Betty White, one of the most beloved television stars of all time, has passed away at the grand age of 99.
The multi-Emmy winner’s died on New Year’s Eve just two weeks before reaching 100.
A pioneer of early television and with a career spanning eight decades, White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment industry.
Born way back in 1922, she moved with her family to Los Angeles during the height of the Great Depression, and in the late 1930s began working as an actress and model. However, her flourishing career had to be put on hold during World War II, when she went to work with the American Women’s Voluntary Services.
After the war, White continued with her showbiz ambitions with mixed success, before landing her own radio show and then appearing on Al Jarvis’s Hollywood on Television variety talk show.
In 1951, she received the first of twenty-one Emmy nominations for Best TV Actress. It was the new awards’ first ever category to recognise the achievements of women on the box.
The following year saw White launch the sitcom Life with Elizabeth (1952-55) which centred on the day-to-day events of a newly-married couple. That was swiftly followed by a similar comedy programme in the form of Date with the Angels that aired between 1957 and 1958.
The 1960s proved to be a quiet period for White barring a small role as Senator Bessie Adams in the political film Advice & Content (1962).
However, she would soon return to form with her role as the sharp-witted Sue Ann Nivens in the hit comedy series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Between 1973 and 1977, White was lauded for her humorous turn and scooped back-to-back Emmys for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Shortly after, she headlined The Betty White Show (1977-78) in which she played struggling actress Joyce Whitman across just fourteen episodes.
Her golden period soon came in the 1980s, starting with her guest roles in hit American shows like The Love Boat (1980-85), Mama’s Family (1983-86), St. Elsewhere (1985) and Who’s the Boss? (1985).
However, it was her portrayal of the naive-but-loveable Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls that brought her great success. From 1985 to 1992, White landed seven Emmy nominations for her role as Rose with her sole win coming in 1986.
Following the show’s ending, White – who was by then also a published author – then appeared in the short-lived spin-off The Golden Palace (1992-93).
After guest-starring on Diagnosis Murder (1994), she continued to work on a number of sitcoms throughout the 1990s including the likes of Bob (1993), Maybe This Time (1995-96) and Ally McBeal (1999) while also landing a fourth Emmy win for her guest appearance in The John Larroquette Show (1996).
The work excelled even further into the Millennium, with White now into her 80s. Having appeared in thirty episodes of Ladies Man (1999-2001), she then produced award-worthy guest roles in the likes of The Ellen Show (2001), That ’70s Show (2002-03), The Practice (2004), Malcolm in the Middle (2004), Boston Legal (2005-08), Joey (2005), The Bold and the Beautiful (2006-09), Ugly Betty (2007), My Name is Earl (2009) and 30 Rock (2009).
The start of the 2010s proved a fruitful one for White starting with guest roles in The Middle and Community. That was swiftly followed by a return to the long-running sitcom form with her turn as feisty caretaker Elka Ostrovsky in the TV land sitcom Hot in Cleveland (2010-15). The role won her two SAG awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
That same year also saw her land a sixth Emmy for hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live – this made her the oldest person to present the hit sketch show.
Away from television, White also popped up in a number of big-screen outings including Lake Placid (1999), Bringing Down the House (2003), The Proposal (2009) and You Again (2010).
She also provided her voice in various animated programmes and films including King of the Hill (1999-2002), The Wild Thornberrys (2000), The Simpsons (2000-2007), Family Guy (2006), The Lorax (2012) and SpongeBob SquarePants (2016).
Fittingly, White’s final contribution to a major project came in 2019 when she voiced Bitey White in the hit Pixar sequel Toy Story 4.
President Joe Biden and Hollywood stars Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds were amongst the major names that paid tribute to White.
Despite having no children during her remarkable life, she is survived by three stepchildren.
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