Betty White

A beloved comic actor and game show panelist, Betty White has demonstrated a wide versatility in numerous successful sitcoms. Her TV career dates back to the early days of the medium, starting on local L.A. TV in 1949 before scoring her first series success in "Life With Elizabeth" (1952-55). Starting in radio in the 40s, White's voice and presence were tailor-made for the camera as well, and she alternated between sitcoms and panel and game shows. In the early 50s, she could be seen on such quiz shows as "Dick Haynes' Joke Shop", "Grab Your Phone" and "Make the Connection". White was long married to the late Allen Ludden, host of "Password" and other such shows.

In the late 50s, White concentrated on TV. Following "Life With Elizabeth" (which was syndicated under the title "The Betty White Show") were the sitcom "Date With the Angels" (ABC, 1957-58) and the variety series "The Betty White Show" (ABC, 1958), in which she exuded a friendly, person-next-door domesticity that made audiences comfortable. By the 60s, however, she was all but out of primetime, reduced to an occasional guest appearance. Instead, White continued her career as an almost daily celebrity guest on some game show--so much so that many of her younger fans had no idea she was really an actor. Most thought of her as a personality in the same way former beauty queens and male curmudgeons seemed to make a career out of being a panelist. White was even offered the chance to host her own game show which she declined. That perception about White changed forever in 1973 when her friends Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker asked her to play a one-shot guest appearance as Sue Ann Nivens, the WJM "Happy Homemaker" having an affair with Phyllis Lindstrom's husband on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". The inspired casting against type of White as middle-aged man-hungry quick-riposting Sue Ann turned into a five-season full-time gig and won White two Emmy Awards and a host of new fans. At the demise of Moore's series, White was rushed into her own "The Betty White Show" (CBS, 1977-78) as Joyce Whitman, fading TV star. The effort lasted one season, and White was back on game shows and hosting the annual Tournament of Roses parade on NBC, which she had done since 1970. She also appeared in several TV movies, including "With this Ring" (ABC, 1978) and "The Best Place to Be" (NBC, 1979).

Beginning in 1983, White made occasional appearances on "Mama's Family" (NBC), reprising the character of Ellen, the nouveau-riche older sister she had created on several guest spots on "The Carol Burnett Show" in the 70s. She also finally accepted an offer to host a game show, "Just Men!", a short-lived NBC effort in 1983, again playing off the deliciously lascivious persona White had perfected for Sue Ann Nivens. In 1985, White was offered the role of Blanche Devereaux, the over-sexed middle-aged widow on an NBC pilot called "The Golden Girls". Tired of acting with libido in hand, she asked instead if she could portray Rose Nylund, the slightly addle-brained roommate from the Midwest who was all heart. NBC agreed and White's Rose was immediately embraced by the audience. She was the first of the three series leads to win a Best Actress Emmy.

When "The Golden Girls" ended in 1992, White joined Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty on "The Golden Palace" which moved their "Golden Girls" characters to a new network (CBS) and a new locale (a modest hotel). The show flopped, but CBS put White in "Bob", the network's latest series with Bob Newhart, in the hopes of adding some adrenaline into fading ratings. The series died anyway. But not White's popularity. She was a frequent commercial spokesperson, and eager to return to series, she accepted the part of Shirley, mother to Marie Osmond in the sitcom "Maybe This Time" (ABC, 1995). This time, White was oft-married and free-spirited, but she created an entirely new persona, again demonstrating her extraordinarily wide range.

The roles continued to come, and within the span of four years, White was cast in several features (both television and big screen) and co-starred in numerous television series including the short-lived, "Me & George" (1998) and "Ladies Man" (1999). Her voice was the main focus as she brought life to the animated characters Round in the family feature "Whispers: An Elephant's Tale" (2000) and Aunt Sophie in the kid popular series "The Wild Thornberry's: The Origin of Donnie" (2001). In 2003, White returned to the big screen in the comedy "Bringing Down The House," which co-starred Steve Martin and Oscar nominee Queen Latifah.

Besides her work in the entertainment industry--where she is a popular member of the TV community--White was also a vocal animal activist. She gave much time to animal-oriented charities, was often photographed with one of her many dogs or pets, and was a trustee of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association for more than 25 years. Two of her four published books dealt with stories of dogs. The other two were a memoir of TV as White knew it since 1949, and an autobiography. Like Lucille Ball and other primetime icons, White seemed destined to live on in rebroadcasts forever. As the year 2000 approached, she could be seen not only in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" from the 70s and "The Golden Girls" from the 80s, but also "Life With Elizabeth" from the 50s which aired on cable's Nostalgia Network. In addition to appearing in several telepics and small film roles, White was a popular guest star on a variety of TV series, including "Ally McBeal," "The Simpsons," "King of the Hill," "Everwood" and "Malcolm in the Middle." In addition to a recurring role on the popular sit-com "That 70s Show," White was especially delightful as the sweet-smiling but acid-tongued Catherine Piper, a recurring role she originated on the legal drama "The Practice" in 2004 and carried over into the follow-up series "Boston Legal."