CBS Sunday Morning's video tribute to Betty White captures the spirit of the beloved and naturally comedic actress/comedian whose television career spanned seven+ decades. SEVEN! But it's Vulture's remembrance piece that really spells out how special and incredibly adaptable she was to have a career to last through the generations.
White was known as The First Lady of Television (the title of a documentary about her career) not just because of her easygoing authority and stealthy influence but because she was the first woman to do all sorts of things in a medium where men held most of the power. An actor, singer, dancer, talk and game show host, and producer whose costars ranged from Eddie Albert to Ryan Reynolds, White was a big name on TV in the 1940s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, aughts, and beyond. She won five Emmys for her performances and was nominated for 16 more, most recently in 2011, for Hot in Cleveland.
…She was born to entertain, and she was one of the first people to discover that she had that knack for behaving naturally under the glare of TV lights, talking to the camera as if it were her best friend, or acting in front of it as if it weren't there.
Betty's first show, "Life With Elizabeth" (1953):
Previously: Betty White dead at 99
screengrab via CBS Sunday Morning
