'Saturday Night Live' is all right for Betty White
Betty White
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When she began her career, Betty White had no concept of Facebook … much less that it would land her a big job.
Through popular demand by her fans who use the social-networking Web site, the beloved, six-time-Emmy-winning veteran of "The Golden Girls" returns to NBC's Saturday schedule -- "live from New York" this time -- as host of a new "Saturday Night Live" May 8.
The Mother's Day weekend airing will be a big show: The musical guest is Jay-Z, and White reports "SNL" alumnae including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Molly Shannon are expected to return.
"I couldn't believe this!" White says of the grass-roots movement to get her on the program. "It just came out of left field. I told my agent to thank ('SNL') very much and tell them I appreciated it, but, 'No, thank you.' And he said, 'You've got to do this. If you don't, I'll divorce you.' So now I'm doing it, and I am absolutely panic-stricken."
If so, it's not because it will be White's first time performing on live television. For that, you'd have to go all the way back to 1939.
"When I graduated from high school," she recalls, "they did a test thing in downtown Los Angeles at the Packard automobile showroom. We were up on the fifth floor doing 'The Merry Widow,' and if our parents wanted to see it, they had to stand downstairs among the cars and look at this one little monitor. I wore my graduation dress for it."
More than 70 years later, White realizes what a different animal "Saturday Night Live" is.
"I turned it down three times, years ago," she reveals. "It's so New York, and I'm not that at all. I felt like I might be a fish out of water, but here I am. I love the show, and I get a lot of laughs out of it, but doing it is a whole other number. I may run away from home between now and then."
Also renowned as sweetly sarcastic "Happy Homemaker" Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," White says "SNL" is giving her "veto power" over any material that may not be to her liking. She intends to remain respectful to the projects and roles that brought her fame, should those be suggested for spoofing.
"I haven't seen word one," she claims. "I haven't even talked to anybody there, except that I had one nice conversation with (executive producer) Lorne Michaels. Beyond that, I haven't a clue, and I'm just going to bite the bullet. It could end my career!"
As for what prompted the push for her to do "SNL," White traces it back to the popularity of the Snickers ad she did for this past February's Super Bowl telecast. (Eating one of the candy bars "transformed" her into a young man ready to play football.)
"I've kept working all through the years -- there's never been a down spell -- but there's been nothing like this," she says. "This is ridiculous. The bottom line is that I'm blessed with good health, and I've got all the energy in the world."
Through popular demand by her fans who use the social-networking Web site, the beloved, six-time-Emmy-winning veteran of "The Golden Girls" returns to NBC's Saturday schedule -- "live from New York" this time -- as host of a new "Saturday Night Live" May 8.
The Mother's Day weekend airing will be a big show: The musical guest is Jay-Z, and White reports "SNL" alumnae including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Molly Shannon are expected to return.
"I couldn't believe this!" White says of the grass-roots movement to get her on the program. "It just came out of left field. I told my agent to thank ('SNL') very much and tell them I appreciated it, but, 'No, thank you.' And he said, 'You've got to do this. If you don't, I'll divorce you.' So now I'm doing it, and I am absolutely panic-stricken."
If so, it's not because it will be White's first time performing on live television. For that, you'd have to go all the way back to 1939.
"When I graduated from high school," she recalls, "they did a test thing in downtown Los Angeles at the Packard automobile showroom. We were up on the fifth floor doing 'The Merry Widow,' and if our parents wanted to see it, they had to stand downstairs among the cars and look at this one little monitor. I wore my graduation dress for it."
More than 70 years later, White realizes what a different animal "Saturday Night Live" is.
"I turned it down three times, years ago," she reveals. "It's so New York, and I'm not that at all. I felt like I might be a fish out of water, but here I am. I love the show, and I get a lot of laughs out of it, but doing it is a whole other number. I may run away from home between now and then."
Also renowned as sweetly sarcastic "Happy Homemaker" Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," White says "SNL" is giving her "veto power" over any material that may not be to her liking. She intends to remain respectful to the projects and roles that brought her fame, should those be suggested for spoofing.
"I haven't seen word one," she claims. "I haven't even talked to anybody there, except that I had one nice conversation with (executive producer) Lorne Michaels. Beyond that, I haven't a clue, and I'm just going to bite the bullet. It could end my career!"
As for what prompted the push for her to do "SNL," White traces it back to the popularity of the Snickers ad she did for this past February's Super Bowl telecast. (Eating one of the candy bars "transformed" her into a young man ready to play football.)
"I've kept working all through the years -- there's never been a down spell -- but there's been nothing like this," she says. "This is ridiculous. The bottom line is that I'm blessed with good health, and I've got all the energy in the world."
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