Television Legend and B&B Actress Betty White Dead at 99

Veteran actress Betty White has died at the age of 99, just a couple of weeks before she would have celebrated her 100th birthday. She had an extensive show business career, but soap fans remember her for playing the cantankerous Ann Douglas on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, mother of Stephanie Forrester and Pam Douglas. She debuted in the role in December 2006 and made sporadic appearances until the character passed away in November 2009. 

Of course, White was a television veteran, playing Sue Ann Nivens on MARY TYLER MOORE, Rose Nylund on THE GOLDEN GIRLS, and more recently, Elka Ostroivsky on HOT IN CLEVELAND. In 2018, she was awarded the Guinness World Record for her nine decades working in television.

White got her start back in the ‘30s working in radio, eventually getting her own show, The Betty White Show. After moving to television, she hosted another THE BETTY WHITE SHOW, a daytime talk/variety show in the ‘50s. By the ‘60s, White was a staple of network game shows, making appearances on programs like PASSWORD (she married the show’s host, Alan Ludden), WHAT’S MY LINE, TO TELL THE TRUTH, and more.

The ‘70s found White winning Emmy Awards for her work on the now-classic sitcom THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, and the ‘80s brought her back to primetime success with THE GOLDEN GIRLS (and also another Emmy!). The ‘90s saw the veteran actress starring in the short-lived spinoff THE GOLDEN PALACE and making numerous guest appearances on other series.

In the ‘00s, White appeared on B&B as well as a recurring role on the primetime drama BOSTON LEGAL. In 2010, she became one of the stars of the TV Land original sitcom HOT IN CLEVELAND. White was also an avid animal welfare advocate, working with numerous organizations to use her celebrity to support causes near and dear to her heart.

Hollywood has lost an iconic figure, and our thoughts are with all of her friends, loved ones, and fans, who are mourning this tremendous loss.