TV Actress Betty White, known and loved for her spritely mien, celebrated her 98th birthday on Friday, Jan. 17. But the secret to the “First Lady of Television’s” long life isn’t just good genes, she says. Rather, it is her unstoppable positivity and work ethic that have made her one of the most successful people in show business.
1. She Has the Longest Career of Any Woman in TV
While most people know that Betty White has been in the business for a long time, she actually holds the Guiness World Record, as of 2014, for “Longest TV career for an entertainer (female),” with 74 years in show business at the time. That totals 79 years to date!
2. Her Second Husband, Allen Ludden, Proposed With an Easter Bunny
Allen Ludden, Betty White’s second husband and the host of the game show “Password” from 1961 to 1980, was enamored with White after she appeared on the show in 1961–1962. After proposing to her several times without success, Ludden finally found the winning formula with the aid of an unusual prop.“She had given Allen every excuse that crossed her mind, every reservation and every worry,” Ludden’s biographer Adam Nedeff wrote. But then on Easter Sunday, she received a strange gift: a stuffed white bunny rabbit and a pair of earrings. On the earrings, Ludden wrote: “These won’t fit on a chain. Please say yes.”
3. She’s Worth Between $45 Million and 75 Million
White starred in roles on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Golden Girls,” and royalties from the endless TV reruns have served her well over the years.4. She Was Meant to Play Blanche
Perhaps White’s most memorable character is the sweet, slightly obtuse character Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls.” However, at the show’s outset, she originally read for the part of southern belle Blanche Devereaux, brilliantly played by Rue McClanahan.5. She Was Almost in “As Good As It Gets”
White was nearly cast for the 1997 Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt film hit. But her longstanding love for animals kept her from accepting the role.
“‘As Good As It Gets, I turned that down ... but it was for a very good reason,” she said, per Digital Spy. “They had this adorable dog in it, but in one scene the guys goes down the hall and puts the dog down the rubbish chute.” While director James L. Brooks assured her that the dog would land on cushions, she said the scene could set a bad precedent for “nuts and kids.”
6. She’s an Honoree of The Television Academy Hall Of Fame
As White has done so much work in TV, she was inducted into the TV Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1995.7. She Studied to Be a Dramatic Soprano
Besides TV, White is a star of many talents. When she was a teenager, her career seemed to be destined for opera.Unfortunately, White’s voice “wasn’t that big,” she said. Plus, she discovered other distractions: “boys and all kinds of other good stuff,” she adds.
8. She’s the Oldest SNL Host in the Show’s History
At the age of 88, Betty White hosted SNL, proving her intact comic abilities for a new generation of viewers and revealing just how much fans love her. The gig wasn’t a decision the show made, but rather, it sprung from a campaign from her fans on Facebook.White recalls having a moment of stage fright leading up to the show but says being a little bit nervous before a big appearance isn’t necessarily a bad thing.