“I’m so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age,” said “The Golden Girls” star, who will soon celebrate her 100th birthday.
Betty White is celebrating her milestone 100th birthday on Jan. 17 by gracing the cover of People.
In the issue, which hits newsstands the week of Jan. 10, the prolific actor reveals her secret to living a long, fulfilling life.
“I try to avoid anything green,” she joked. “I guess it’s working.”
White isn’t a fan of Hollywood’s health food trends. Instead, “The Golden Girls” star prefers eating hot dogs and drinking vodka with a splash of grapefruit.
She also enjoys eating a peanut butter, bologna and iceberg lettuce sandwich on white bread for lunch. According to her executive personal assistant of nearly a decade, Kiersten Mikelas, White’s mother used to make the snack for her as a child.
On a slightly more serious note, White offered some advice to living a joyful life: “Taste every moment.”
She definitely embraces the motto, telling People she is “so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age.”
Nowadays, White spends her time in Los Angeles completing crossword puzzles, playing card games and watching animal documentaries, “Jeopardy!” and golf tournaments.
She also takes time to honor her late husband Allen Ludden each day.
“She keeps a photo of him on her bedside table and blows him a kiss every morning,” Mikelas shared. “At night when she opens the shutters, she blows a kiss to him up in the sky. He is on her mind constantly.”
White and Ludden, her third husband, tied the knot in 1963. The two remained married until 1981 when Ludden died from stomach cancer at age 63.
Though White has not appeared on screen in a few years, there’s no doubt that she still has her comedic charm and timing.
Mikelas told People that she recently spoke to White about possibly reuniting with an ex-boyfriend.
“Betty said, ‘Well if he doesn’t want to be exclusive, screw him,’ her assistant laughed. “Then she paused, looked at me and said, ‘But don’t screw him.’ That’s Betty, bubbly, naughty and sweet, all at the same time.”
People also interviewed a few of White’s celebrity friends in honor of her centennial birthday.
Ryan Reynolds, who starred alongside White in 2009’s “The Proposal,” also praised her timeless comedic skills. “Betty pivots like I have never seen, making it look seamless,” he said. “The rest of us just remain silent and pray we’re not cut out of the scene.”
Reynolds later joked that White represents “a typical Capricorn” because she spends her days sleeping and her nights “boozing and snacking on men.”
Fellow “The Proposal” cast member Sandra Bullock complimented White for being “a loving, decent, optimistic, inclusive, hilarious human being.”
She added, “With humor, kindness and a vodka on ice, toasting to the fact that she’s a badass who has left us all in the dust.”
Carol Burnett spoke about White’s beloved reputation in Hollywood and recalled working together on “The Carol Burnett Show.”
“Betty had this reputation before she got on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ of being cutesy-sweetsy, and then she went on Johnny Carson’s show and totally slayed,” Burnett explained. “She was very bawdy and very funny. She’d come on my show, and if there was a tinge of risqué humor in one of our sketches, she’d roll with it and make it even funnier and add a little wink to show that she was thinking of something sexy. She’s not a stand-up. She’s not a jokester. It’s the way she can twist a line to get a laugh.”
For her birthday next month, White plans to celebrate with a small gathering and a few animals. “I’ll surround myself with as many animals as possible,” she said.
Fans can also join in on the celebration by attending a showing of the one-day-only theatrical event “Betty White: 100 Years Young,” which is being distributed by Fathom Events.
The film will be shown in 900 movie theaters nationwide on her birthday, Jan. 17, Variety reported. “100 Years Young” will provide a behind-the-scenes look at White’s life as well as a glimpse into her relationship with her staff and her work as an animal advocate.
The film also gives viewers an invitation to White’s birthday party along with guests like Reynolds, Burnett, Tina Fey, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Morgan Freeman and White’s longtime crush, Robert Redford.
