Actress and comedian Betty White had arguably one of the most iconic and noteworthy careers in Hollywood. With a career spanning over eight decades, White was a pioneer in the entertainment industry, both on and off the camera.
White was named the honorary Mayor of Hollywood in 1955 after becoming the first woman to produce a sitcom in the United States. She was also the first woman to receive a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting the show “Just Men!” in 1983. Because of this, she was often referred to as “The First Lady of Television,” which also happens to be the title of a 2018 documentary that takes viewers through White’s career and personal life.
White earned a Guinness World Record for the “longest TV career by a female entertainer” in 2014 and in 2018 for her work in television, both on and off the screen. White was a 1995 Television Hall of Fame inductee. Over her career, she earned eight Emmy Awards, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Grammy Award. Fittingly, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Over the course of her career, White did everything she could to make a positive impact on the entertainment industry. She’s known for her bluntness in her comedy, and when she saw a talented individual, she did everything she could to support them, no matter the consequences.
This is how she became friends with tap dancer Arthur Duncan. She gave Duncan his first big role when she cast him on “The Betty White Show,” White’s variety show that aired throughout the 1950s. Despite pushback from television networks because Duncan was Black, White championed the dancer and helped him in his career in the process.
An Incredible Life And Career
White was one of the most beloved actresses of all time. Over the long course of her career, she received plenty of awards and recognition for all of her hard work and immense talents. Even at 99 years old, White showed no signs of slowing down, but it was more than just her talent that made her such a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.
The actress had worked since the late 1930s when she got her start in television as it was still being developed. However, it wasn’t until the 1950s that she started receiving great recognition for her craft. By the 1980s, White was already a household name and a regular on sitcoms thanks to her witty nature and undeniable talent. Best known for her roles in the hit shows “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Golden Girls” and “Hot in Cleveland,” White’s career spanned over 80 years. In fact, she was even recognized by the “Guinness World Records” for having the longest-running career in the film and television industry.
Her beautiful personality and bold voice helped carry White through the challenging times of working in the entertainment industry and also helped make her a favorite with fans and critics alike. The star never shied away from doing what was right and making her voice heard. That was evident throughout her whole career, but especially so when it came to her championing of other entertainers, especially those who were part of a minority, as was the case with Duncan in the 1950s.
Uplifting Others Through Comedy
Though this decision may not seem unusual today, White’s decision to include a person of color in her regular cast was almost unheard of at the time. After Duncan made his first appearance on White’s show, many viewers were unhappy, to say the least.
On a 2017 episode of Steve Harvey’s show “Little Big Shots: Forever Young,” Duncan explained what happened when he first appeared on the “The Betty White Show.” “I was on the show, and they had some letters out of Mississippi and elsewhere that some of the stations would not carry the show if I was permitted to stay on there,” Duncan said. He went on to explain that though White could have removed him from the show, she responded to those letters with the same forwardness that she’s always been known for.
“Well, Betty wrote back and said, ‘Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could,’” Duncan said.
Duncan spoke about the experience again in White’s 2018 documentary. In it, he said that he owes his career to White and that it was never a question in her mind of whether he would stay.
“I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business,” he said.
White gave her opinion on the situation in the documentary as well. She called the complaints “a whole ruckus,” and said the network threatened to take the show off the air if Duncan stayed on. White called their bluff and told them that she didn’t care what anyone thought.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, but he stays … Live with it!’” White said.
A Friendship To Last a Lifetime
Duncan was unaware of the controversy until years later. White’s variety show was canceled that same year, but because of the exposure he had already received, Duncan soon received an offer from Lawrence Welk to be a regular cast member on “The Lawrence Welk Show.” This role made Duncan the first African-American regular on a variety television program.
The dancer turned this initial opportunity from White into a successful career that spanned over 60 years. When he appeared as a guest on Steve Harvey’s show, Harvey surprised him by inviting White onto the stage. At 83 years old, Duncan joked that now that he had seen White again, his life was complete. When Harvey asked him how he felt about seeing White, Duncan said, “I’m ready to go now,” and he told White that he hoped they could catch up after the show. White laughed and said, “Oh, I hope so. You never call. You never ask me out.”
On Dec. 31, 2021, White died in her sleep, just two weeks before her 100th birthday. Millions of fans and giants in the entertainment industry mourned her death. The Martin Luther King Jr. Center publicly expressed its condolences on Twitter and praised the actress for her support of racial equality over the years.
The tweet explained how White had supported Duncan, despite pressure from the network and viewers to drop him from her show. The post concluded with the phrase, “Rest well, Betty,” and a hashtag that read, “thank you for being a friend.”
At 99 years old, White lived a full, happy life, and she will always be remembered for her selfless acts of kindness in an industry that often promoted the opposite.
