Death of a Legend: Why It Pains Us to Say Goodbye to Betty White

You haven’t heard about the “First Lady of Television”, Betty White only if you’ve spent your life living under a rock.

Sadly, this TV legend left us mourning her loss just three weeks before her 100th birthday.

Out-of-this world charming and unbelievably witty, Betty White was a true phenomenon in the entertainment industry.

It’s no secret that the world of show business is not a forgiving one. Many entertainers, and especially ladies in this industry, start to face a downfall in their career as soon as they pass a certain age.

However, in Betty White’s case, this certainly wasn’t an issue.

Betty White – the early days

Born on January 17th, 1922, as Betty Marion White in Oak Park, Illinois, Betty moved with her family to Los Angeles during the Great Depression.

She began her Hollywood career in 1939, but promptly put it “on hold” during World War II. During this period, White devoted all of her free time to volunteering in the American Women’s Volunteer Services.

In 1949, white was assigned to co-host Hollywood on Television alongside Al Jarvis and Eddie Alpert. However, due to the fact that this live show lasted for more than five hours, none of White’s co-hosts were able to push through. This resulted in White hosting the show on her own, which was something that never happened before in American TV history.

Establishing herself during 50s and 60s

1951 was the year that brought White her very first Emmy nomination. Needless to say, this inspired the young actress to take her efforts to the next level.

In 1952, White co-founded a production company fittingly named Bandy. The name of the company was an ode to her beloved dog, Bandit. Her very first 65-episode sitcom – Life with Elizabeth – was produced by the company, making White the first-ever woman to produce a sitcom.

In 1954, White hosted The Betty White Show, which was filled with sketch comedy and dancing. During this time White made it clear to everyone that racism and racist jokes were not going to fly with her, which showed just how brilliant she truly was.

In 1963, White married her third – and final – husband, Allen Ludden, the host of then-popular TV show “Password”.

The beginning of the thriving period

In the 1970s it was already clear to everyone that Betty White had only started her professional journey and established herself on the road to success.

Joining the Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1973 only further established White as not only a true professional, but a real fan-favorite, which only further cemented her in American pop culture.

Becoming the Golden Girl

From 1985 to 1992, White became America’s funniest, warmest and sweetest “grandma”, starring in the Golden Girls. Not only did this 7-year-long TV show make thousands upon thousands of fans across the world fall even more in love with White, but it actually remains one of the most beloved TV shows to this day.

Betty White goes to movies

As 2000s rolled by, Betty White was already a well-established actress in Hollywood. In 2009, she appeared in the movie “The Proposal”, filling the role of Ryan Reynolds’ grandma – this seemed more than fitting, as White was 87 years old when the movie came out. After that, White appeared in numerous other movies, as well as cartoons making each of them even better and more enjoyable than they would otherwise be.

Hot in Cleveland

In June, 2010, White once again graced the TV screens of all of her fans across the globe by starring in a TV sitcom called “Hot in Cleveland”. What was even more impressive and stunning than White’s performance was her age, as she played Elka Ostrovsky up until she reached the age of 92, when the show was – unfortunately – canceled.

Looking back, it becomes more than obvious why the death of such a legend left millions of fans heartbroken. But everything that we’ve mentioned previously doesn’t even come close to fully explaining who Betty White really was. Aside from holding the record for the longest span between a first Emmy nod (1951) and a last one (2014), White was a passionate LGBTQ+ advocate and a strong animal rights activist. Nowadays, the face of this true legend embellished various merch products, and her legend continues to live on through her work. What’s even more interesting is the fact that she transcended her own industry, so her image can nowadays even be seen in various casinos across the globe!