An Unrivaled TV Queen: See Betty White's Most Iconic Television Roles Through the Years

Could she have done more?! See highlights of the Emmy winner's television work through the years

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St. Elsewhere, 1985

Betty White - ST. ELSEWHERE -- "Red, White, Black and Blue" Episode
David Sutton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Betty White dropped in as a Washington bureaucrat, alongside regular Ed Flanders (Dr. Westphall).

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Suddenly Susan, 1996

Betty White - SUDDENLY SUSAN -- "Golden Girl Friday"
Gary Null/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Brooke Shields (Susan of the title, with Kathy Griffin, left) welcomed White, whose character caused a lot of trouble (and scored an Emmy nomination).

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30 Rock, 2009

Betty White - 30 ROCK -- "Stone Mountain" Episode
NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

White starred as herself in an episode in which Tracy (Tracy Morgan) attempted to scare her to death over the phone.

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The Practice, 2004

Betty WhiteJAMES SPADER, BETTY WHITE ABC's "The Practice"
Ron Tom/ABC via Getty Images

The Emmy-winning legal drama had White (with James Spader) on as Catherine Piper for a few episodes, earning her an Emmy nomination, too.

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Just Men! 1983

JUST MEN!, Host Betty White
NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

White made the most of the series' three-month life span, snagging a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host — the first woman to win in that category.

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To Tell the Truth, 2016

Betty WhiteNENE LEAKES, TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, JALEN ROSE, BETTY WHITE, ANTHONY ANDERSON ABC's "To Tell The Truth"
Ron Tom/ABC via Getty Images

White was a regular panelist on the first season of the show's revival, 58 years after appearing on the original. Here she is with (from left) NeNe Leakes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jalen Rose and host Anthony Anderson.

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Tattletales, 1974

Betty White - TATTLETALES
CBS via Getty Images

Celebrity couples fielded questions about their personal lives. (From left: Jo Ann Pflug and Chuck Woolery; White and Ludden; host Burt Convy; Pat and Marjorie Harrington.)

08 of 36

Match Game, 1973

Betty White - MATCH GAME
Courtesy Everett Collection

From the debut season in 1962 through its revivals, White (with husband Allen Ludden, top left, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, Dolly Martin, Richard Dawson and host Gene Rayburn) was a frequent guest.

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Liar's Club, 1976

Betty WhiteLIAR'S CLUB, Betty White, Larry Hovis
Courtesy Everett Collection

White and other celebrity panelists were tasked with explaining unusual objects to contestants — who then had to determine which version was the truth.

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Stumpers!, 1976

STUMPERS! - Tony McClay, Dick Gautier, Joanna Barnes, Allen Ludden, Betty White, Peter Bonerz
Courtesy Everett Collection

Betty joined Ludden, Santa (announcer Tony McClay) and guest panelists (from left) Dick Gautier, Joanna Barnes and The Bob Newhart Show's Peter Bonerz.

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The $25,000 Pyramid, 1988

THE $25,000 PYRAMID - David Graf, Dick Clark, Betty White
Courtesy Everett Collection

White appeared several times on the series (Pyramid has been revived more than once over the years), which Dick Clark (center) hosted from 1973 to 1988 (left: Police Academy actor David Graf).

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Password, 1962

PASSWORD, Betty White, Allen Ludden, Jim Backus
Courtesy Everett Collection

White did many stints on husband Allen Ludden's signature hit (here with Jim Backus, right) between 1961 and 1975.

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To Tell the Truth, 1961

Betty WhiteTO TELL THE TRUTH, Laraine Day, Bud Collyer, Betty White
Courtesy Everett Collection

White (right, with Laraine Day and Bud Collyer) appeared as a panelist more than 40 times on this classic game show, which has aired intermittently since 1956.

14 of 36

Baffle, 1973

BAFFLE - Beverly Garland, Dick Enberg, Betty White
Courtesy Everett Collection

Betty and Beverly Garland joined host Dick Enberg. The object of this game was to get your partner to say a word or phrase by placing letters on a board,

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The Bold and the Beautiful, 2006

The Bold and the Beautiful
Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images

For three years, fans of the daytime soap saw White as Stephanie Forrester's (Susan Flannery) mother.

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SNL, 2010

Betty White and Jay-Z
Betty White and JAY-Z ahead of May 8, 2010, SNL episode. NBC

Though she'd turned Lorne Michaels' offers to host down before, White finally said yes in 2010 after a Facebook petition took off — and joined JAY-Z in an epic Mother's Day eve episode.

