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8 golden facts about this Golden Girl: Betty White
Betty White did a lot more during her career than just make us laugh.
The Everett Collection
Betty White wasn't just a TV legend, she was a part of television history. From producing to playing TV's most iconic characters, White was a powerhouse.
You know The Golden Girl's Rose Nylund, but there's plenty you may not know about Betty White. From unexpected career opportunities to record-breaking achievements, here's a look at the woman behind the legendary career.
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*available in most MeTV markets1. She was one of the first female TV producers!
Betty White didn't just want a seat at the TV table. She wanted to help set the table!
In 1952, when White was 28 years old, she co-founded Bandy Productions with George Tibbles and Don Fedderson. The company's first project, Life With Elizabeth, put White in the starring role while also giving her a producer credit and creative control.
At a time when women rarely had that kind of power in television, Betty was already proving she could run the show.
Her time in Hollywood wasn't just a chapter of her life; she was helping write the rules herself.
2. She turned down a chance to co-host the Today show
Betty White could have been waking up America on the Today show, but the cross-country commute wasn't for her.
In the mid-1960s, NBC offered White the chance to co-host the morning show, and she gave it some serious thought. However, she ultimately turned it down, paving the way for Barbara Walters.
Not a bad backup plan for NBC. But could you imagine Betty White as a Today show co-host?
3. Betty White was the ultimate game show guest star
Betty White didn't just play the game, she practically made game shows a second career!
White appeared on more than 50 game shows throughout her career, becoming a familiar face on Password, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, The $10,000 Pyramid and plenty more.
And if you needed a game-show partner, Betty had plenty of experience. She even shared the spotlight with good friend Vicki Lawrence.
Game shows weren't just something Betty White did on the side. They were part of the Betty White experience!
4. She originally auditioned for the role of Blanche on The Golden Girls.
When The Golden Girls was being cast, Betty White was initially considered for the role of Blanche, thanks to her flirtatious role as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Rue McClanahan, meanwhile, was considered for the sweet and naive Rose after playing Vivian Harmon on Maude.
Director Jay Sandrich worried the casting would lead to typecasting, so he had the two actresses switch roles. And thank goodness he did!
White became Rose, McClanahan became Blanche, and TV history was made.
5. Betty White was the oldest of the Golden Girls
Betty White was the oldest of the four Golden Girls and the last to say goodbye.
Born Jan. 17, 1922, White was a few months older than Bea Arthur, born May 13, 1922. Estelle Getty followed in 1923, while Rue McClanahan was the youngest, born in 1934.
Rose was young at heart, but Betty was the elder of the group!
6. She was the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live
Betty White wasn't exactly campaigning for the job, but her fans were!
In 2010, a Facebook group called "Betty White To Host SNL … Please?" attracted hundreds of thousands of fans and enough attention to get SNL's producers listening.
At 88, White finally took the stage, becoming the oldest person to host the show at the time. Her episode brought back several female SNL favorites, earned the show's highest ratings in 18 months and won White her fifth Emmy.
7. Betty White was an avid animal advocate
There wasn't an animal Betty White didn't love!
Her love for animals went far beyond the occasional pet photo or promotion. White was a longtime animal welfare advocate who worked with organizations including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, Morris Animal Foundation, Actors & Others for Animals, Farm Animal Reform Movement and Friends of Animals.
She also famously said she wanted to be a zookeeper before becoming an actress. For Betty, Hollywood may have been her career, but animals were always close to her heart.
8. She was a Guinness World Record holder!
Betty White's career wasn't just long... It was record-breaking.
White spent more than eight decades in the entertainment industry, beginning her television career in 1939.
By the time of her passing in 2021, she held the Guinness World Records title for the longest TV career by a female entertainer.
That's a career that didn't just stand the test of time, it practically became time itself!
