Betty White

Betty White

Betty White on "Oh Behave" with Arden Moore:

Betty White on "Working Like Dogs" with Marcie Davis:

Betty White on "Pet Peeves" with Amy Shojai:

Betty White and Pontiac

Betty White was born January 17 in Oak Park, Illinois, and moved to Los Angeles with her parents when she was 2 years old. She later graduated from Beverly Hills High School.

Her acting career began with small parts on radio shows, which led to her first television role in 1949. Her first big break was joining Al Jarvis on a local television show that broadcast live six days a week for six hours a day. In 1952, Betty won her first Emmy Award for “Life With Elizabeth,” the first comedy series produced by the production company she formed with producer Don Fedderson and writer George Tibbles. The team also produced “The Betty White Show” and “A Date With the Angels.” Betty appeared frequently on variety and game shows and was a regular with Jack Paar, Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson.

Betty’s role on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” as Happy Homemaker Sue Ann Nivens was an instant success and led to two Emmys for supporting actress. Renowned for her love of animals, in 1970, she created, wrote and hosted a syndicated animal series called “The Pet Set.” Betty became a true “Golden Girl” in 1985, when she won an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for the unlikely hit about four senior women. In the top 10 for its seven-year run, “The Golden Girls” remains popular through syndication.

More recently, she appeared on “The John Larroquette Show,” “Suddenly Susan,” “Ally McBeal” and “That 70’s Show” and had recurring roles on “Boston Legal” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Just a few of her movie credits include “Hard Rain,” “Dennis the Menace Strikes Again,” “Lake Placid” and “Bringing Down the House.” In 2009, she will appear with Sandra Bullock in “The Proposal.” The American Comedy Awards gave her the Funniest Female Award in 1987 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. She was inducted in the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 1995. She has won six Emmys.

Betty White has been a lifetime animal lover, deeply committed to animal welfare. She often says she was an animal lover from birth, and her passion shows in her long-standing involvement with several organizations. She has been a trustee since 1971 for Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds humane health studies for specific health problems of companion animals, zoo animals and wildlife, and also served as its president. She has been a member of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association since 1974 and also served three terms as zoo commissioner. She received the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Humane Award in 1987 and an honorary doctorate from Western University Veterinary School in 2007.

Betty White on IMDB