Betty White Biography

Betty White first appeared on television in 1939 as a singer. By 1949 she was appearing live on daily television in Los Angeles as the co-host of a local television show, Hollywood on Television. She later formed her own production company in partnership with producer Don Fedderson and writer George Tibbles and produced her first comedy series: Life with Elizabeth, for which she received her first Emmy nomination in 1951. Later came The Betty White Show, a daily NBC network talk/variety show; and a network situation comedy, A Date with the Angels. She appeared frequently on variety and game shows, and was a recurring regular with Jack Paar (over 70 appearances), Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson, (including many with the Mighty Carson Art Players). She also subbed as host on all three shows. She was a regular on Mama's Family as sister Ellen, a role she created with the rest of the company on The Carol Burnett Show.

Betty's first appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the show's fourth season led to her becoming a recurring cast member. Her portrayal of Sue Ann Nivens, the Happy Homemaker, earned her two Emmy awards for supporting actress in 1975 and 1976. In 1970 she created, wrote and hosted a syndicated TV Animal series, The Pet Set.

In 1976 she was awarded the Pacific Pioneers in Broadcasting Golden Ike award and the Genii Award from American Women in Radio and TV. Betty received a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host for Just Men. Nominated seven times for best actress in a comedy series for The Golden Girls, she won her third Emmy in 1985.

She then appeared in the spin-off The Golden Palace for one season. Her Emmy for best guest actress in a comedy series on The John Larroquette Show brought her total of Primetime Emmys to four. She won her fifth Primetime Emmy award in 2010, when she hosted Saturday Night Live. The American Comedy Awards gave her the Funniest Female Award in 1987 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. In 1995 she was inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame. Also in 2000 she received the American Comedy Award for the funniest female guest appearance in a television series for Ally McBeal. In 2002 she made recurring appearances on That '70s Show.

Betty also had recurring roles on Boston Legal and on the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful. She's appeared in several movies for television: starring with Leslie Nielsen in Chance of a Lifetime, The Retrievers for Animal Planet, Stealing Christmas with Tony Danza and Lea Thompson and, in 2005 for the Hallmark Channel, a movie called Annie's Point with Richard Thomas and Amy Davidson.

Her appearances on the big screen include Hard Rain with Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater, Lake Placid, The Story of Us, Bringing Down the House with Steve Martin and The Proposal (2009) with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

Twice divorced, Betty married game show host Allen Ludden on June 14, 1963. They were happily married until his death in 1981. She is the author of five books, including Betty White's Pet Love, Betty White in Person and Here We Go Again: My Life in Television. Two books were co-authored with Tom Sullivan, including The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story and Together. In February 2006 Betty was honored by the City of Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Zoo as Ambassador to the Animals for her lifelong work for Animal welfare. In January 2010, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild.

At the age of 88, Betty was cast on the sitcom Hot in Cleveland and stayed with the show for six seasons, until 2015. Also in 2015, Betty was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards and received a People’s Choice Award for "Favorite TV Icon."

Betty, who was an Animal lover and advocate, also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard.

She passed away at age 99 on December 31, 2021.