White, Betty (1922-2021), was a popular American television actress and comedian whose career spanned more than 70 years. She was known for her portrayal of Sue Ann Nivens on the situation comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1970-1977). Nivens was the hostess of a show for homemakers on a Minneapolis TV station. The character was known for her sweet on-air image, which sharply contrasted with her sarcastic and sexually aggressive personality off the air. White was also known for her television role as the flighty senior citizen Rose Nylund on the popular situation comedy “The Golden Girls” (1985-1992). White received a number of Emmy Awards for both shows, as well as for other television work.
Betty Marion White was born on Jan. 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois. She moved with her family to Los Angeles when she was a child. White was a singer and a model before she studied acting in the late 1940’s. Around that time, she had some small speaking roles in radio and hosted a couple of talk shows on television. Her big break came in 1952, when she starred as Elizabeth, a zany housewife, on the TV comedy “Life with Elizabeth.” In 1954, she starred on a daily TV talk show, “The Betty White Show.” From the 1950’s to the 1960’s, White appeared on many game shows and other TV programs.
After “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” White starred in the situation comedy “The Betty White Show” (1977-1978). She also had a recurring role in the comedy series “Mama’s Family” (1983-1986). White guest-starred on many other television shows as well.
In 2010, at age 88, White saw a huge renewal in popularity after she appeared in a candy commercial. That year, White became the oldest person to host the late-night television comedy variety show “Saturday Night Live.” The episode earned White an Emmy Award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series. From 2010 to 2014, White starred in the situation comedy “Hot in Cleveland.” In 2012, she began hosting the reality show “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.” She also provided the voice of Grammy Norma in the animated feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (2012).
White wrote a number of books on pets. She also wrote the memoirs Betty White in Person (1987), Here We Go Again: My Life in Television (1995), and If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) (2011). In 2012, White won a Grammy Award for her spoken word recording of If You Ask Me. She was married to the game show host Allen Ludden from 1963 until his death in 1981. White died on Dec. 31, 2021.
