During her long career in Hollywood, Betty White showed herself to be one of the most beloved and talented actresses to have ever appeared in television. Though she is best known for her larger roles in both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls as well as Hot in Cleveland die-hard fans of the late actress know that she was almost always working.
As a result, White made some smaller guest appearances in TV dramas like Boston Legal and That '70s Show as well as appearing as herself on talk shows and SNL. In honor of the actress, it's important to take a look back at the many guest appearances that she made on various TV series during the course of her career.
The Bold And The Beautiful (2006)
Though she was primarily known as a comedic actress, White was also talented and skilled when it came to drama, as she showed when she made a short appearance in the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She played the character of Ann Douglas, a woman who has a toxic ability to ignore her husband’s abuse of her own daughter.
The brilliance of White’s performance, however, is that she still manages to imbue the character with a significant amount of pathos.
Boston Legal (2005-2008)
After her time playing Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls - one of Betty White's most likable roles - she took a different turn with many of her subsequent appearances. One of her best, and funniest, was that of Catherine Piper on Boston Legal.
While she might have appeared to be just a simple old lady to some, Catherine was quite capable of committing various crimes, including both murder and robbery. However, the fact that she was played by Betty White made her as charming and irresistible as all of the actress’s other notable roles.
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992)
There are few late-night shows that have been as widely-respected and appreciated as that hosted by Johnny Carson, which in some ways established the standards that others had to follow.
It’s thus not surprising that Betty White, who always made her home on television, should have appeared as a guest on many different occasions. Every time she appeared, she managed to show just why she was so beloved, with a razor-sharp wit and comedic timing that was second to none.
The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978)
The Carol Burnett Show was one of the most iconic television series of the 1970s. Given that it was a sketch comedy show, it’s not surprising that it would make generous use of guest stars, and many of Hollywood’s most venerable stars appeared at one stage or another.
Betty White was one of those, and there was undeniable chemistry between Burnett and White, two formidable comedic talents who brought out the absolute best in one another.
Mama’s Family (1983-1990)
Though this 1980s sitcom may not be everyone’s favorite, there is still an undeniable charm in Mama’s Family, which focused on the title character, played by Vicki Lawrence, and her sparring with her numerous relatives.
One of the most notable was White’s Ellen who, despite her humble origins, nevertheless had managed to marry into money and so looked down on the rest of her family. The often vicious arguments that she would get into, with both her mother and her sister Eunice, had the makings of comedy gold.
Saturday Night Live (2010)
There have been many great hosts of Saturday Night Live, but there’s no doubt that Betty White is one of the best of all time. The Facebook campaign to get her to host was an extraordinary use of social media, and she showed from the moment that she stepped out for her monologue that she was going to own the entire episode.
In every sketch in which she appeared, she demonstrated her extraordinary comedic talent and her ability to wring a laugh from even the most ridiculous line of material.
Password (1961-1975)
In addition to being very talented when it came to comedy, White consistently showed that she was also very good at game shows. In particular, she was notable for her many appearances on the popular game show Password, in which she was very often key to the success of the player.
What’s more, it was often hosted by the man who would eventually become her husband, and there is an undeniable pleasure in seeing the two of them interact with one another on the set.
Empty Nest (1988-1995)
In some ways, Empty Nest is one of the forgotten sitcoms of the 1990s, which isn’t surprising, since it was a bit of a holdover from the 1980s. However, it’s worth noting that White made many memorable appearances on the show in her role as Rose Nylund (the series shared a universe with The Golden Girls).
And, as was the case in her appearances on the other series, White imbued Rose with the simple sort of joy that goes a long way toward explaining why she remains one of the actress’s most popular creations.
That ‘70s Show (1998-2006)
That ‘70s Show is rightly regarded as one of the sitcoms that defined the 2000s. There was undeniable chemistry between the cast, and the series also knew how to use its guest stars.
White appeared in a number of episodes as Kitty’s mother, a woman who, on the surface, appeared kind and gentle but was capable of inflicting terrible wounds with her words. It’s to White’s credit that she was able to keep the character from becoming one-dimensional.
Family Guy (2006)
Family Guy is sometimes seen as one of the best adult animated series ever made, and, with a plethora of celebrity guest stars over the years, it makes sense that it would have at least one episode in which White would appear.
In this case, she is the one who is hired to narrate the audiobooks versions of Peter’s erotic novels. The fact that White could deliver some of the ridiculous lines is a testament to her ability to make the absolute most of any role that she was offered, even when she wouldn’t actually be appearing on the screen.