Plenty of Rose’s funniest moments in The Golden Girls come as a result of the character’s naivety. Rose’s childlike wonder was consistently a source of comedy, expertly handled by actor Betty White.

“With Rose, I always have to remind myself of her total innocence,” White said during an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal. “So I have to pretend I’m out-of-touch and literal-minded.”

Of course, Rose was a three-dimensional character; like the rest of the women on The Golden Girls, she had led a storied life before she was introduced to audiences. Throughout the series, Rose grappled with the loss of her husband, Charlie. While filming the series, White was still processing the death of her husband, Allen Ludden.

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“Those shows were difficult for me to do,” White said of scenes in which Rose discusses her late husband. “In one segment, Rose was supposed to describe how Charlie died. I don’t think the writers were aware of what I’d gone through with Allen’s illness and death, but the lines were so close to my own experience that I had to keep reminding myself to say ‘Charlie’, not ‘Allen.’”

But while she greatly missed her husband, White understood that lingering in pain wasn’t healthy. Like her character, she understood that she deserved a good life.

“What’s most important is to realize that, whatever your age, and even without a beloved husband, you have a life to lead," said the actor. "You just have to put one foot before the other.”