18 things y'all probably didn't know about the late Betty White

Betty White

Betty White was built-in on Jan 17, 1922.
Kevin Wintertime / Getty Images
  • Betty White died at 99 on Friday.
  • Insider reviewed LIFE'southward illustrated biography of White and rounded up details you may not know about the late comedy queen.
  • Her first task was in a Parkay butter commercial, and she originally wanted to be an opera singer.

Earlier Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Ellen DeGeneres, Betty White was the Queen of One-act — pioneering her way from the radio airwaves to quiz shows and sitcoms.

White died at her home on Fri, New year'due south Eve. She was less than a month away from turning 100.

The late comedian fabricated a proper noun for herself on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Golden Girls." In recent years, White made a huge TV comeback with cameos on "Community" and "The Middle" before shattering ratings on "Sat Night Alive."

Her Television set Land bear witness "Hot in Cleveland" completed v seasons in 2015. And despite her NBC one-act show "Off Their Rockers" getting axed in 2013, White kept decorated in the years after with appearances on shows like "Crowded," "Basic," "Young & Hungry," and "Fireside Chat With Esther."

But how much practise you really know about White? Insider previously read through LIFE's illustrated biography of Betty White to learn what you lot don't know about the funny adult female.

Betty's commencement work in Hollywood was in a Parkay margarine commercial.

Betty White in 1965.
AP

White hung effectually in producer Fran Van Hartesveldt'due south office until he decided to offer her a job in the commercial.

This led to her appearance on the radio prove "The Great Gildersleeve," also headed by Hartesveldt.

White has never had acting lessons.

Betty White got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988.
Hulton Annal/Getty Images

The actress said they were never her thing.

"I but want to bring every bit much natural as I can," said White. "I'thousand not saying that people who take acting lessons are faux. They're much amend than I am, just it doesn't piece of work for me."

She originally wanted to be an opera singer.

Betty White landed her offset role in the 1940s.
Reed Saxon/AP

White opened up to the Canadian Press while discussing her role in the animated film "The Lorax," which had the actress sing a few bars.

"When I was a youngster, I wanted to be an opera singer, then I took very serious singing lessons."

If she wasn't going to exist a singer, she wanted to be a park ranger or zookeeper.

Betty White attends the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association'south (GLAZA) 44th Annual Beastly Ball at Los Angeles Zoo in 2014.
Angela Weiss/Getty Images

"Back then, girls were not allowed to become forest rangers," White told ABC News in 2010.

That year, she received an honorary park ranger title at 88, something she said her parents would enjoy.

"They would be more proud of this than of whatever other accolade I accept won," said White.

White once turned down an offer to be a "Today" show co-host, paving the fashion for Barbara Walters to go the gig.

If White accepted the "Today" show gig, Walters would non have been a cohost. The above photo shows Walters during an appearance on the bear witness on May twenty, 1965.
AP Photo

White said she didn't desire to live on the East Declension. NBC wanted White and so much the network offered to give her an apartment at the St. Regis Hotel so she could fly back to California each weekend, simply White said it didn't seem applied.

The task went to Barbara Walters.

White may never have appeared aslope Al Jarvis on "Hollywood on Television" – and later become host in 1952 – if she passed up an unpaid gig.

Betty White is honored at a Christmas parade in Los Angeles, California.
Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Athenaeum/Getty Images

Earlier joining "Hollywood on Television," White was asked if she'd be interested in a television special with and so-radio disc jockey, Dick Haynes. The costless gig led to a call from Jarvis, some other disc jockey, to have Betty as his sidekick on "Hollywood on Tv."

White earned $300 a week when "Hollywood on Tv" was expanded to vi days a week with five-and-a-half hour days.

Betty White on "The Betty White Show."
Wikimedia Commons

White once performed 58 live advertisements in a day.

Betty White starred in the 2009 romantic comedy "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

She and "Hollywood on Telly" co-host Al Jarvis had to do numerous live ads for their sponsors.

White's offset Emmy nod was for her part in the comedy she created, "Life with Elizabeth" in 1952.

Betty White with Ted Knight afterwards winning Emmys for their roles in "The Mary Tyler Moore Prove" in 1976.
Reed Saxon/AP

You can watch a scene from the movie hither.

White's showbiz career could have been cutting short if she stayed with 2nd husband Lane Allan.

Betty White and her 3rd hubby, Allen Ludden, in April 1965.
Bob Wands/AP

Allan wanted White to end working and focus on a traditional family unit life, merely the actress chose her career over her husband.

"He didn't want me to be in show business," said White. "When you accept a calling yous accept to follow it, and so I made the pick, blew the spousal relationship and I've never regretted it."

White married the love of her life, Television set host, Allen Ludden in 1963. The two met while White was a celebrity guest on "Countersign" in 1961 and remained married until his passing in '81.

White was never a fan of the short-lived TV show "Date With the Angels."

"Date With the Angels" aired in the late '50s.
ABC

In her 1997 book "Here Nosotros Go Again," White described her experience with the ABC show as unhappy. She didn't meet her co-star Bill Williams as someone who thought funny.

"I recollect I can honestly say that that was the only time I take ever wanted to leave of a show," said White.

Betty hosted a show called "The Pet Set" in 1971 featuring celebrities and their pets.

Betty White and Anson Williams with a St. Bernard in May 1982.
Marc Karody/AP

The show, produced by her husband, concluded after one flavour when Carnation pulled its advertising.

Watch a scene from the show here.

White wasn't supposed to play Sue Ann on "The Mary Tyler Moore Testify."

Cloris Leachman, Valerie Harper, and Ted Knight also starred on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
Everett

The part was originally for a "Betty White-type."

Information technology was thought Betty and Mary's friendship may not work out on screen.

White prefers animals to humans.

Betty White voiced a character in the 2012 animated pic "The Lorax."
Brian To/Getty Images

"Animals don't lie. Animals don't criticize," said White in the 2012 book "If You Ask Me." "If animals have moody days, they handle them improve than humans do."

White estimated having xx dogs at one point growing up. She loved animals so much, that her kickoff production visitor, Bandy Productions, was named after her Pekingese, Bandit.

At 95, White said she all the same enjoyed having vodka and hot dogs.

Betty White enjoys the little things.
Toby Canham/Getty Images

When asked by Parade at the age of 95 what she attributed her long life to, White joked she enjoyed having vodka and hot dogs, "probably in that order."

White was originally offered the part of Blanche on "The Golden Girls."

Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty at the People'due south Choice Awards in March 1986.
Reed Saxon/AP

Rue McClanahan was offered the part of naïve Rose Nylund while Betty was asked to play Blanche.

Pilot director Jay Sandrich suggested the two switch roles since they played like ones in the past, and it was the best decision ever. White won the Emmy for outstanding actress in a comedy series for her portrayal. After the bear witness'southward terminate, she reprised her role as Rose in the short-lived spin-off, "The Gilt Palace."

White's advent on TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" was merely supposed to be a onetime guest role.

Betty White starred as Elka Ostrovsky on "Hot in Cleveland."
Boob tube Land

However, producers loved her and quickly gave her a full-time role.

White is "Saturday Night Live's" oldest guest-host.

Betty White hosted "SNL" in May 2010.
NBC

She received a Primetime Emmy Laurels for her performance, which caused us to never await at a muffin the same way once more.

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