Betty White postage stamp to be released in 2025: ‘An icon of American television’
Betty White, who died in 2021 after a decades-spanning career in television, will be honored with a postage stamp in 2025, the U.S. Postal Service announced Friday.
The stamp is based on a 2010 photograph by Kwaku Alston and was designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for the postal service.
“An icon of American television, Betty White (1922–2021) shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades — including roles on ‘The Golden Girls’ and ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ †the agency said in the announcement, adding that the actor “was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals.â€
The Postal Service said that the 2025 list of stamps was a partial one and that additional stamps would be announced at a later date. Other stamps announced Friday included a Keith Haring print, a tribute to New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint, and a new installment in the Lunar New Year series.
The beloved TV icon, whose work included ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ ‘Golden Girls’ and ‘Hot in Cleveland,’ died Dec. 31 at 99. Here’s a look back.
White began her career in radio, then transitioned into television in 1949 when she co-hosted Al Jarvis’ variety show — eventually taking over as full-time host. White went on to host several programs titled “The Betty White Show†— the first a variety show in 1958 and the last a sitcom in 1977-78.
In 1973, White was cast in the first of two signature roles: “Happy Homemaker†Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.†Joining midway into the show’s run, she stayed until it ended in 1977.
A few years later, she nabbed her career-making role as Rose Nylund, one of four women who lived together in Miami in “The Golden Girls,†which held a spot in the Nielsen Top 10 for five years.
She was originally cast as man-hungry Blanche Devereaux with eventual portrayer Rue McClanahan set to play the sometimes-clueless Rose. But Jay Sandrich, the veteran director of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show†who helmed the pilot, worried that viewers would think “she’s Sue Ann in another guise,†White told The Times in 2009.
Television was White’s medium, and her understanding of what it means to live on camera — her ease, her intimacy — was matched by few before or since.
In her golden years, White appeared in a Super Bowl commercial, hosted “Saturday Night Live†and became a social media darling with a new audience of young fans.
“It’s so ridiculous at my age to have all this going on,†White told The Times in 2010. “I’m loving it.â€
Following White’s death in 2021, a documentary celebrating her career was released in theaters on what would have been her 100th birthday. “Betty White: A Celebration†included behind-the-scenes footage from her myriad acting gigs over the decades and quotes from her final interview.
Several of White’s celebrity friends starred in the documentary, including Tina Fey and Morgan Freeman. Ryan Reynolds, who jokingly called her his “ex-girlfriend†after co-starring with the acting veteran in the 2009 movie “The Proposal,†also appeared in the documentary.
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