Betty White (1922–2021)

Actress, comedian[65]

What is Betty White (1922–2021) known for?

Born in Oak Park, Illinois and an alumna of Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California, Betty Marion White Ludden, known to us as Betty White, was an accomplished American actress and comedian who left a significant mark on the entertainment industry before her passing in 2021. Her illustrious career, active from 1939 till 2021, earned her the reputation of a pioneer in early television, acting in sitcoms, sketch comedy, and game shows for almost seven decades.

Betty's noteworthy works include sitcoms like The Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore, and Hot in Cleveland. She was also the producer and star of the series Life with Elizabeth from 1953 to 1955, achieving the distinction of being the first woman to produce a sitcom.

Being a popular personality on American game shows such as Password, Match Game, and The $25,000 Pyramid, Betty was dubbed "the first lady of game shows". Her charm and wit earned her the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for the show Just Men! in 1983, becoming the first woman to receive the award.

Her work in later years, such as starring in the romantic comedy film The Proposal in 2009 and hosting Saturday Night Live the following year, won her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Betty White's exceptional contributions to the industry were well-documented in the 2018 documentary Betty White: First Lady of Television.

Betty made history twice by earning the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a female entertainer in both 2014 and 2018. Her award cabinet is studded with seven Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award. She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.