What’s Your Favorite Betty White TV Role? (POLL)
Just weeks before her centennial birthday on January 17, TV legend Betty White has passed away at the age of 99. Rising to fame on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and becoming a household name as one-fourth of The Golden Girls quartet, White entertained millions of viewers over the past several decades, cementing herself as a true entertainment icon.
White first rose to fame as the titular Elizabeth on the sitcom Life with Elizabeth, running for two seasons from 1952 to 1955. The series followed a typical suburban couple through their everyday predicaments, with each episode consisting of three separate shorts, each focusing on a new “incident.”
Long before she became a TV legend, she starred alongside another in her role as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1973 to 1977. Star of the fictional radio show The Happy Homemaker, Sue Ann brought the laughs with her hilarious cooking tips and home advice, in addition to her fierce competitiveness and sometimes cynical personality.
Courtesy Everett Collection
Following Mary Tyler Moore, she starred in her own self-titled series as Joyce Whitman on The Betty White Show. The series followed middle-aged actress Joyce after landing the starring role on a new police show, only to discover the director is none other than her ex-husband, John (John Hillerman).
Almost 10 years later, White took on her most iconic role as the kind-hearted Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls, which ran for seven seasons from 1985-1992. While often seen as the naïve, sweetheart of the friend group, Rose was never afraid to show her competitive and crafty side when necessary, and always looked out for her friends’ best interests. She would later reprise her role on the show’s short-lived spin-off, The Golden Palace, as well as on Empty Nest.
Flash-forward to the 21st century, White stepped outside of the world of comedy for dramatic roles as secretary Catherine Piper on Boston Legal and Ann Douglas on the long-running soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Returning to comedy, she most recently starred as Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland from 2010 to 2015. Having escaped Nazis and traveled across the pond to Cleveland, the outspoken caretaker befriends the women of her rented Los Angeles home while also finding a second chance at love.
Which Betty White role do you think is the most memorable? Vote for your favorite in the poll down below!
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GG for sure but Mama's Family should have been an option too.
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Maybe so, but her time on the show was short. Go to YouTube & watch her in “The Family” skits from “The Carol Burnett Show.” I suggest beginning with “The Attic” skit. It’s classic & you won’t be disappointed. 😉
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I think most people will say “The Golden Girls” because it’s in reruns everywhere. I loved that show. The producers originally wanted her to play the role of Blanche but she wanted to play a different type of character. She already played a character similar to Blanche on “The Mary Tyler Moore” show & her character wasn’t an original character on the show. She began playing The Happy Homemaker in season 4. MTM is a wonderfully written comedy show. If you haven’t watched it, give it a try. I was only 3 years old when it began in 1970 but fell in love with the show as an adult. Betty White was absolutely hilarious in the show. Her character was written as a “Betty White type” but they didn’t want Betty to play it. They couldn’t find anyone who was a “Betty White type” so they hired the real deal. She played that role beautifully & made it an iconic role. Give the MTM show a watch from the beginning. It’s a brilliantly written show with several iconic characters. Wait for Betty as Sue Ann Nivens beginning in season 4. I guarantee you’ll love her as the iconic & constantly hot looking for a man in her life. Betty White was a real deal LEGEND. This word gets thrown out too easily but Betty was LEGENDARY! Rest In Peace, Betty. I hope you are rejoicing with your beloved Alan Ludden. ❤️
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C
She was awesome in everything she did, but I loved her as Elka on Hot In Cleveland.
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R
My favorite role because she was so different from all the other characters she had played.
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I think her best role was between Sue Ann & Rose
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I have a deck pf playing cards from the 1950s featuring nude models. She is one of them. RIP
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Best by far was Lake placid!!!
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I loved her in the Golden Girls, but she was outstanding in the movie "The Lost Valentine" !
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My brother in law, who was military in the 50s, had them. Apparently she posed for tasteful nude shots when she was 21. Her cards are for sale on ebay or other sites.