Actors, Comedians and President React to Betty White's Death
White, a television mainstay for more than 60 years, died Friday at age 99
By The Associated Press ••
NBCUniversal Media, LLC
The “Hot in Cleveland” and “The Golden Girls” star died weeks shy of her 100th birthday, according to her agent.
Tributes from fellow actors and comedians poured in on social media Friday in reaction to the death of Betty White. "The Golden Girls” star was 99. Henry Winkler thanked White for her humor, warmth and activism. Seth Meyers says White was the only “Saturday Night Live″ host he ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. Kathy Griffin shared a few stories in a Twitter thread and wrote that White treated her like an equal in the comedy world. Dan Rather said our world would be better if more people followed White’s example. White was a television mainstay for more than 60 years.
“Sad news. No more Betty White. Too bad we couldn’t get another ten years of her always warm, gracious, and witty personality. She was one of a kind!” — Mel Brooks, on Twitter.
“Betty White : It is very hard to absorb you are not here anymore.. But the memories of your deLIGHT are ..Thank you for your humor, your warmth and your activism ... Rest now and say Hi to Bill.” — Henry Winkler, on Twitter
“The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret.” — Ryan Reynolds, on Twitter
“Rest in peace, sweet Betty. My God, how bright heaven must be right now.” — Valerie Bertinelli, on Twitter.
“Too much sadness! I posted once how she changed my life. She was the first person who made me believe I could be a writer. What an enormous thing to do for another person. I bet there’s hundreds of us who she helped over the years.” — Nancy Meyers, on Instagram
“RIP Betty White, the only SNL host I ever saw get a standing ovation at the after party. A party at which she ordered a vodka and a hotdog and stayed til the bitter end." — Seth Meyers, on Twitter
“Betty, who was gracious enough to be a guest star on the episode of “Kathy Griffin My Life on the D List”, where we get my mom Maggie a play date with Betty White, was a bucket list memory, touching and hilarious at the same time. We surprised Maggie, so when Betty shows up… at Sizzler Senior Early Bird Special, my Mom about fell OUT! And I got to spend the day on film and off camera, with my mom and Betty White. It was basically a dream girls day. Betty legit treated my mom like a friend. She answered every question, acted very shocked at…every word out of my mouth, which was mandatory. She hung out with my mom, like a peer. She treated me like we were in the same club or something. She actually treated me like an equal in the comedy gurrrl world. She was as sharp and funny as she was soft and wise…and no matter how long this world continues to spin, there will be only one Betty White.” — Kathy Griffin, on Twitter
“Today, we lost a beloved TV icon. Betty White was a pioneering actress, who blessed generations of Americans with her talent and humor for 8 decades. May it be a comfort to her loved ones and many admirers that so many mourn with them during this sad time.” — Nancy Pelosi, on Twitter
“Another brilliant talent has made her transition. I had the pleasure of getting to know Betty White and shared a few giggles with her. May she rest in well-earned peace.” — Dionne Warwick, on Twitter
“Peace and love, Betty White.” — Susanna Hoffs, on Twitter
“Betty White will go down in the history books as ageless..99 or 100, the numbers belie the fact that she lived the best life EVER! RIP Betty White.” — Marlee Matlin, on Twitter
“A spirit of goodness and hope. Betty White was much beloved because of who she was, and how she embraced a life well lived. Her smile. Her sense of humor. Her basic decency. Our world would be better if more followed her example. It is diminished with her passing.” — Dan Rather, on Twitter
“Y’all, with the passing of #BettyWhite we have lost one of the best humans ever!” — LeVar Burton, on Twitter
“So we’re eating cheesecake in honor of Betty White. Who’s with me?” — Ariana DeBose, on Twitter
“RIP to Betty White who was charming, delightful, hilarious, talented and unproblematic for 99.9 years." — Roxane Gay, on Twitter
“I hosted one of the many attempted reboots of the Pyramid game show in 2010 and Betty was a celebrity guest. The only thing she asked for all day was two bean and cheese burritos from Taco Bell.” — Andy Richter, on Twitter
ABC Photo Archives via Getty Images
Betty White smiles in a 1958 promotional photo. White, a beloved actor whose small screen career spanned well over eight decades, died 17 days before her 100th birthday.
Herb Ball/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Betty White holds her dog Bandy at their home in this 1954 snap. White is a well known animal lover, having based much of her free time fundraising for animal causes and declining roles that features animal cruelty.
