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An American entertainment legend has passed. Beloved actress Betty White, who charmed audiences for over seven decades with roles on shows such as The Golden Girls, died days before her centennial, US media outlets declared on December 31st, referencing her agent, Jeff Witjas. Witjas shared with People magazine, “Despite Betty’s approaching 100th birthday, I truly believed she’d live forever.”
He continued, “I don’t think the prospect of death scared her; she always longed to reunite with her cherished husband, Allen Ludden. She envisioned being by his side again.” White, a national treasure, garnered numerous accolades throughout her extraordinary career. A multiple Emmy winner, her television journey began in 1949, extending to voicing a character in 2019’s Toy Story 4.
“It’s incredible that I’m still working, and that you all still support me!” the actress exclaimed at the 2018 Emmy Awards. In The Golden Girls, she portrayed the endearingly clumsy and often naive Rose Nylund, a delightful foil to the more sophisticated characters played by Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. Her impressive repertoire also included roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the iconic soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2010, at the age of 88, she achieved the distinction of becoming the oldest person to host Saturday Night Live.
“An irreplaceable cultural icon”
Born in 1922 near Chicago, White’s career started in modeling before transitioning to radio, commercials, and eventually, significant acting roles. Her life intertwined with the small screen, and it was on a game show that she met her third spouse, Allen Ludden, who subsequently proposed. The pair remained married from 1963 until Ludden’s passing in 1981. White did not remarry and had no children.
Besides her acting, she was a pioneer, among the first female producers of the 1950s sitcom,
