Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
Betty White, one of the most beloved figures of all time in entertainment, has enjoyed support from a fanbase that spans decades. On New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), the veteran actress passed away at the age of 99.
As reported by TMZ, reps for White say that she wasn’t battling any known illnesses and kept close to home in the midst of the pandemic.
Betty Marion White was born in Oak Park, Ill., on January 17, 1922. As a baby, the family relocated to Los Angeles where she later discovered a passion for writing. Inspired by the careers of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, White pursued the craft of acting.
While her film career began in 1945, it was in the 1950s that White found her fame in television, including her own self-titled variety program. From there, White was a fixture as a game show panelist, most notably the hit show Password and its subsequent reboots. White was also offered a role to host NBC’s morning show Today, but she reportedly turned down the gig as she didn’t want to relocate to New York City.
Perhaps White’s most notable role was the kind-hearted Rose Nylund on the NBC hit series, The Golden Girls. The show ran from 1985 to 1992 with fellow stars Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty earning awards and acclaim for the still-beloved sitcom.
White won five Primetime Emmy Awards, one Daytime Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award among several nominations and honors that peppered her stacked and highly-successful career. While she never had children, White was a stepmother to the children her husband Allen Ludden had from a previous relationship.
Across Twitter, the tributes to Betty White have been pouring in nonstop and we’ve collected just a handful below.
Rest powerfully in peace, Betty White. You’ll always be our Golden Girl.
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Photo: Getty