The World Mourns As We Say Goodbye To Betty White
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America’s favorite 'Golden Girl' has died. Betty White passed away just 18 days shy of her 100th birthday on New Year’s Eve at her home in Los Angeles. Betty, who got her start in radio, broke into TV in 1949 on a local talk show, “Al Jarvis’ Hollywood on Television.”
When he left the show, she took over hosting duties. While she had a few shows of her own throughout the 1950s – including a variety show that in 1954 featured Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan as a regular. An unusual move - considering it was during the height of the civil rights movement - when Betty was told to fire him by execs. She declined...and featured Duncan even more.
Betty’s most memorable roles came later in life. She played Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” starting in the fourth season – and won two out of the three Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category she was nominated for. Her Rose Nylund character on “The Golden Girls” was nominated seven times in Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category, winning once in 1986.
- Other Emmy wins included two for Outstanding Guest Actress for a Comedy Series for “The John Larroquette Show” in 1996 and “Saturday Night Live” in 2010.
- Betty was married three times. While she never had children of her own, she helped her last husband, the late game show host Allen Ludden, raise his three children from a previous marriage.
- ONE MORE THING! Betty had been planning to celebrate her centennial birthday with a star-studded theatrical event. “Betty White: 100 Years Young” – featuring appearances by Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more – will still go on as planned. As we told you, it’ll air in 900 different theaters on January 17th – her actual birthday.
- You can see some of the celebrity reaction to her passing HERE.
Source: New York Times
