horror, bromance film, and the buddy genre. It was written and produced by David E. Kelley, directed by Steve Miner, and stars Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin Bacon, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Oliver Platt, and... |
Mrs. Deloris Bickerman | |
| 1999 | Lillian Jordan | ||
| 1999–2000 | Ladies Man | Mitzi Stiles | |
| 2000 | Ally McBeal Ally McBeal Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia... |
Dr. Shirley Flott | |
| 2000 | (voice) | ||
| 2000 | Whispers: An Elephant's Tale | Round | |
| 2000 | Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer (2000 film) Tom Sawyer is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film from MGM. It is an adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, with a cast of anthropomorphic animals instead of humans... |
Aunt Polly | |
| 2001 | Sophie Hunter | ||
| 2001 | Mrs. Krisper | ||
| 2001 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is an American Christmas song with music and lyrics by Tommie Connor.The original recording by Jimmy Boyd on 15 July 1952 when he was 13 reached #1 on the Billboard charts in December 1952, and on the Cash Box chart at the beginning of the following year... |
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| 2002–03 | That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979... |
Bea Sigurdson | |
| 2003 | Bringing Down the House Bringing Down the House (film) Bringing Down the House is a 2003 American romantic comedy film, written by Jason Filardi and directed by Adam Shankman. The film stars Steve Martin and Queen Latifah.-Plot:... |
Mrs. Kline | |
| 2003 | Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt is a 2003 television movie reuniting the cast of the 1960s Batman TV show. It stars the original stars of the series Adam West and Burt Ward as themselves, with Jack Brewer and Jason Marsden portraying the young West/Batman and Ward/Robin... |
Woman in Window | |
| 2004 | Stealing Christmas | Emily Sutton | |
| 2004 | Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes... |
Sylvia | |
| 2004 | Hollywood Squares – Game Show Week Part 2 Hollywood Squares Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants... |
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| 2004–05 | Complete Savages Complete Savages Complete Savages is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 2004 to June 2005. It was part of ABC's final TGIF comedy line-up. The show was created by Mike Scully and Julie Thacker and executive produced by Mel Gibson... |
Mrs. Riley | |
| 2005 | Catherine Piper | ||
| 2005 | Lettie | ||
| 2005 | Annie's Point Annie's Point Annie's Point is a 2005 made-for-television movie starring Betty White, Richard Thomas and Amy Davidson.Annie Eason , a recent widow, is living on her own before her son Richard decides that she shouldn't be and wants her to move to a retirement village where she will be taken care of... |
Annie Eason | |
| 2005-08 | Boston Legal Boston Legal Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC... |
Catherine Piper | 16 episodes |
| 2006 | Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... |
Herself | (voice) |
| 2006 | Gameshow Marathon | ||
| 2006 | : Their Greatest Moments | Herself | |
| 2006 | Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner | Herself | |
| 2007 | |||
| 2007 | My Wife and Kids My Wife and Kids My Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television , it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules... |
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| 2007 | 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards | ||
| 2007 | Back to the Grind | ||
| 2007 | Herself | (voice) | |
| 2008 | Pioneers of Television | Herself | |
| 2008 | |||
| 2008 | Million Dollar Password Million Dollar Password Million Dollar Password is an updated version of the game show Password on CBS, which was hosted by Regis Philbin and ran from June 1, 2008 to June 14, 2009. Based upon a format created by Bob Stewart for Goodson-Todman, FremantleMedia produced the program.-Production and broadcast history:Million... |
Herself | |
| 2008 | Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
1 episode | |
| 2009 | Grandma Annie | ||
| 2009 | Wheel of Fortune Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show) Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that... |
Herself | |
| 2009 | My Name is Earl My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States... |
Mrs. Weezmer | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions... |
Herself | |
| 2009 | Ponyo | Yoshie | (voice) |
| 2009 | Love N' Dancing Love N' Dancing Love N' Dancing is a 2009 dance film about a couple who take part in a dance competition. The film was directed by Robert Iscove, and stars Amy Smart, Tom Malloy, and Billy Zane.-Cast:* Amy Smart as Jessica Donovan* Tom Malloy as Jake Mitchell... |
Irene | |
| 2009 | Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions... |
Herself | |
| 2009 | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List is a reality show starring Kathy Griffin. The series aired on Bravo. It debuted in August 2005, and was cancelled in November 2010.... |
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| 2009 | 30 Rock 30 Rock 30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live... |
Betty White | 1 episode |
| 2009–10 | Glenn Martin, DDS Glenn Martin, DDS Glenn Martin, DDS is an American stop-motion-animated television series that premiered on Nick at Nite on August 17, 2009. The series is produced by Tornante Animation in association with Cuppa Coffee Studio... |
Dora / Grandma Shelia Martin | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... |
Herself | (Host) |
| 2010 | Mrs. Nethercott | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | Inside the Actors Studio Inside the Actors Studio Inside the Actors Studio is a series on the Bravo cable television channel, hosted by James Lipton. It is produced and directed by Jeff Wurtz; the executive producer is James Lipton. The program, which premiered in 1994, is distributed internationally by CABLEready and is broadcast in 125 countries... |
Herself | |
| 2010 | Operation Secret Santa | (voice) | |
| 2010–present | Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The... |
Elka Ostrovsky | |
| 2010 | You Again | Grandma Bunny | |
| 2010 | Community Community (TV series) Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television... |
Professor June Bauer | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Pound Puppies Pound Puppies (2010 TV series) Pound Puppies is a American/Canadian animated series that premiered on The Hub on October 10, 2010, in the United States. Pound Puppies airs on YTV in Canada. The series is produced by Paul and Joe Productions and Hasbro Studios... |
Agatha McLeish | |
| 2011 | Caroline Thomas | ||
| 2012 | Norma | (voice) |
Books by White
- 1983: Betty White's Pet-Love: How Pets Take Care of Us
- 1987: Betty White In Person
- 1991: The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story
- 1995: Here We Go Again: My Life In Television
- 2011: If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)
Further reading
- Tucker, David C. The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2007.
External links
- The Allen Ludden & Betty White Archive
- Betty White News on Twitter
- Betty White is Hot in Cleveland
- The Early Betty White 1947-1971
- Archive of American Television Interview with Betty White June 4, 1997
- Betty White on The Museum of Broadcast Communications
- Betty White to Star on Hot in Cleveland
- Video of TV Academy's Salute to Betty White