WHITE. “At my age, you can get away with murder.”
LOS ANGELES—“Oh, at 40, we don’t know much—but, at 90, you know everything,” quipped Betty White in our latest chat.
With a career spanning over seven decades, Betty shows no sign of slowing down. The Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning actress is still drawing laughs on the TV sitcom, “Hot in Cleveland.” As the oldest person to guest-host “Saturday Night Live,” the only living Golden Girl sure is still naughty and nice.
Excerpts from our interview:
You’re a breath of fresh air, because you keep it jovial even while making all those sexual innuendos.
Moi?
Have you always been that way?
It’s always been the double entendre that has tickled me. Sometimes, it’s what you don’t say that’s funny. You infer something that, for the ones who get it, they’ll get a kick out of it—and for the ones who don’t get it, there’s no harm done. I’ve always had fun with that, but sometimes my mental editor goes to sleep. I have to watch myself. It’s single entendre that maybe people stop at these days.
Attractive man
What’s the worst thing about maturing?
When you see an attractive man, and he’s being very nice to you, pretty soon, you’d think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if he asked me to lunch or dinner?” Then, all of a sudden, you think, “Betty, you’re 90 years old—it’s not going to happen.”
I was out with a friend and his wife the other night. At one point in the conversation, he reached over and took his wife’s hands. I thought, “That’s what I miss”—not sex. It’s really tough.
And the best part of being mature?
You can get away with murder. Everybody spoils you rotten. You can say some things, and they think, “Oh, the poor, old fool doesn’t know.” Yes, she does—and you have to look behind you, because no matter where you stand on a set, let’s say on ‘Hot in Cleveland,’ there’s a chair behind you—whether you need it or not. There’s always a chair, and you don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings, so you sit down.
What do you wish you had known in your 20s that you know now?
I go back to my mother and father. They taught me when I was growing up that you should appreciate something as it happens. You don’t look back on it and say, “Oh, gee, that was wonderful; I wish I had realized that at the time.” So, when something really good happens, I savor it!
To this day, if I come home after a particularly wonderful experience, I sit down and write about it—not to put in a book, but just so I keep that memory while it’s fresh.
What are your thoughts on turning 90 this year? Any regrets?
I never thought of growing this old. I never dreaded growing old. It wasn’t like, “Oh, I’m getting older.” I was always kind of mad at people who would say, “Oh, I just turned 20—I’m going to be 30 next.” Or, “I just turned 30, I’m going to be 40.” They miss the whole decade in there. Fortunately, I never got into that.
I wish I had gone to college—or may not. A lot of my friends who went to college were so busy socializing that they didn’t make the most of their education. I did most of my education on my own.
What are the three movies that maybe changed your life?
“Out of Africa”—that was when I fell in love with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. I saw “Naughty Marietta” 48 times, and I fell in love with Nelson Eddy. I wouldn’t be in show business if it weren’t for Nelson and Jeanette MacDonald. I didn’t like Jeanette MacDonald; I was Jeanette MacDonald. I was so in love with that lady that I thought, “That’s what I want to be when I grow up!” My third would be “Rose-Marie”—but, it wasn’t as good as “Naughty Marietta,” “Out of Africa” and “Lost Horizon.” “Lost Horizon” was another one that I liked. I’m a romantic, as you can see.
Crossword puzzles
How many crossword puzzles do you still do every day?
I’ve got four of them in my purse (laughing).
Is it getting easier for you?
The thing is, if you’ve done a few, you know what they’re going for with a definition. You know that a newt is a salamander, or a salamander is a newt.
How is your pet dog?
I have a Golden Retriever. My Pontiac is my heart and my best friend—he’s thrilled when he sees me pick up a crossword puzzle, because he knows I’ll be sitting there for a while, and I won’t be running around. He gets on the couch and hopes, “Maybe she’ll stay here.”
And what are the things on your bucket list?
I’ve never been to Africa. I never took the time to go there, so I’d like to do that. I would like to go back to the High Sierras. That’s where we used to spend our vacations when I was a kid growing up. Two-day pack trip in, supplies on mule back, and we’d ride our horses. I’d love to do that one more time. And, maybe meet Meryl Streep. I’ve never met her. I would be ridiculous. I wouldn’t gush—but, I would just stand there!
What about Robert Redford?
That’s none of your business (laughing). And, you can throw a generous portion of George Clooney in there, too!
E-mail rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.