On Tuesday, January 17, Betty Marion White will celebrate her 90th birthday among a sea of celebrities, some of which were born long after she was already a household name. NBC’s special, aptly named Betty White’s 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America’s Golden Girl, which airs January 16, will showcase the life of a woman who’s brought joy to generation after generation.
Betty began her career as a funny lady in 1939 — 1939! She belted out a few songs for a radio performance of The Merry Widow right out of high school. Despite World War II putting the brakes on her ambitions, Betty continued her work and eventually nabbed her own radio gig, The Betty White Show, in 1954. (She later went on to star in a television sitcom of the same name on CBS [1977]). During that time, Betty became one of Hollywood’s first female producers, producing Life with Elizabeth with George Tibbles.
Sweet and unassuming in her wit, Betty delivered laughs with class in an age where women seldom saw the other side of equality. And, though she worked in a Hollywood where aging actresses quickly faded away, like fine wine Betty only became more delightful in her comedy work with time.
Decade after decade, Betty reclaimed her comedy throne in some of pop culture’s most legendary roles. In 1973, Betty stirred the waters in the wildly popular Mary Tyler Moore Show, where she played Sue Ann Nivens. She held her own amidst a powerfully funny cast that had been working together for a long time before Betty came along. She played Sue Ann, The Happy Homemaker, with just the right amount of sardonic wit and lethal sweetness. It was the world’s first glimpse at what Betty was really capable of bringing to the comedic table.
The Golden Girls ushered in a new era of Betty White love. She played Rose Nylund, an incredibly naive woman of age living out her golden years with three other senior women. This became one of Betty’s most legendary roles and she turned Rose into one of pop culture’s most beloved characters. She followed that up with a stream of guest roles on iconic show after iconic show, from Ally McBeal to The Simpsons to Community. Betty has the Midas Touch when it comes to television. If she’s in it, the episode (and sometimes the show) turns to gold.
In 1999, the Emmy-winning actress showed us a character as far from Rose as Jupiter is from Earth. She brought the house down playing Mrs. Delores Bickerman in Lake Placid, and left us with such memorable quotes as “If I had a dick, this is where I’d tell you to suck it.” She was and is stunning in her humor, pushing the boundaries of what audiences come to expect from a senior citizen has become one of Betty’s signature acting moves.
Today, Betty is NOT stopping — 2010-2011 sparked a huge comeback for the golden girl and she’s now at the height of her career, and loved by fans of all ages. She currently stars in TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland, had a gaggle of fans rally together to nab her a hosting gig on Saturday Night Live, and has starred in numerous films alongside notable celebs like Sandra Bullock in The Proposal. In fact, NBC just picked up her new prank show, Off Their Rockers, where senior citizens will show they have what it takes to pull badass pranks. And just recently she starred in electro dance artist Luciana’s music video for “I’m Still Hot.” Um, f*ck yeah! Betty White’s still rockin’ it out at 90 and as a comedic icon she is definitely still hot.
Comedy lesson: It’s never too late to live life to its absolute fullest. Keep yourself giggling and you just might make it to 90 as well.
