White, who played Sue-Ann Nivens on “ The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the 1970s and Rose on “The Golden Girls” from 1985-92, was a staple on TV for more than 60 years, having started as the sidekick on a local Los Angeles daytime show that kept her on live TV five hours a day, five days a week. White was also the subject of a recent book by Variety alum Ray Richmond, “Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life.” “I’m so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age,” White told the magazine. Just this week, White graced the cover of People magazine. The approach of White’s 100th birthday sparked numerous tributes and appreciations of her long run in the industry.
“I just love to work and the word ‘no’ did not exist,” White told Variety. She told Variety in an email Q&A in 2020 that her career blossomed in the early days of TV because she was fascinated by the medium. White’s work schedule had slowed considerably as she reached her late 90s. She had round-the-clock caretakers in her final years, Witjas said.
She spent most of the past two years at the home she loved with her many pets. Witjas emphasized that White had not been ill but had been extremely cautious during the COVID-19 pandemic.
