To the actors who starred on the series, The Golden Girls wasn’t simply a mere show; it was a way to work through issues, to live a healthier life.

Betty White was able to experience that firsthand. White joined the cast of The Golden Girls after the death of her longtime husband, Allen Ludden. The two had been married since 1963, and when Ludden passed away in 1981, White was lost.

Playing Rose Nylund offered White a distraction from her grief.

Watch The Golden Girls on MeTV!

BACK-TO-BACK EPISODES

Weeknights at 10 PM, Sundays at 6 PM & 8 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

“What’s most important is to realize that, whatever your age, and even without a beloved husband, you have a life to lead,” said White during an interview with The Times. “You just have to put one foot before the other.”

Starring in the series placed White opposite co-stars like Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur.

“Each of us discovers resources of strength we never knew were there until we are tested,” said White. “You just have to remind yourself in those hard times of what gives you pleasure.

White’s co-star, Estelle Getty, agreed. The actor also felt that the series was as beneficial for the public as it had been for the actors.

“I think the show will change how people view older people and how older people view themselves,” said Getty. “’Older’ doesn’t mean a damn thing - you just go on with your life the way you always have. You don’t let anyone label you. You can be beautiful and sexual and well-dressed and do anything you did before. All you have to do is go for it.”