Thank you for being a friend, Betty. The legendary actress, animal activist, author and comedian passed away peacefully in her home on Dec, 31, 2021. She was 99 years old and died of natural causes. White was just three weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
Being someone who was constantly upbeat and happy, her death took a toll on a lot of people, including fans who have never even met her. White is best known for her roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls, The Proposal, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, Hot In Cleveland and over 115 more.
To remember the late great actress, we are taking a look at the top 5 quotes from Betty White.
“Best thing about being in your 90s is you’re spoiled rotten. Everybody spoils you like mad and they treat you with such respect because you’re old. Little do they know, you haven’t changed. You haven’t changed in [the brain]. You’re just 90 every place else … Now that I’m 91, as opposed to being 90, I’m much wiser. I’m much more aware and I’m much sexier.”
In 2013, White talked to PEOPLE about being in her 90’s, just as she turned 91 years old. She first said this quote on Betty White’s Second Annual Birthday Special, which aired on NBC on her birthday. She embraced being in her 90s and lived a happy life by eating hot dogs and drinking vodka every day.
“People have told me ‘Betty, Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with old friends.’ At my age, if I wanted to keep in touch with old friends. I’d need an Ouija board. “
This quote was made famous by her first and only time hosting SNL. After a Facebook group started a petition, which reached over 1 million signers, NBC finally made White a host on the show. She discussed how she didn’t really understand Facebook, and being 88 at the time, most of her friends had already passed on, so she would need a Ouija board to contact them. White hosted season 35, episode 21, with Jay-Z as the musical guest.
“I have no regrets at all. None. I consider myself to be the luckiest old broad on two feet.”
Betty White might have been at the height of her fame later in life, but that doesn’t mean her early projects don’t count. In 2014, White told Guinness World Records that she had ‘no regrets at all.’ That year she was awarded the Guinness World Record for the Longest TV Career for an Entertainer (Female), with her career spanning over eight decades. That is just one of the many awards she was given in her lifetime.
“Everybody needs a passion. That’s what keeps life interesting. If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints.”
This quote, from her biography, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t), sums up White perfectly. Two of her passions in life were making people laugh and animals and she lived everyday fulfilling them. By entertaining many on screen, White succeeded in making people laugh and bringing joy to their lives. She loved animals because her parents instilled that trait in her. Before making it big in Hollywood, she aspired to be a zookeeper or forest ranger.
“Friendship takes time and energy if it’s going to work. You can luck into something great, but it doesn’t last if you don’t give it proper appreciation. Friendship can be so comfortable, but nurture it-don’t take it for granted.”
Also from her book, this quote showed that she truly loved the people in her life. Sure, in Golden Girls, friendship looked like it came naturally to her, but that’s all acting. Friendship takes a lot of work and isn’t something you should take for granted. She had a lot of friends in the industry- Ryan Reynolds, Carol Burnett, Georgia Engel and Joyce Bulifant, to name a few, and always appreciated every one of them