Betty White: Stories Of The Funniest Old Lady In Hollywood

By | January 17, 2021

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Betty White in 1954 (Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

A Golden Girl and a game show MVP, Betty White has lived the longest showbiz life ever. No, really, her 80-plus years on TV is a record. She broke barriers as the first female producer of a TV show (Life With Elizabeth, 1955), and was on one of the great sitcoms of the '70s in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. There's a reason why fellow entertainers fawn over Betty White as if she's so cool -- because she really is cool.

Everybody loves a colorful senior citizen with the spirit of a lively youngling who can stir up a roar of laughter in an entire room. Betty White has mastered the art of comedy over her eight decades on the small screen. White embarked upon a long journey in entertainment that began in the 1930s and today, she is funnier than ever and continues to land hilarious roles in film and television. White not only launched a career for herself, but she also helped pave the way for women who were not taken very seriously in Hollywood. 

Betty White Has Been On Television Since The 1930s

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Betty White was born on January 17, 1922 in Oak Park Illinois, but moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was two years old. Immediately after graduating high school, she pursued her newfound dream of becoming an actress. White landed her first gig when she sang songs on the experimental television show Merry Widow with a friend in 1939. When World War 2 broke out, she took a break and volunteered for American Women’s Voluntary Services to aid the involved soldiers. When the war was finished, she took Hollywood by force by taking on any part or job she could get in the entertainment world. She first joined the radio world hosting her own program and eventually took over hosting the TV program Al Jarvis’ Make-Believe Ballroom. The next few decades saw White very involved in hosting and acting including her parts in Hollywood On Television, Life With Elizabeth, The Betty White Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and as a host for both The Tournament Of The Roses parade and The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. White finally became a superstar in the 1980’s when she played the part of Rose Nylund on the popular hit series The Golden Girls, which aired from 1985 to 1992. From that moment on, White’s essence of the hysterically loud-mouthed older woman with a knack for comedy and sarcasm was so adored by viewers everywhere. Here are some fun facts about the comedic genius you may not know…