Those waking up to find #BettyWhite is trending can breath a sigh of relief. Nothing has happened to the star of Golden Girls . Betty White is trending on Twitter because she is turning 96 today! What are the secrets to her long and productive life?
Betty insists that she keeps it simple when it comes to her diet. Eschewing the sort of strict diet and lifestyle promoted by such food conscious stars as Gwyneth Paltrow, Betty White has claimed that “Vodka, hot dogs and french fries” are the secret behind her longevity.
She told Parade that one of her secrets to a long and happy life is to “just keep plugging away.”
“You don’t give up.”
Despite being told by Hollywood producers that she was not photogenic enough, she stayed positive and kept plucking away. Eventually, she was cast in Life With Elizabeth.
This role had her play “a spunky optimist who loves animals,” which is the most autobiographical role she has ever played, although she insists that “there’s a little Betty in everything I’ve played.”
Over the years, Betty White became beloved as a comedic actress and won a slew of awards including five Primetime Emmys and one Daytime Emmy.
Perhaps one of the keys to White’s longevity is that she is still working. In 2015, she told ET that she defied odds, and knows that what she should be hearing is “you just stay in the rocker.” Instead, she gushed at how she is still doing what she loves, and with good health and in complete control of her facilities.
“Can you imagine being blessed at this age with still working at the career you love the best?”
Happy 96th birthday, #BettyWhite ! pic.twitter.com/M0iwHsvjtt
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 17, 2018
The thrice-married actress further explained that she has lived long because there was not a chance that she was going to fade away anytime soon.
“You think you’ll fade off into the sunset. Well, the sun sets every night, but I just won’t go away.”
Betty White is the longest working actress, having worked over 75 years in Hollywood. She has co-starred with a cornucopia of actors including William Shatner, and James Spader, to Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Keeping so busy keeps her from “missing much.”
So who is her dream costar? Robert Redford . She told Parade that the Butch Cassidy star was still on her “bucket list.”
A VERY happy 96th birthday to the one and only @BettyMWhite!! She credits her longevity to her love of pets, hot dogs and vodka. pic.twitter.com/LhyNw40Vts
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 17, 2018
In her personal life, her most important costars were her many pets. A lifelong animal advocate, she has spent over four decades as a trustee and on the board of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.
Although married three times, she cherishes her 19-year marriage to Allen Ludden, who died in 1981. She says she will never remarry and calls him her “soul mate.” She was the stepmother to his three children.
Any advice for anyone who wants to live a long and productive life like Betty? The Mary Tyler Moore star suggests that you practice gratitude, and focus on the positive around you.
“Enjoy life. Accentuate the positive, not the negative. It sounds so trite, but a lot of people will pick out something to complain about, rather than say, ‘Hey, that was great!’ It’s not hard to find great stuff if you look.”
So, when you see #BettyWhite on January 17, know it is time to celebrate a hysterical actress and a warm human being.