There are few actresses who are quite as beloved and iconic as the late Betty White. In her many decades working in the film and television industry, she has shown a tremendous knack for creating characters that are so rich and authentic that they capture viewers' hearts. What’s more, she has also shown that she has the ability to deliver a line that can either be uproariously funny or deeply poignant.

RELATED: Betty White's 10 Funniest Quotes From The Golden Girls, Ranked

She has originated many roles and iconic characters - though each one is varied and with its own unique flaws, many of them are hugely likable as well as relatable. From a brief appearance in That '70s Show to her iconic role in The Golden Girls, White has played some thoroughly likable women on film and TV.

Bea Sigurdson - That ‘70s Show

Betty White as Kitty’s mom Bea Sigurdson in That 70s Show

That ‘70s Show is widely regarded as one of the best sitcoms of the 1990s and 2000s, and with good reason, since it managed to not only have a strong central cast but also many important secondary characters. One of the most notable of those was Bea Sigurdson, Kitty’s mother.

What makes Bea such a fascinating character is that, at first, she seems quite likable - with that signature Betty White smile - but underneath that she is capable of delivering withering remarks to her daughter. However, she's still a charming character expertly portrayed by White, which ends up making her somewhat likable despite her mean streak.

Ellen Harper - Mama’s Family

Ellen, Frances, and Thelma looking at each other in Mama's Family

Even though it hasn’t become as canonical as some other best sitcoms from the 1980s, Mama’s Family still has the power to make the audience laugh. White had a recurring role in the series as Ellen, Thelma’s very snobby daughter who loved to look down on her family and their foibles.

However, despite the fact that she was capable of being very mean to the rest of her relations, there’s no doubt that she was still likable enough to keep audiences engaged and on side, if only because she was played by Betty White.

Delores Bickerman - Lake Placid

Delores enjoying tea on the porch in Lake Placid

After her success as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls, Betty White became newly famous for a number of guest appearances in various movies, including a scene-stealing role as Delores Bickerman in the horror-comedy Lake Placid.

From the moment she appears she demonstrates that she isn’t a woman to be taken lightly, and she is quite capable of sassing anyone who gets in her way or tries to talk down to her. As a result, she emerges as one of Betty White’s most likable, if not highly irascible, characters.

Dr. Beth Mayer - Bones

Beth sitting at a table with a skelton talking in Bones

Bones is one of the most iconic procedural series on television and, of course, Betty White made an indelible impression as her character Beth Mayer.

RELATED: 10 Best Celebrity Guest Stars To Appear On Bones

There are many things that make Dr. Mayer one of Betty White’s most likable characters. Perhaps most notably is that she has had several husbands and doesn’t mind sharing some of the most intimate details about her past relationships (the character clearly has a lot in common with Blanche from The Golden Girls) - which is an endearing trait in someone from an older generation.

Catherine in the back of a car with Alan in Boston Legal

During the later stages of her career, White made guest appearances in various shows, including Boston Legal. Even though hers was a short-lived run on the show, she made quite an impression as the character Catherine Piper, an employee of Crane, Poole, and Schmidt.

As is often the case with White, her character is vivid, refusing to obey the traditional or stereotypical rules that one associates with older women in particular. In addition, fans saw Catherine get into all sorts of trouble - including robbing convenience stores and committing murder - and they still rooted for her. For her bold and likable personality, White even named Catherine as one of her five favorite roles according to EW.

Grandma Annie - The Proposal

Margaret and Grandma Annie talking in The Proposal

Betty White’s role in the romantic comedy The Proposal, one of the best rom-com movies of the 2000s, was one that helped to reignite her career and return her to her well-deserved status as America’s sweetheart.

What was especially notable about her take on this role was that she managed to combine her signature sweetness with a sharp wit that was as finely tuned as a razor. In this role, although comparatively small compared to others in White's filmography, she showed why she continues to be seen as one of the most likable actresses, able to dazzle with just a simple smile and a well-delivered line.

Elizabeth - Life With Elizabeth

Elizabeth looking up at someone in Life With Elizabeth

There’s no question that White has had a truly storied career in television, and her work has in many ways followed the trajectory of the medium itself. She was in one of the first successful sitcoms, Life With Elizabeth, in which she played the title character, a suburban housewife who manages to get into all sorts of scrapes along with her husband.

RELATED: The 20 Best Sitcoms Of All Time (According To IMDb)

From the very beginning, White demonstrated that she had powerful on-screen charm as she delivered a thoroughly likable performance in the mischievous Elizabeth. Going against common stereotypes of the era, Elizabeth was far from a docile housewife, and White's cheeky - sometimes even devilish - portrayal was remarkable for the time. That fact alone makes Elizabeth one of her most likable characters ever.

Sue Ann Nivens - The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Sue Ann Nivens wearing an apron and smiling

The Mary Tyler Moore Show is rightly regarded as one of the most influential sitcoms in the history of television, in large part because it focused on a woman and her professional life. Betty White’s Sue Ann Nivens was one of the series best side characters and, like so many of White’s other creations, she managed to be both very cynical and yet, strangely, still likable.

Although she projected an image of affability to the outside world, she was secretly quite scheming and manipulative. White’s brilliance is that she balanced the many sides of the character perfectly, allowing Sue Ann to remain likable despite her often ulterior motives.

Elka Ostrovsky - Hot In Cleveland

Elka and Melanie together in Hot in Cleveland

In some ways, Hot in Cleveland followed in the footsteps of The Golden Girls, in that it focused on a group of women, their friendship, and their desires.

In this case, White played Elka. Though Elka had quite a sharp tongue and was very capable of delivering scathing remarks to those around her, she also had a loveable charm that made her not only one of the most likable characters in the show but also one of White's best characters overall - pipped to the post only by a character that eclipses Elka in terms of icon status.

Rose Nylund - The Golden Girls

Rose cuts her cake in her old kitchen while talking to Charlie after his passing on The Golden Girls

There’s no question that Rose Nylund is Betty White’s most iconic role, and it’s the one that has solidified her presence in the public consciousness. There are many reasons that Rose is the most likable Betty White character, but chief among them is the fact that she is relentlessly optimistic.

No matter what life throws in her direction, Rose never loses her ability to look on the bright side and to believe the best of people. And, of course, there is also the fact that she excels at telling St. Olaf stories which, even though they infuriate her roommates, remain a key part of her charm.

NEXT: 10 Empowering Golden Girls Quotes To Live By