Betty White was one of Hollywood's most beloved television actresses. Her fans might be shocked to know that early in her career she posed nude!
Betty Marion White was born on January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois. Her family moved to California when she was a baby. After graduating from Beverly Hills high school she began pursuing a career as an actress. She worked on numerous radio shows where she earned just five dollars a day. During the early 1940s she did some modeling and even posed nude! One of her naked photos was even featured in a set of naughty playing cards. In 1945 she married Dick Barker, an air force pilot. The couple were divorced within a year. Her second marriage, to agent Lane Allen, only lasted two years. Betty's big break came in 1952 when she started hosting the variety show Hollywood On Television. Then she starred in and produced the hit sitcom Life With Elizabeth. She became a frequent guest in television games show including To Tell The Truth and Match Game. While appearing on Password in 1961 she met host Allen Ludden.
With Allen Ludden
The couple were married on June 14, 1963. Betty said she never wanted to be a mother but she enjoyed being a step-mother to Allen's three children. She was also a big animal lover and always had several dogs and cats. Throughout her life she donated a lot of her time and money to various animal charities. Her success on television continued with roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Mama's Family. In 1975 she won the first of her five Emmy Awards. She and Allen enjoyed one of Hollywood's happiest marriages. Tragically in 1981 Allen died of cancer leaving Betty heartbroken. Four years later she was cast as the naive and kind-hearted Rose Nylund on the sitcom The Golden Girls. The show was a huge success and ran for seven seasons. Her nude photos resurfaced in a 1985 issue of Celebrity Sleuth magazine. During an appearance on the David Letterman show he showed her one of the photos and asked if it was really her. Betty smiled coyly and replied "she does look like me".
Betty White posing nude
As she got older she continued to make guest appearances on television shows like Suddenly Susan and The Practice. At the age of eighty-seven year old she enjoyed a career resurgence when she appeared in the blockbuster film The Proposal. In 2010 she became the oldest person ever to host Saturday Night Live! Then she starred on the hit TV Land comedy Hot In Cleveland for five seasons. Audiences adored Betty who was now one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. She was known as The First Lady Of Television and America's Grandma. On December 31, 2021 Betty passed away peacefully at her home at the age of ninety-nine. In an interview shortly before her death she said "I'm just at one of those good times in one's life. I'm at one of the high spots. I'm healthy enough to enjoy it. I'm surrounded by friends I adore. Isn't that kind of the best way to sign off?"
With Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty
