Betty White rocks the room -- and she's just warming up

Betty White is a pistol.

This year's winner of the SAG's 46th annual Lifetime Achievement Award heated up the ice-cold press room with her sparkling turquoise gown and her sheer stage presence, praising Sandra Bullock (oh, she's so down to earth) and admitting Robert Redford gets her starstruck. The huge round of applause she got didn't hurt, either.

Regarding that dress -- she showed off a slit that went riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight up to -- oh, my, it went quite high.

Her deadpan explanation: "You've gotta use everything you possibly can."

Best part of her career? "Probably the first night I ever did 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show.'"

"Mary and her then-husband Grant Tinker were close, close friends, and we had sweated out the show, and when they asked me to do one of them, I was thrilled. And after the show that night, the creators came to me and said, 'We've got an idea from another script, and we think you'll be back soon.'"

"That was exciting because that was such a breakthrough for me."

We want to be Betty White when we grow up.

Seriously. 

-- Christie D'Zurilla and Amy Kaufman

Photo: Betty White arrives at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on Jan. 23, 2010. Credit: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images.

Comments

[Lorelei]

Hey, speaking of actors we've loved since childhood, couldja say something nice about Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated Jean Simmons?

[CDZ from the Ministry]

@Lorelei -- hey, Christie here from the blog ... It's about negative-25 degrees back here in the SAG Awards press room and I'm heading out to the soon-to-be-warm embrace of my vehicle, but I'll see what I can do in the next couple of days about Jean Simmons. No promises, 'cause I can be a flake, but that's a nice idea!

We have some other posts here that might interest you ... check out the names list in the category cloud to the right and click to see what's there. Normally I'd link, but ... deadline and all!

//cdz

[Ed, Santa Fe, NM]

Great tribute to Betty White. She's hilarious and human and possibly the sweetest person on earth. And did I mention talent?

[joebatch]

betty white?only the greatest,the best, the everything that is good in show business and the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Erica Stephens]

I was thrilled to see Betty White get this award.The woman has given me years and years of laughter.You have to love this woman and you must thank her for the years of joy she has given all of us1

[Christine]

I've loved Betty since Password days, and her marriage to Allen Ludden was an inspiration of their devotion to each other. I'm sure he would be busting his buttons over her and her award. I've always been tickled to share her January 17th birthday with her and Benjamin Franklin!