ABC Photo Archives via Getty Images
Betty White jokes around in a May 5, 1957, promotional photoshoot for ABC’s “Date with the Angels.” Her quirky and saucy personality endeared her to the American public early into her career.
ABC Photo Archives via Getty Images
Actor Betty White visits with the Los Angeles Angels as part of a promotion for ABC’s “Date with the Angels,” July 2, 1957, in which she starred alongside Bill Williams.
NBCU Photo Bank
Betty White smiles with her husband, game show host and actor Allen Ludden, in a 1960 photo. The pair were married from 1963 until Ludden’s death to cancer in 1981.
ABC Photo Archives via Getty Images
Betty White smiles with her husband, game show host and actor Allen Ludden, in their home on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 1972. The pair were married from 1963 until Ludden’s death to cancer in 1981.
Bob Wands/AP
Betty White and her husband Allen Ludden continue a two-year gin rummy battle in which she’s ahead by a cumulative 6,000 points, Westchester, New York, April 29, 1965. They do it professionally on TV. He’s the master of ceremonies on “Password,” and she makes frequent guest appearances on game shows. The couple plays games to relax at home.
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
From left: Edward Asner, Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore and Ted Knight hold their Emmy Awards at the 28th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on May 17, 1976, Los Angeles, California. The four played Lou Grant, Sue Ann Nivens, Mary Richards and Ted Baxter for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” respectively.
Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Actor Betty White on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, with then guest-host David Letterman, March 26, 1979.
Getty Images
Betty White walks towards the grave of her late husband Allen Ludden, in the company of Ludden’s mother. The 63-year-old died of cancer in Los Angeles on Tuesday and was buried in Mineral Point, Wisconsin – the town where he was born.
NBCU Photo Bank
From left: Betty White as Ellen Harper Jackson, Vicki Lawrence as Thelma “Mama” Crowley Harper, and Rue McClanahan as Aunt Fran Crowley for “Mama’s Family,” July 1983.
Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank
From left: Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White pose for a promotional poster for the first season of “Golden Girls,” April 22, 1985. The four would play the iconic quartet Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, Blanche Devereaux, Sophia Petrillo and Rose Nylund from 1985 until the series’ end in 1992.
Chris Polk/FilmMagic
Betty White, Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan during the The 6th Annual “TV Land Awards” in Santa Monica, California, June 8, 2008.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Actors Betty White and Mary Tyler Moore present Tina Fey the Outstanding Comedy Series award for “30 Rock” onstage during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on Sept. 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Betty White seen in a May 31, 2009, photo. She still keeps an active career at 87, with her latest project playing an aging, truth telling, offthewall grandmother for “The Proposal.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Sandra Bullock and Betty White goof off onstage during the 2010 Teen Choice Awards at Gibson Amphitheatre on Aug. 8, 2010 in Universal City, California.
Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Ryan Reynolds and Betty White appear as guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Sept. 22, 2010. The two actors, known for their off-beat, saucy personalities on and off the screen, amused themselves by referring to each other as “a past relationship” for the benefits of celebrity entertainment.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Betty White arrives at the premiere of Touchstone Pictures’ “You Again,” Sept. 22, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. She remained a “national treasure” for her roles in “Golden Girls” and her off-beat, quirky personality with fans of all ages.
Paul Morigi/WireImage
Thomas Tidwell, left, and Hank Kashdan of the U.S. Forest Service pose for a photo with Betty White who was named an honorary Forest Ranger at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Nov. 9, 2010 in Washington, D.C.
Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Betty White arrives at “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” Los Angeles Premiere at Universal Studios Hollywood on Feb. 19, 2012, in Universal City, California. She plays Grammy Norma on the animated film at the age of 90.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Anderson Live
Betty White, next to Lisa Vanderpump and Anderson Cooper, looks on as a man jumps out of a birthday cake at CBS Studios, Jan. 8, 2013 ,in New York City.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for The People's Choice Awards
Betty White accepts the award for Favorite TV Icon during The 41st Annual People’s Choice Awards at Nokia Theatre LA Live on Jan. 7, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.
Allen Berezovsky/WireImage
Betty White accepts Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award onstage during the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 26, 2015 in Burbank, California.
Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
Betty White’s star along the Hollywood Stars Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, seen on Sept. 10, 2017.
