usaweekend.com "I'm the luckiest old broad on two feet" Comedy legend Betty White scores a Life Achievement Award. BY LORRIE LYNCH ETTY WHITE has been stealing scenes business, but it was fun. and he lived in New York, and I thought, "No the and than most 60 making years, common but audiences of she got places: laugh her for the start more fam- at but Al that as Jarvis his wasn't saw "girl me enough on Friday." for that He him, and was so put a he disc me on started jockey, a been way." I together wasted a saying whole "no." year that we could have ily dinner table. TV show. We did five and a half hours a day What was the secret to your long marriage? "My dad was a salesman, so he was always no scripts, no nothing .
You made it up as you Allen's enthusiasm. He was into everything, bringing jokes home," says White, who most re- went along. and he was never He would call me from cently upstaged Sandra Bullock in the hit movie wherever he was working and say, "You wanna The Proposal. "It was up to me to get 'em or For years, you were the first lady of game shows. go out to dinner? You wanna have a date?" And not," White says .
"But he'd say, 'Honey, you can I just love to play games. It is against I'd say "Sure!" Well, going out to dinner meant take this one to school, but I wouldn't take my religion to ever throw out a he'd stop on the way home and pick up a chicken that paper without doing the cross- and put it on the barbecue outside. There's a Over more than six decades, White word puzzle. room behind the house, and we'd go out there long has since made the jokes her own, and put on a stack of records, have our barbecue in movies and on TV. Next Satur- You met the love of dinner and dance .
We enjoyed each other. day, the Screen Actors Guild will your life, Allen Ludden, honor the beloved comedic actress on game show. Tell me how you got The Mary Tyler Moore Show. SMPSP with a Life Achievement Award. I was on Password the Grant Tinker Mary's then-husband and HAYES, USA WEEKEND third week it was on, in Allen were best friends .
The four of us were recently spoke with the former Golden Girls very close. The fourth year, I got a call: "Would star, who turns 88 next about the "I've got my you be interested in doing next week's show? Friday, secrets behind her continued speech written We have a script we think would be fun." It was success. It's the happy homemaker, the neighborhood nymphoCongratulations! maniac, Sue Ann Nivens. The casting director already. I can't be coy about 'thank said, "It's a Betty White type: She's real sweet, ting the I'm thrilled but she's not what she seems." So they said, GOLDEN to pieces .
1961. show, he After said, "I'm the "Why don't you get Betty White?" COLLECTION; What was your start? gonna marry that You could have retired long ago. I didn't actually start in Betty White will woman." And, I'm the luckiest old broad on two feet. Half my TV until 1949 on a receive the Screen boy, did he pur- life is my animal work, and the other show, Tom, Dick and sue a court- half is show business the two things I love Actors Guild's Life MOORE three Achievement Award. I lived the Should TYLE Harry, starring Jan .
23 on TNT. ship. most. I quit, should I walk away comedians. It was silly in California, from that? I don't think so .
THE MARY MPTV; BETTY WHITE HAS BEEN MAKING US LAUGH FOR DECADES RONA, GABI Her TV and film career PASSWORD: spans more IN WIREIMAGE; than 60 MEAN years. Some WILLIAMSON, highlights: 19605-70s: Password 1970s: The Mary Tyler Moore Show 2009: On the big screen in TODO with Allen Ludden with Mary Tyler Moore 19805-90s: Golden Girls The Proposal with Sandra Bullock PORTRAIT: 12 USA WEEKEND Jan. 15-17, 2010 Visit us at .
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