Betty White Turns 99! Ed Asner, Ellen DeGeneres, Josh Gad & More Pay Tribute With Heartfelt Messages
Happy birthday, Betty White! The iconic actress turned 99 on Sunday, and was flooded with messages of love and appreciation from her famous friends and fans on social media.
The celebrated star -- whose entertainment career began in 1939, near the dawn of television itself -- has been a part of many beloved TV shows and movies throughout her eight-decades in showbusiness and has amassed countless close friends as a result.
Many of her colleagues took to Twitter and Instagram to commemorate the comedy icon and honor her incomparable legacy -- including her fellow Mary Tyler Moore Show co-star Ed Asner.
"I still get warm when I see this look," Asner tweeted, alongside a screenshot from their time together on the beloved sitcom in the mid-1970s. "Happy 99 baby. You are a testament to living life on your own terms. Sending you a great big socially distanced kiss. I love you @BettyMWhite."
I still get warm when I see this look. Happy 99 baby. You are a testament to living life on your own terms. Sending you a great big socially distanced kiss. I love you @BettyMWhitepic.twitter.com/DWM9tTthIm
— Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) January 17, 2021
Craig Ferguson -- who has long been an outspoken fan and admirer of the actress, and has worked beside her in an episode of Hot In Cleveland and had her as a guest on The Late Late Show many times -- paid tribute as well with a photo of them sitting side-by-side on set.
"Happy birthday to my pal @BettyMWhite," Ferguson wrote. "The sweetest, dearest kindest and funniest person I’ve ever had the good fortune to work with. #HappyBirthdayBettyWhite."
Happy birthday to my pal @BettyMWhite The sweetest, dearest kindest and funniest person I’ve ever had the good fortune to work with. #HappyBirthdayBettyWhitepic.twitter.com/q3dx41UQMU
— Craig Ferguson (@CraigyFerg) January 17, 2021
Check out all the other celebratory posts commemorating White's 99th birthday below:
“Why do people say, ‘Grow some balls?’ Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a vagina. Those things can take a pounding!”😂
-Betty White
She is my spirit animal. ❤️
Happy 99th birthday, QUEEN!!👑🎂🎉🎈🎊🥰❤️🥳 pic.twitter.com/XTXRHRuQI7— Ming-Na Wen (@MingNa) January 17, 2021
Celebrating Betty White’s 99th birthday with this throwback.. #IconsOnly!! pic.twitter.com/kjd6NAOaK1
— Jackée Harry (@JackeeHarry) January 17, 2021
HAPPY 99th Birthday, Betty White! pic.twitter.com/pvP8BEx1fX
— Nina West (@NinaWest) January 17, 2021
Wishing the incomparable Betty White a very happy 99th birthday! 🥳 What's your favorite Betty White role, friends? pic.twitter.com/vUfzO7BiiE
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 17, 2021
"Butterflies are like women - We may be delicate but we can fly through a hurricane" -Betty White
Today is the day a giant was born. Happy Worthday @BettyMWhitepic.twitter.com/oWD3gyC1Cu— Regina King (@ReginaKing) January 17, 2021
Today both @BettyMWhite and #JamesEarlJones are celebrating birthdays?! How is it not a national holiday?
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) January 17, 2021
Betty White once said to @KaitlinOlson and I: “What a beautiful family. The kids are fine but what WONDERFUL dogs!” We love you Betty! Happy Birthday!!!! pic.twitter.com/qZ7F6YkRD1
— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) January 17, 2021
Happy birthday, @BettyMWhite! You’re a miracle in every way.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 17, 2021
Betty White bloopers are the best bloopers 🥰 #HappyBirthdayBettyWhitehttps://t.co/jzm2g1Ydmc
— Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) January 17, 2021
.cc: @BarryMotivates Here you go... with Betty White and Vic Tayback pic.twitter.com/TeTyPB0D7Z
— Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) January 17, 2021
Shout out to the amazing ladies, @MichelleObama & #BettyWhite celebrating another turn around the sun today! We are so lucky that you both light the way, in so many ways!
Keep shining! #happybirthdayMichelleObama#HappyBirthdayBettyWhitepic.twitter.com/5vhw3tewW5— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) January 17, 2021
Happy birthday to the late #MohammadAli, @MichelleObama, and #BettyWhite (99 years young today!).
Each is a leader and an inspiration who inspire us all to work toward our dreams and never give up.— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) January 17, 2021
@BettyMWhite 🎂🎉🎁🎈🎊🪅🥂🍾9️⃣9️⃣❗️ Onward to 💯❗️
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) January 17, 2021
Happy 99th Birthday to the fabulous @BettyMWhite - a proper star, on & off screen. pic.twitter.com/VZvlkVdKOb
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 17, 2021
This year, White is celebrating her birthday in quarantine, like so many others, to stay safe. The actress shared an update with ET last Tuesday on how she's planning to celebrate the milestone mid-pandemic.
"You probably didn't ask, but I’ll tell you anyway," White teased. "What am I doing for my birthday? Running a mile each morning has been curtailed by COVID, so I am working on getting The Pet Set re-released, and feeding the two ducks who come to visit me every day."
The Pet Set, of course, is White's syndicated show from the 1970s, which tapped into her lifelong love of animals, spotlighting celebrities like Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Doris Day, James Stewart, Burt Reynolds and more -- as well as their furry friends: "dogs, cats, birds and horses – in addition to a wide range of wild animals including tigers, bears, elephants, lions, wolves, gorillas, cougars, seals, kangaroos, zebras and eagles – both in the studio and on location."
The series was produced by White's late husband, Allen Ludden, and will be released on DVD and streaming platforms by MPI Media Group on Feb. 23, to commemorate the show's 50th anniversary.
How Betty White Is Celebrating Her 99th Birthday (Exclusive)
This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.
If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.
RELATED CONTENT:
Betty White to Whip Santa Into Shape for New Lifetime Holiday Film
Watch Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock Sing Betty White Happy Birthday
Jennifer Love Hewitt Reveals Betty White's Perfect 'Nightcap' After an Evening of Drinking