Betty White (January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian known for her roles on television. White worked longer in the television industry than anyone else and earned herself a Guinness World Record in 2013.
Her roles on television including Sue Ann Nivens on the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973–1977), Rose Nylund on the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–1992), and Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland (2010–2015). She gained renewed popularity after her appearance in the romantic comedy film The Proposal (2009) with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, and went on to host Saturday Night Live in 2010 gaining her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She had also been a staple on many game shows since the mid-1950s.
White died on December 31, 2021, seventeen days before her 100th birthday, which was due to be celebrated in a televised special on January 17, 2022. It contained an interview from White, filmed just ten days prior to her death. The decision was made to continue with the televised celebration posthumously, thus ending White's record-breaking, 73-year career on television in 2022.
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1945 | Time to Kill | Lou's Girl | Short film | |
1951 | The Daring Miss Jones | Unknown | ||
1962 | Advise & Consent | Senator Bessie Adams | ||
1986 | Big City Comedy | Herself | ||
1989 | Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration | Herself | ||
1996 | The Story of Santa Claus | Gretchen Claus | Voice | |
1998 | Hard Rain | Doreen Sears | ||
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again | Martha Wilson | |||
Holy Man | Herself | |||
1999 | Lake Placid | Mrs. Delores Bickerman | ||
The Story of Us | Lillian Jordan | |||
2000 | Whispers: An Elephant's Tale | Round | Voice | |
Tom Sawyer | Aunt Polly | |||
2001 | The Retrievers | Mrs. Krisper | ||
The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie | Grandma Sophie | Voice | ||
2003 | Bringing Down the House | Mrs. Kline | ||
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt | Cameo | |||
2005 | The Third Wish | Lettie | ||
2006 | Where's Marty? | Herself | ||
2007 | Your Mommy Kills Animals | Documentary | ||
In Search of Puppy Love | ||||
2008 | Ponyo | Yoshie | Voice | |
2009 | Love N' Dancing | Irene | ||
The Proposal | Grandma Annie | |||
Part Two: The Warm Mission | Betty | Short film | ||
2010 | You Again | Grandma Bunny Byer | ||
Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa | Mrs. Claus | Voice | ||
2011 | Betty White: Champion for Animals | Herself | Documentary | |
2012 | The Lorax | Grammy Norma | Voice | |
2013 | Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy | Narrator | Documentary | |
Betty White Goes Wild | Herself | |||
2019 | Toy Story 4 | Bitey White | Voice | |
Trouble | Mrs. Sarah Vanderwhoozie | Voice | ||
2022 | Betty White: A Celebration | Herself / Archive footage | Docu-movie; posthumous release; final film role |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1949–53 | Hollywood on Television | Herself | ||
1952–54 | The Betty White Show | |||
1953 | The Eddie Albert Show | |||
1953–55 | Life with Elizabeth | Elizabeth | Lead role, 65 episodes | |
1955–56 | What's My Line? | Herself | 8 episodes | |
1956 | The Millionaire | Virginia Lennart | Episode: "Millionaire Virginia Lennart" | |
1957–58 | Date with the Angels | Vickie Angel | Lead role, 33 episodes | |
1958 | The Betty White Show | Herself | Lead role, 14 episodes | |
1958–62 | The Tonight Show with Jack Paar | Recurring role, 36 episodes | ||
1958–2001, 2016 |
To Tell the Truth | Guest on CBS (Collyer), NBC (Moore), and ABC (Anderson). Main panelist (2016) |
