Steve Granitz/WireImage
-
Entertainment
Photos
-
Entertainment
Television
-
Beauty
style
It's not an exaggeration to say that Betty White's comeback was one of the best things to happen in 2010. While the country was deeply divided about things like health care reform and immigration, we could all agree that Betty White is awesome. As for White, 89, she justified our love by being hilarious in every single movie, commercial and TV appearance. So we were a little surprised to learn that the comedienne is planning on stepping out of the spotlight. Thankfully, the decision seems to have nothing to do with White's health or age; she just wants to avoid overexposure.
"What is this Betty White business? This is so silly," said White, who was bombarded with personal questions at a recent press event for her TV Land show Hot in Cleveland. "You’ve had an overdose of me. I think I’m going to go away for a while."
White has been working steadily since the early days of television, and had memorable roles on the classic series The Mary Tyler More Show and Golden Girls. Her popularity was refueled when she starred in the 2009 film The Proposal a 2010 Superbowl commercial, followed by a successful online fan campaign to have her host Saturday Night Live. In addition to her starring role on the new sitcom Hot in Cleveland, White took on a recurring role on the NBC comedy Community, guest-starred on the ABC comedy The Middle and appeared in the film You Again. Now she's doing something that she claims she's never really done before: turning down work.
"It’s hard for me to say no to a job because you spend your career thinking if you say no to a job they’ll never offer you another one," White explained. "My mother taught me to say no as a girl. But I’m trying to cut down, I really am."
We know what you're thinking: Don't go away, Betty White! But really, we doubt that Betty White is actually going away. Sure, she may cut down on the TV guest appearances and the Barbara Walters specials, but she's obviously having way too much fun to think about retiring. The bottom line is that Betty White is a smart lady: she's been around long enough to know that if you're hot one day, you could be cold the next. She wants to stay hot as long as possible, so she'll back off just enough that we won't get sick of her (not that we ever could!). The good news is that Betty White now has her pick of projects, so we can expect to keep seeing excellent performances from her. And if you start going through withdrawal... well, there's always the Betty White 2011 calendar to keep you company.
Do you think Betty White is getting overexposed? Chime in below!
