Betty White was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television, with a television career spanning more than seven decades. White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment industry and being one of the first women to work both in front of and behind the camera. She was the first woman to produce a sitcom (Life with Elizabeth) in the United States, which contributed to her being named honorary Mayor of Hollywood. Betty was best known for being the actress with the longest television career of more than 80 years.
Birth Name
Betty Marion White
Nickname
Queen of T.V.
Profession
Actress, Comedian
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Betty was born on the 17th of January 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois, United States.
Death
On December 31, 2021, Betty died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 99.
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Ethnicity
White
She had English, Danish, and Greek ancestry.
Religion
Christianity
Education
White attended Horace Mann Elementary School in Beverly Hills and Beverly Hills High School. In 1939, she had graduated.
Family Details
- Father – Horace Logan White
- Mother – Tess Curtis White
- Siblings – None
Marital Status
Married
Boyfriend / Spouse
Betty White has dated –
- Dick Barker (1945) – In 1945, Betty married her first husband, a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot Dick Barker. Their marriage was, however, was brief and they got divorced in the same year.
- Lane Allen (1947-1949) – In 1947, she got married to Hollywood agent Lane Allen. Their marriage also was short-lived and the couple got divorced after 2 years.
- Allen Ludden (1963-1981) – In 1963, Betty married her 3rd husband, a television host and personality Allen Ludden. In 1961,they first met on the set of his game show Password where Betty appeared as a celebrity guest. After marriage, she changed her name to Betty White Ludden legally.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 4 inches
- In centimeters – 163 cm
- In meters – 1.63 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 58 kg
- In Pounds – 128 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 36-25-37
- Bust – 36 inches
- Waist – 25 inches
- Hip – 37 inches
- Bra Size – 34C
Body Build
Average
Eye Color
Blue
Hair Color
Grey
Shoe Size
She wears a size 6.5 (US) shoe.
Dress Size
Her dress size is 8 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
White is famous for Having been the actress with the longest television career of almost 80 years and being recognized as one of the first women to have controlled both on and off camera. Beside that she is famous for being the first woman to produce a sitcom Life with Elizabeth due to which she received the honorary title Mayor of Hollywood.
Film Debut
In 1962, Betty made her theatrical film debut in American political drama film Advise & Consent as Senator Bessie Adams.
Television Debut
In 1939, White made her first TV show appearance in an unknown TV show that appeared on an experimental Los Angeles Channel.
Brand Endorsements
Betty has done endorsement work for several brands such as Arby’s, US Healthcare, Alltel Wireless Service, Colgate, Snickers Candy Bar, Snickers, Fantastik Cleanser, and Tide.
Betty White Net worth
White has an estimated net worth of $75 million dollars as of 2022.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Betty White
- Instagram – bettymwhite
- Twitter – bettywhite
Some Lesser Known Facts About Betty White
- As a child, Betty used to go to The Sierra Nevada for family vacations that gave rise to her interest in the wildlife.
- Growing up, she aspired to become a forest ranger but at the time women were not allowed to become rangers and so this remained a far-fetched dream for her.
- After giving up on her dream of becoming a ranger, she inclined towards writing and wrote and played the lead in a graduation play in school, she discovered her fascination towards acting and decided to take acting as a career.
- In 1939, she television career began, just 3 months after graduating from high school when she got a chance to sing songs along with her classmates from The Merry Widow on an experimental Los Angeles TV channel.
- She later got professional acting and modeling job at the Bliss Hayden Little Theatre.
- In 1939, World War II broke out, due to which Betty decided to put her career on hold and volunteer for the American Women’s Voluntary Services she would help in the transportation of military supplies through California. She also took part in events and activities held before the troops were sent overseas.
- When the war ended in 1945, she began looking for the auditions once again but was always denied as all the studios claimed that she was unphotogenic. Fed up from this, she began looking for radio jobs where photos were not required.
- The initial jobs she got were reading commercials and playing bit parts. She also sometimes did crowd noises and earned $5 per show.
- In 1949, Betty was cast as a co-host with Al Jarvis on his daily live television variety show called Hollywood on Television, which ran on KFWB radio and KLAC-TV in Los Angeles which she later began hosting on her own when Al Jarvis left in 1951.
- Betty got her first Emmy Award nomination for “Best Actress” on television where, competing in the same category were legendary stars Judith Anderson, Helen Hayes, and Imogene Coca and this also marked the beginning of this new category designated for women on television in the history of Emmy.
