Betty White Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Here’s a look at the life of Emmy-award winning actress Betty White.
Personal
Birth date: January 17, 1922
Death date: December 31, 2021
Birth place: Oak Park, Illinois
Birth name: Betty Marion White
Father: Horace White, electrical engineer
Mother: Tess White
Marriages: Allen Ludden (June 14, 1963-June 9, 1981, his death); Lane Allen (1947-1949, divorced); Dick Barker (1945, divorced)
Children: Three stepchildren with Allen Ludden: David, Martha and Sarah
Other Facts
Nominated for 21 Primetime Emmy awards and won five. Has also received a lifetime achievement award.
Nominated for one Grammy Award and won one.
Was offered the role of Blanche Devereaux on “The Golden Girls,” but accepted the role of Rose Nyland instead.
Turned down a part in the 1997 film, “As Good as it Gets,” because she objected to a scene in which a dog is thrown down a laundry chute.
Timeline
1940s – Has roles on several popular radio shows, including “Rin-Tin-Tin,” “This is Your FBI” and “The Great Gildersleeve.”
1949 – Lands her first role on television on “Hollywood on Television,” a live daily show.
1975 – Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
1976 – Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
1985-1992 – Plays Rose Nyland on “The Golden Girls.”
1986 – Wins Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for “The Golden Girls.”
1995 – Is inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
1996 – Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for “The John Larroquette Show.”
January 23, 2010 – Is presented with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
May 8, 2010 – Hosts “Saturday Night Live.”
August 21, 2010 – Wins a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her guest host spot on “Saturday Night Live.”
2010-2015 – Plays Elka Ostrovosky on “Hot in Cleveland.”
February 12, 2012 – Wins Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) for “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t).”
December 2013 – Earns the Guinness World Record for Longest TV Career for a female entertainer (74 years).
April 26, 2015 – Receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
September 17, 2018 – Is honored at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards for her more than 80 years in show business.
December 31, 2021 – Six days after suffering a stroke, White dies at the age of 99.
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