The legendary Betty White whose TV career spanned eight decades, the longest uninterrupted career of any actor in television history which scooped her eight Emmy awards, has died just two weeks short of her 100th birthday. She is best known for The Golden Girls but she moved from one groundbreaking performance to the next from early on, becoming one of the first women producers in Hollywood with the 1950s TV sitcom Life with Elizabeth which broke with convention in including a black performer at her insistence.
She honed her image as a ditzy blonde through talkshows, gameshows, sitcoms and multiple autobiographies but the reality was a tough, savvy operator in the LA shark pond. She was cast in the The Mary Tyler Moore Show as a character who was sweetness and light in public but “vicious as a barracuda in private”. She played it to perfection.
One commentator said: ‘While not an obvious trailblazer like Joan Rivers, White was a quiet revolutionary in her way – a gloved knife rather than a Rivers-like axe smashing down walls, whose onscreen jibes came with a sweet smile instead of a sneer.’
She was born 17 January 1922 at 6.38 pm Oak Park, Illinois, was married three times, the last one a keeper, had no children and was a keen animal activist.
Her practical and ambitious Capricorn Sun in the hard-working 6th was conjunct a charming Venus and trine a Virgo Moon so keeping busy was what she did best. Her Sun Venus were also square Jupiter in fair-minded Libra in her 3rd so she’d communicate easily and have an upbeat, enthusiastic approach. Where she got her grit and tenacity was a Water Grand Trine of Pluto trine a determined Mars in Scorpio trine Uranus. Water Grand Trines are creative and can be healing for others.
Oddly enough PD James, the crime writer, born two years earlier had the same Grand Trine and she had a dark streak which isn’t as obvious in Betty White’s bouncy performances but she would need a core of titanium to survive as long as she did in television.
Betty White’s Uranus was in her 7th house of close relationships so she would find one-to-one commitment in marriage cramped her style and her first two attempts were short lived. Her North Node was also in Libra so her development would depend on her becoming less independent and self-sufficient. Her third husband, Allen Ludden, 5 October 1917 4pm Mineral Point, Wisconsin, felicitously had his Libra Sun conjunct her North Node so was able to make an enduring match. She described him as the love of her life. He did have an Air Grand Trine of his Libra Sun trine Jupiter Moon in Gemini trine Uranus which would key into her Jupiter which would smooth round problems. It was by no means an easy combination but there was enough Jupiter and Neptune in their relationship chart to swirl it in good feelings.
I never would’ve thought a show about 4 senior women could be so funny. The writing was clearly damn good but execution is not easy without a talented cast with the right chemistry. Dorothy’s face after Rose(Betty) says something daft is just priceless. And her mother Ma was superb at ridicule. A timeless sitcom.
They say it takes a really smart person to convincingly play an idiot. She was witty, funny and clearly smart in reality. R.I.P Betty. After a life well lived.
Have a good new year everybody.
Just caught the second half of Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl (available as of February 1 on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service).
Pretty wonderful to look at BW and listen to celeb fans celebrate her. The “America” part of the title had Biden making a pro Betty statement. Transparent proof of how in need he is of a booster that has nothing to do with Covid.
Was there anyone who did not like her? Pretty rare. Sad to see her go.
I’m seeing a T-square in Betty’s natals involving Chiron, Pluto, Saturn, and the Nodes. She had also been experiencing a Chiron return this year, exact in April and part of October/November, triggering the T-square. With Pluto’s transit through Capricorn turning her natal T-square into a grand cross earlier in the decade (2010-ish), I would think she’d begun to really feel the passage of time as she approached her 90’s, since Saturn was involved. What a trooper, though! finding the energy to do the TV show “Hot in Cleveland.” Then, as JB mentioned, transiting Pluto approaching her Cappy sun in 2022. Bless her, she was by all appearances a good and decent human being. RIP, Betty, we will miss you!
<3 ty
Thank you for this, Marjorie — I was a ‘Golden Girls’ fan and she brought me such joy!
Me too, VF!!! I was a big fan when I lived in US (tho Blanche was my fave haha). I still laugh about it with my American friends and her passing really marks the end of an era for us…one friend stayed home in NY watching reruns last night cos she was so sad!
Never knew all this about her — what a gal!
@Virgoflake, I grew up watching this, it was initially on a 5 pm Wednesday slot. Some jokes certainly flew over my 10-year-old, initially non-English speaking head, but it was still fun.
And, I think I said somewhere, that unlike the original SATC, it has aged really well. That’s how great the writing was.
Barb & Solaia — I just have such happy memories of watching GG. There were really zero shows about older women having fun at the time, so it was refreshing and as you say the cast and writing were superb. Apparently the show had a considerable Gay following too. Absolutely loved Bea Arthur as Dorothy and her interactions with her hopeless ex, Stan.
I remember they tried to do a version of GG in the UK and it bombed — whatever magic there was in the original just didn’t happen and it was axed after one season.
Tr Pluto was just about to conjoin her Sun. I’m due that transit in a few weeks (3rd house) but have my Mars sextile and Pluto trine within 2°, so hoping for an easier time.
May Pluto empower and revitalise you!!
Thanks Barb, I hope so!