||
1961–2008 | (Super) (Million Dollar) Password (All Stars), (Plus) | Recurring panelist; appeared on all versions of the show | ||
1962 | The United States Steel Hour | Episode: "Scene of the Crime" | ||
1963–82, 1990–91 |
Match Game | Herself | Recurring panelist Appeared on the first 3 versions of the show |
|
1963–75 | You Don't Say! | Recurring panelist, 10 episodes | ||
1968 | That's Life | Episode: "Buying a House" | ||
1969 | Petticoat Junction | Adelle Colby | Episode: "The Cannonball Bookmobile" | |
1971 | The Pet Set | Herself | Recurring role, 31 episodes | |
Vanished | NBC TV mini series | |||
1972 | O'Hara, U.S. Treasury | Episode: "Operation: Lady Luck" | ||
The Odd Couple | Episode: "Password" | |||
1973–77 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Sue Ann Nivens | Main cast, 46 episodes | |
1975 | Lucas Tanner | Lydia Merrick | Episode: "The Noise of a Quiet Weekend" | |
Ellery Queen | Louise Demery | Episode: "The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance" | ||
The Carol Burnett Show | Various | Recurring role, 3 episodes | ||
1976–77 | The Sonny and Cher Show | Herself | Guest role, 2 episodes | |
1976–79 | Liar's Club | Recurring panelist, 48 episodes | ||
1977–78 | The Betty White Show | Joyce Whitman | Lead role, 14 episodes | |
1978 | The Hanna-Barbera Happy Hour | Voice teacher | 1 episode | |
Snavely (aka Chateau Snavely) | Gladys Snavely | 1 episode (pilot only) | ||
With This Ring | Evelyn Harris | TV film | ||
1979 | The Best Place to Be | Sally Cantrell | ||
Before and After | Anita | |||
1980 | The Gossip Columnist | Herself | ||
The Love Boat | Various | Guest role, 5 episodes | ||
1981 | Best of the West | Episode: "Mail Order Bride" | ||
1982 | Eunice | Ellen | TV film | |
The $25,000 Pyramid | Herself | Recurring panelist, 85 episodes | ||
Love, Sidney | Charlotte | Episode: "Charlotte's Web" | ||
Madame's Place | Herself | Episode: "I Am What I Am" | ||
1983 | Just Men! | Herself | Host, 65 episodes | |
Fame | Catherine | Episode: "Sunshine Again" | ||
1983–84, 1986 |
Mama's Family | Ellen Harper Jackson | Recurring role, 15 episodes | |
1984 | Hotel | Wilma Klein | Episode: "Outsiders" | |
Trivia Trap | Herself | Celebrity Week | ||
1985 | St. Elsewhere | Capt. Gloria Neal | 2 episodes | |
Who's the Boss? | Bobby Barnes | |||
1985–92 | The Golden Girls | Rose Nylund | Main role, 180 episodes | |
1987 | Alf Loves a Mystery | Aunt Harriet | TV film | |
1988 | Santa Barbara | Cameo | Guest role, 3 episodes | |
Another World | Brenda Barlowe | Special Guest Star | ||
Days of Our Lives | Cameo | Guest role | ||
1989–92 | Empty Nest | Rose Nylund | Guest role, 3 episodes | |
1990 | Carol & Company | Trisha Durant | Episode: "Trisha Springs Eternal" | |
1991 | Chance of a Lifetime | Evelyn Eglin | TV film | |
Nurses | Rose Nylund | Episode: "Begone with the Wind" | ||
1992–93 | The Golden Palace | Lead role, 24 episodes | ||
1993 | Bob | Sylvia Schmidt | Main role, 8 episodes | |
1994 | Diagnosis: Murder | Dora Sloan | Episode: "Death by Extermination" | |
1995 | The Naked Truth | Herself | 2 episodes | |
1995–96 | Maybe This Time | Shirley Wallace | Main role, 18 episodes | |
1996 | A Weekend in the Country | Martha | TV film | |
Suddenly Susan | Midge Haber | Episode: "Golden Girl Friday" | ||
The John Larroquette Show | Herself | Episode: "Here We Go Again" | ||
1998 | The Lionhearts | Dorothy (voice) | 5 episodes | |
L.A. Doctors | Mrs. Brooks | Episode: "Leap of Faith" | ||
Noddy | Annabelle (Mrs. Santa Claus) | Special: Anything Can Happen At Christmas | ||
1999 | Hercules | Hestia (voice) | Episode: "Hercules and the Tiff on Olympus" | |
