Betty Marion White Ludden (born January 17, 1922)[2] is an American actress and comedian,[3][4] with the longest television career of any female entertainer.[5][6][7] Regarded as a pioneer of television, she was one of the first women to have control both in front of and behind the camera[8] and is recognized as the first woman to produce a sitcom (Life with Elizabeth),[9] which contributed to her receiving the honorary title Mayor of Hollywood in 1955.[10]
She is known for her award-winning roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973–77) and Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (1985–92) – the Writers Guild of America has included both sitcoms in its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time[11] – and Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland (2010–15).
A staple guest of many American game shows such as Password, Match Game, and The $25,000 Pyramid, White has been dubbed the 'First Lady of Game Shows' and became the first woman to receive an Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host in 1983 for the show Just Men![12] She is also known for her appearances on Boston Legal, Mama's Family, and Saturday Night Live.
In a career that has spanned 80 years, she has received eight Emmy Awards in various categories, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award.[13] She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a Television Hall of Fame inductee (class of 1995), and a Disney Legend (class of 2009).