LOS ANGELES - Ahead of her 96th birthday, actress Betty White shared her secret to a long and happy life.
Vodka, hot dogs and the love of pets.
White, who turned 96 on January 17, spoke recently with Parade about her, then upcoming, birthday and her life to this point. That includes more than 75 years in show business, six Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Aside from the dietary tips, White told Parade she just tries to "enjoy life."
“Accentuate the positive, not the negative. It sounds so trite, but a lot of people will pick out something to complain about, rather than say, ‘Hey, that was great!’ It’s not hard to find great stuff if you look," she said.
Despite all the awards, accolades and adoration, White is still asking for one thing she still wants to help her celebrate - actor-director Robert Redford.
“But it never works. I try every year,” she said.
But even if she never gets to work with Redford, she doesn't plan on leaving our TV screens any time soon.
“I just love to work, so I’ll keep working until they stop asking," she said.
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Here's a look at the life of Emmy-award winning actress Betty White.
From the CNN Library
Personal:
Birth date: January 17, 1922
Birth place: Oak Park, Illinois
Birth name: Betty Marion White
Father: Horace White, electrical engineer
Mother: Tess White
Marriages: Allen Ludden (June 14, 1963-June 9, 1981, his death); Lane Allen (1947-1949, divorced); Dick Barker (1945, divorced)
Children: Three stepchildren with Allen Ludden: David, Martha and Sarah
Other Facts:
Nominated for 21 Primetime Emmy awards and won five.
Nominated for one Grammy Award and won one.
Was offered the role of Blanche Devereaux on "The Golden Girls," but accepted the role of Rose Nyland instead.
Turned down a part in the 1997 film, "As Good as it Gets," because she objected to a scene in which a dog is thrown down a laundry chute.
Timeline:
1940s - Has roles on several popular radio shows, including "Rin-Tin-Tin," "This is Your FBI" and "The Great Gildersleeve."
1949 - Lands her first role on television on "Hollywood on Television," a live daily show.
1975 - Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
1976 - Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
1985-1992 - Plays Rose Nyland on "The Golden Girls."
1986 - Wins Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for "The Golden Girls."
1995 - Is inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
1996 - Wins Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for "The John Larroquette Show."
January 23, 2010 - Is presented with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
May 8, 2010 - Hosts "Saturday Night Live."
August 21, 2010 - Wins a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her guest host spot on "Saturday Night Live."
2010-2015 - Plays Elka Ostrovosky on "Hot in Cleveland."
February 12, 2012 - Wins Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) for "If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)."
December 2013 - Earns the Guinness World Record for Longest TV Career for a female entertainer (74 years).
April 26, 2015 - Receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