Ally McBeal | Dr. Shirley Flott | Episode: "Seeing Green" | ||
King of the Hill | Dorothy / Ellen / Delia (voice) | Guest role, 3 episodes | ||
1999–2001 | Ladies Man | Mitzi Stiles | Main role, 30 episodes | |
2000 | The Wild Thornberrys | Sophie Hunter (voice) | 3 episodes | |
Intimate Portrait | Herself | Episode: "Betty White" | ||
The Simpsons | Herself (voice) | Episode: "Missionary: Impossible" | ||
2001 | The Ellen Show | Connie Gibson | Episode: "Missing the Bus" | |
2002 | Teacher's Pet | Granny (voice) | Episode: "The Turkey That Came for Dinner" | |
Yes, Dear | Sylvia | Episode: "Kim's New Nanny" | ||
Providence | Julianna | Episode: "The Heart of the Matter" | ||
2002–03 | That '70s Show | Bea Sigurdson | Recurring role, 4 episodes | |
2003 | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | Mrs. Doolin (voice) | Episode: "Who Killed Who?" | |
Gary the Rat | Gary's Mother (voice) | Episode: "This Is Not a Pipe" | ||
I'm with Her | Herself | Episode: "Meet the Parent" | ||
Stealing Christmas | Emily Sutton | TV film | ||
2003–04 | Everwood | Carol Roberts | 2 episodes | |
2004 | The Practice | Catherine Piper | 3 episodes | |
My Wife and Kids | Mrs. June Hopkins | Episode: "The Maid | ||
Malcolm in the Middle | Sylvia | Episode: "Victor's Other Family" | ||
2004 | Father of the Pride | Grandma Wilson | Episode 8: "Donkey" | |
2004–05 | Complete Savages | Mrs. Riley | 2 episodes | |
2005 | Joey | Margaret Bly | Episode: "Joey and the House" | |
Annie's Point | Annie Eason | TV film | ||
2005–08 | Boston Legal | Catherine Piper | Recurring role, 16 episodes | |
2006 | My Name Is Earl | Mrs. May Rose Weezmer | Episode: "The Witch Lady" | |
Family Guy | Herself (voice) | Episode: "Peterotica" | ||
2006–09 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Ann Douglas | Recurring role, 23 episodes | |
2007 | Higglytown Heroes | Grandmama (voice) | Episode: Calling All Heroes | |
Ugly Betty | Herself | Episode: "Bananas for Betty" | ||
The Simpsons | Herself (voice) | Episode: "Homerazzi" | ||
2009 | 30 Rock | Herself | Episode: "Stone Mountain" | |
2009–10 | Glenn Martin DDS | Grandma Shelia Martin (voice) | Guest role, 2 episodes | |
2010 | The Middle | Mrs. Nethercott | Episode: "Average Rules" | |
Community | Professor June Bauer | Episodes: "Anthropology 101" & "The Psychology of Letting Go" | ||
2010, 2015 | Saturday Night Live | Various roles | Episodes: "Betty White/Jay-Z", "Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special" | |
2010–15 | Hot in Cleveland | Elka Ostrovsky | Main role, 128 episodes | |
2010–13 | Pound Puppies | Agatha McLeish (voice) | Main role, 13 episodes | |
2011 | The Lost Valentine | Caroline Thomas | TV film | |
2012–17 | Betty White's Off Their Rockers | Herself | Host | |
2012 | The Client List | Ruth Hudson | Episode: "Past Is Prologue" | |
2013 | Save Me | God | Episode: "Holier Than Thou" | |
Mickey Mouse | Old Lady (voice) | Episode: "New York Weenie" | ||
2014 | The Soul Man | Elka Ostrovsky | Episode: "All the Way Live" | |
2015–18 | Fireside Chat with Esther | Rose / Lady Bette | 3 episodes | |
2015–17 | Bones | Dr. Beth Mayer | 2 episodes | |
2015 | Betty White's Smartest Animals in America | Herself | Host | |
2016 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Beatrice (voice) | Episode: "Mall Girl Pearl" | |
Crowded | Sandy | Episode: "The Fixer" | ||
2017 | Young & Hungry | Ms. Bernice Wilson | 2 episodes | |
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast | Herself | TV film | ||
2018 | Betty White: First Lady of Television | Documentary | ||
2019 | Forky Asks a Question | Bitey White (voice) | Episode: "What Is Love?" |
See also
References
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