Betty White

Betty White broke into Hollywood in the 1940s. Her first two big roles were on Life With Elizabeth from 1953 to 1955 and Date With the Angels from 1957 to 1958.

The actress’ breakout role was playing Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1973 to 1977. Her success led White to starring on her own show, The Betty White Show, from 1977 to 1978.

White cemented herself as one of America’s sweethearts after playing Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992 and its spinoff, The Golden Palace. She remained active in Hollywood for eight decades, gaining new fans for her role in The Proposal alongside Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds and after playing Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland. One of her final projects was voicing Bitey White in 2019’s Toy Story 4.

White was married to Air Force pilot Dick Barker in 1945, but after living in Ohio for a year they moved back to Los Angeles and got divorced. She married talent agent Lane Allen in 1947, but the two separated two years later.

The actress and comedian married TV host Allen Ludden in 1963 after he proposed twice. They were married until his death in 1981. White died on December 31, 2021, at the age of 99. Her fans honored her legacy on her 100th birthday two weeks later.