"Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life" Q&A Interview w/ Author Ray Richmond
Maj Canton - December 7, 2021
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This fabulous coffee table biography is a more loving tribute than critical overview, taking readers on a journey through the epic show business and personal lives of a television icon like no other. As Betty White races toward her landmark 100th birthday on January 17, 2022, this book proves the perfect accompaniment to celebrate the spectacular career of an actress who remains a true living legend and a beloved national treasure. The book supplies a visual salute, in words and pictures, of the First Lady of TV, spanning her more than 80 years as a performer and star of such legendary shows as THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and THE GOLDEN GIRLS. White’s pioneering legacy extends back to the earliest days of the medium, when she served as both producer and star of the sitcom Life With Elizabeth during an era that predated glass ceilings. Chronicling 100 highlights from the acting life and passions that have defined an entertainment career like no other includes a foreword by Gavin MacLeod and interviews with friends and colleagues such as Carol Burnett and Candice Bergen. Over 100 photographs showcase her decades in comedy as well as a contestant on almost every game show on TV!
The 256-page book – which hits bookstores on Tuesday, December 7 – is a captivating trip down memory lane that makes a perfect holiday gift for the Betty White lover in your life (which may be pretty much everyone). BUY THE BOOK HERE.
I had an opportunity to catch up to author Ray Richmond to discuss the book.
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Question: What made you decide to write a book about Betty White, a woman about whom everything must already be known? Ray Richmond: Well, I realized that the woman’s 100th birthday was coming up, and it might be fun to examine her life inside the prism of 100 great moments in her life to keep the century theme going. The people at Becker&Mayer Books agreed. |
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Betty White on PASSWORD (with her husband, Allen Ludden, as host). |
Question: What that you discovered about Betty’s life surprised you? Ray Richmond: For one thing, I had no idea that White’s face was literally the first one ever to grace a television screen. It happened in February 1939, just after Betty graduated high school. She and the student body president of Beverly Hills High were recruited to be part of an experimental television transmission in Downtown Los Angeles, singing from the sixth floor of a building and hoping it could be captured on the first floor. It worked. Two months later, conventional television broadcasting was introduced at the New York World’s Fair. Question: That’s pretty fascinating. What else did you learn about Betty? Ray Richmond: hat she’s been a celebrity panelist on more game shows than any human being living or dead. We’re talking thousands of episodes of TO TELL THE TRUTH, MATCH GAME, PASSWORD, and dozens more. |
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Betty White as Dr. Beth Mayer on BONES with a skeleton on her table (but none in her closet). |
Question: Did you uncover any dirt on her? Ray Richmond: That’s the thing. There is none. The woman has not a single skeleton in her closet. What you see is what you get. The deeper you dig into her past and career, the more impressive she gets. I emerged from my research loving the woman even more than I had when I started. For this and so many other reasons, her 100th birthday should be celebrated as a nationwide event. We’re never going to see the likes of someone like Betty again. |
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Betty White on SNL in 2010. |
Question: What’s the most impressive thing you learned about Betty? Ray Richmond: It’s kind of a tossup. One was her hosting SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE at the age of 88 in 2010 and being sharp and funny while doing it. Then she had a whole new career in her 90’s! Who does that? No one. The second thing was what she did in 2014. She met with a trained grizzly bear and allowed it to eat a marshmallow…out from between her teeth! The woman is fearless. Read all about it in my book. |
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Ray Richmond has worked as a chief television critic, columnist, and reporter for several publications, including The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety, the Los Angeles Daily News, The Orange County Register and (online) Deadline Hollywood. He has interviewed many famous entertainers and celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball, Shirley MacLaine, George Burns, Chris Rock, Martin Scorsese, Ben Stiller, Amy Schumer, Steve Carell, and Jimmy Kimmel. |
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