17 of 36

The Golden Girls, 1985

Golden Girls
Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

White joined Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan in the beloved sitcom about four ladies of a certain age living together in Miami. Each woman won an Emmy for her work.

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Chance of a Lifetime, 1991

"Chance of a Lifetime" Leslie Nielsen, Betty White
Alice S. Hall

This made-for-TV movie had White as a woman who finds adventure and romance after she's told she has months to live.

19 of 36

Donny & Marie, 1976

DONNY AND MARIE
ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

White made several appearances on the Osmonds' variety show (including this with Fred Berry and Johnny Dark)

20 of 36

The Carol Burnett Show, 1977

THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW
CBS/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Burnett and White played two aging former cheerleaders attending a "Class of '32" reunion.

21 of 36

The TV Land Awards, 2007

Ugly Betty White
AP Photo/Lisa Rose

White (dressed as the title character of Ugly Betty) appeared in a send-up of the popular show with Charo and Erik Estrada.

22 of 36

My Name Is Earl, 2009

MY NAME IS EARL
20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising /Courtesy Everett Collection

Earl (Jason Lee) made amends with Grizelda Weezmer (White), whom he used to torment as a kid. She earned an Emmy nomination for the role.

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The Magical World of Disney, 1988

DISNEY'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR
Courtesy Everett Collection

Fairy Godmother Betty helped relaunch the show that featured specials, movies and classic animation

24 of 36

Little Big Shots: Forever Young, 2017

Arthur Duncan, Betty White
Vivian Zink/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

White joined host Steve Harvey on a special episode of this talent show for seniors that reunited her with tap dancer Arthur Duncan, whom she'd featured on The Betty White Show nearly 60 years prior.

"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 explained of his stint on White's show. "Well, Betty wrote back and said, 'Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.' "

That letter helped Duncan keep his television tenure and would launch his career, allowing him to become the first Black regular on a variety show when he was hired on The Lawrence Welk Show.

25 of 36

Bob, 1992

Bob Newhart, Betty White
Bob Newhart (left), Betty White. CBS via Getty Images

White appeared in Bob Newhart's self-titled show, a short-lived series on CBS that aired from 1992 to 1993.

26 of 36

Young & Hungry, 2017

YOUNG & HUNGRY - "Young & Valentine's Day" - Gabi and Josh's Valentine's Day turns into a bigger celebration than they anticipated, in a new episode of "Young & Hungry," MONDAY, MARCH 20 (8:00-8:31 p.m. EST), on Freeform. (Eric McCandless/Freeform via Getty Images) BETTY WHITE, EMILY OSMENT
Eric McCandless/Freeform via Getty

One of White's final television roles was a two-episode stint on Freeform's Young & Hungry, as Mrs. Wilson (here, with Emily Osment).

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Betty White's Off Their Rockers, 2014

Betty White
Matthias Clamer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

White hosted the prank show on NBC, which saw seniors pranking millennials in hilarious sketches. She earned three Emmy nominations for the series.

28 of 36

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1973

Betty White
CBS Photo Archive/Getty

White rose to fame as Sue Ann Nivens on the beloved sitcom, winning two straight best supporting actress Emmys for her work.

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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1979

betty white, johnny carson
Gene Arias/NBC

White and the much-married Carson performed as a divorcing Adam and Eve.

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The Love Boat, 1980

betty white, allen ludden
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The actress appeared on five episodes of the series through the years, including this very special one with husband Allen Ludden.

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Maybe This Time, 1995

Image
Bonnie Schiffman/ABC/Getty

White played Marie Osmond's mother in the ABC sitcom that centered around the lives of three generations of women.

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The Middle, 2010

MEAN GIRL
Eric McCandless/ABC/ Getty

White memorably played the school librarian Mrs. Nethercott on one episode of the sitcom.

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Community, 2010

TEACHER'S PET
Chris Haston/NBC/AP

In another memorable 2010 stint, White joined the crew on Community as Professor June Bauer.

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Hot in Cleveland, 2015

Hot in Cleveland
TV Land/Everett Collection

For five years, White brought the laughs alongside Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick, earning an Emmy nomination for her work.

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WWE Monday Night Raw, 2014

Image
Courtesy WWE

At 92, White hosted WWE Monday Night Raw, yelling to the crowd, "I'm gonna kick some ass!" Backstage, she posted with the Bella twins, Nikki and Brie.

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Betty White special cover

For more on Betty White, pick up PEOPLE's Special Issue, America's Golden Girl: Betty White, available on Amazon.com.

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