Acting icon Betty White passes away at 99
2 Min Read
Emmy-winning actress Betty White dies at 99 years old.
-
The late actress would have turned 100 on January 17, 2022.
US media reported Friday that famous actress Betty White has passed away at 99.
The pioneering Emmy-winning comedienne enjoyed one of the longest careers in showbiz history.
"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," her agent Jeff Witjas told People magazine in a statement.
TMZ, citing law enforcement sources, said she died at her home on Friday. The cause of death was not immediately revealed.
A young soul
White began regularly appearing on television in 1949 and had a voice role in "Toy Story 4" in 2019.
She was one of the first woman producers on the 1950s sitcom "Life With Elizabeth," in which she also starred.
With her lovely soul, she even interacted with much younger fans on Instagram.
"It's incredible that I'm still in this business -- and you are still putting up with me!" White said at the 2018 Emmys.
For his part, US President Joe Biden mourned the acting icon on his Twitter account.
Betty White brought a smile to the lips of generations of Americans. She’s a cultural icon who will be sorely missed. Jill and I are thinking of her family and all those who loved her this New Year’s Eve.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 31, 2021
"The world looks different now"
In all, she won 5 primetime Emmys, two daytime awards including one for lifetime achievement and a regional Emmy in Los Angeles.
In 2010, at age 88, White became the oldest-ever host of long-running comedy sketch show "Saturday Night Live" -- an experience she called "probably the most fun I've ever had, and the scariest."
Despite her prolific television career, White only appeared in a handful of films, including "The Proposal" (2009) and the animated "The Lorax" (2012).
On Twitter, famous actor Ryan Reynolds said "The world looks different now" after White's death.
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. pic.twitter.com/uevwerjobS
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 31, 2021
In addition to her multiple Emmys, White was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1995.
She won three Screen Actors Guild awards, including a lifetime achievement trophy in 2010. In 2011, she took home a Grammy for the audio version of one of her books.
The late actress would have turned 100 on January 17, 2022.
