Betty White

Betty WhiteAlan Light [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Betty White: “America’s Sweetheart.” What else is needed to be said? She is sweet, active, and funny. Everyone loves Betty. I know I do. I can’t get enough of her. Can you? She just keeps giving. Whether it is for animals, for her viewers' satisfaction, or just to have a good time. Betty is an altogether wonderfully fascinating woman that everyone will forever remember!

Betty Marion White was born on January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois. Her parents are Tess and Horace White. Tess was a homemaker and Horace was a salesman respectively and an electrical engineer. When she was a year old Betty was moved to Los Angeles, California, with her parents, where she grew up and attended Horace Mann High School and later Beverly Hills High School, where she graduated in 1939. Betty has had three husbands throughout her life. Her first husband was Dick Barker. They were married July 9, 1945, and it lasted less than a year. They divorced December 1945. Her second husband was Lane Allen; they were married on November 8, 1947. They divorced two years later in 1949. Her third husband was her long-time game show co-host Allen Ludden; they were married on June 14, 1963. He died on June 9, 1981 from stomach cancer. Betty and Allen never had kids, but she has three stepchildren: David, Martha, and Sarah Ludden. Betty is 88 now and still living life to its fullest.

White as Sue Ann Nivens in The Mary Tyler Moore ShowCB Television [Public domain]Betty was a model before she started her acting career. Her first gig was at the Bliss Hayden Little Theater. She started her acting career on radio. In the 1940s, she played in "Blondie,” “The Great Gildersleeve” and “This Is Your FBI.” She got her first big break when she got her first very own radio show called “The Betty White Show.” Later, in 1949 she debuted on Al Jarvis's daily TV variety show, “Hollywood on Television.” After Al left she became the host. Betty White's first big exposure was when she starred in the show “Life with Elizabeth” from 1952 to1955 when the show was canceled. She won her first Emmy for “Life with Elizabeth” in 1952. In the 1960’s she appeared on many games shows, such as “Password All-Stars” (1961), “The Hollywood Square” (1965), “Match Game 73” (1973), “The $20,000 Pyramid” (1973), “What’s My Line?”, “To Tell the Truth” and many others. Appearing on all these game shows gave her the title of “The First Lady of Game Shows.” She was the first woman to win a daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host, for the show “Just Men.” Betty has been in many older shows and movies, such as "Advise and Consent" (1962), ”Mary Tyler Moore” (1970), “The Golden Palace” (1992), “The Golden Girls” (1985), “Nurses” (1991), “Empty Nest” (1988), “Ladies Man”, “That 70’s Show”, “Boston Legal” and a few others. Today Betty is starring in a show called “Hot in Cleveland” as Elka Ostrovsky. She has recently hosted the “Saturday Night Live” show. Also she is the last survivor of “The Golden Girls.” Betty has been nominated and been the winner of many Emmys throughout her acting career. She has been nominated for 17 Emmys and won 5 of those Emmys. The five Emmys she won were: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1986), Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1975), Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1976), Outstanding Guest Actress for a Comedy Series (1996), and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2010). The 12 she was nominated for but did not win were: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (2004), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1987-1992), Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1977), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (1997), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2003), Best Actress (1951), and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2009). She has also been nominated for four Golden Globes. She was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy in 1986-1989.

Betty White is my hero because she is dependable, honest, trustworthy, reliable, and someone to inspire others to succeed in the world and not give up. She is a courageous woman that I aspire to be like someday. She is old but yet spontaneous, with a little attitude and spunk. She’s not afraid to tell you how it is. She’s in pretty good shape for her age. Also Betty is strong hearted, caring, nice, and determined. When she sets her mind to something she sticks to it no matter what. She is one of the country's foremost animal activists, and that is something I would like to aspire to be. I want to help and rescue animals and learn all that I can about them.

Betty has a fascinating and wonderful life. She has always been very active in acting as well as an animal rights activist, and many other things. Betty is wonderful in all ways, that is why she is my hero. She has an exciting career. Betty is also doing an excellent job at living life to its fullest, being 88. Betty is an overall very popular actress with the young and old alike. She will forever be remembered throughout acting history!