Betty White, commonly referred to as “The First Lady of Television,” celebrates her 99th birthday on Sunday, January 17. The five-time Emmy winner for Primetime roles has been a mainstay on television screens for longer than even the medium itself. Her more than 80-year career on the small screen remains the longest of any performer in the history of TV.
White began appearing in television while it was still in its infancy, appearing on an experimental program in 1939. After years of working in radio, she served as co-host of “Hollywood on Television” in 1949, a gig that required White to ad lib for most of the show’s five-hour running time. Her first series was 1953’s “Life with Elizabeth,” which earned White a regional Emmy Award.
SEE30 Greatest Female TV Stars Ever, Ranked
White’s greatest success came during seventies and eighties with the actress starring on not one, but two classic sitcoms.
White began appearing in television while it was still in its infancy, appearing on an experimental program in 1939. After years of working in radio, she served as co-host of “Hollywood on Television” in 1949, a gig that required White to ad lib for most of the show’s five-hour running time. Her first series was 1953’s “Life with Elizabeth,” which earned White a regional Emmy Award.
SEE30 Greatest Female TV Stars Ever, Ranked
White’s greatest success came during seventies and eighties with the actress starring on not one, but two classic sitcoms.
- 1/17/2021
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
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