Betty White, ‘Golden Girls’ Star and Beloved Icon, Dead at 99

Betty White, the legendary actress who is known for her time on The Golden Girls, died on Friday morning, according to TMZ. She was 99 years old. The death happened just weeks before her 100th birthday on Jan. 17, and law enforcement told TMZ that White died at her home. 

White has starred in multiple TV shows over the past eight decades, starting in 1939. She gained a lot of popularity for her role as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls which ran from 1985-1992. Overall, White has 115 acting credits, appearing in shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Betty White Show, The Love Boat, and Mama’s Family. 

White got her start in the 1940s, appearing in radio shows such as Blondie, The Great Gildersleeve and This is Your FBI before having her own radio show. In 1949, White began working on a TV variety show with Al Jarvis called Hollywood on Television before landing more TV roles in the 1950s. 

In White’s career, she was nominated for 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and won five of them. Two of the Emmys came from her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, one for The Golden Girls, one for her appearance on The John Larroquette Show and one for her appearance on Saturday Night Live. Her last TV show where she was a series regular was Hot in Cleveland which aired on TV land from 2010-2015. White starred in the show with Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and Valerie Bertinelli. 

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, White revealed how she feels about turning 100. “I’m so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age,” White said. “It’s amazing.” White also said she is a “born a cockeyed optimist” which is the key to her upbeat attitude.  “I got it from my mom, and that never changed,” she says. “I always find the positive.”

While White had a successful career in TV, she also held her own in movies. Some of White’s most notable movie appearances are You Again, The Proposal, Bringing Down the House and Toy Story 4. On her 100th birthday, a documentary called Betty White 100-Years Young – A Birthday Celebration is set to be released. White, who was born in Oak Park, Illinois and grew up in Los Angeles is has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1985.