Thereโs a reason the American public actually considered the Golden Girls our friends. From 1985 to 1992, and for years of subsequent reruns after the series finale, few could forget Blancheโs antics, Sophiaโs sarcastic remarks, Dorothyโs voice of reason or Roseโs tender heart. In fact, Betty Whiteโs portrayal of a genuine, if slightly corny, character has come to define her personality in the wider world of pop culture. Before becoming Americaโs sweetest grandma, White worked in the entertainment industry for 40 yearsโher first credited role was a four-year stint on Televisionโs Hollywood from 1949 to 1953.
As you can see in the photo below, the beloved actressโ hair was originally a far cry from the light gray bouffant she later became known for, with White instead embracing her naturally dark locks. Although the Hollywood legend never said why or when this shift happened, you can see her hair gradually getting lighter throughout her lesser-known 1971-1972 series Pet Set. White just turned fifty, a very common age for hair to start going completely grey. In fact, not caring about aging may have been one of the secrets to Betty Whiteโs long and happy life.
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By the time White joined her co-stars on the set of The Golden Girls, this lighter color gave her a timeless look. Itโs worth noting that the 63-year-old actor played a character who was supposed to be almost ten years younger. Interestingly, she was actually a year older than her co-star Estelle Getty, who was 62 at the time of filming the first season but played a 79-year-old.
Read more: Susan Boyleโs stunning transformation
Betty Whiteโs hair could give fans heart attacks
Betty White, wearing a pink and black patterned shirt, winks at someone off-camera โ Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
As new generations came to love her, Betty White was considered an American treasure. Itโs no surprise that millions of people were heartbroken by the death of Betty White at the ripe old age of 99 โ sadly just weeks before her 100th birthday. However, oddly enough, this wasnโt the first time viewers mourned the Golden Girls star, and her hair color had a lot to do with it. The false article, published by Empire News in 2014, had the misleading headline: โBetty White peacefully applies makeup at her Los Angeles home.โ Many users did not notice the difference between stamps and dyes, and soon the entire Internet was in shock and actively mourned the then 92-year-old star.
The article mocked an imaginary press release that said the iconic actor โis not a natural blondeโ and joked about Whiteโs preference for bleaching and toning at home. It included fake quotes from the woman herself, discussed jokes about dyes that were written in The Golden Girls, and Betty Whiteโs late husband, Allen Ludden, who apparently loved both dark and light shades on her. Although Empire News said on its website that its articles were satire, the clippings nonetheless went viral on social media, putting the Lake Placid star right in the middle of her own deadly hoax.
According to fact-checking website Snopes, the article began circulating in 2019, only this time Whiteโs rep quickly denied the rumors, assuring Hollywood Life that the beloved actor was โalive and very well.โ Although she passed away a year later, we know that Betty White enjoyed every last moment of her life.
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Read the original article on The List.