If You Ask Me Part 2

And I talked about how I've never never gotten used to running across a celebrity. I'm always impressed. I've never outgrown it. I still remember the thrill I had the day I came home and there was a message that Fred Astaire had called. gotten used to running across a celebrity. I'm always impressed. I've never outgrown it. I still remember the thrill I had the day I came home and there was a message that Fred Astaire had called. Fred Astaire! Fred Astaire!

So I said to the audience ...

"I look out here and everybody is famous. And I've had the privilege of knowing many of you and working with some of you-I've even had had a few of you! You know who you are." a few of you! You know who you are."

Afterward, as I was led back to my table, George Clooney was at the podium. He saw me walking across the room and said, "And while I'm here, I'd like to thank Betty White for her discretion."

At the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards. My friend Sandra Bullock presented me with the Life Achievement Award.

KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES.

TURNING DOWN ROLES.

I'm often asked if there are roles I was offered that I regret turning down.

The answer is No No.

Sure, I've turned down parts in movies that went on to be successful.

One was As Good as It Gets As Good as It Gets.

But in that movie, there was a scene in which a character throws a dog down a laundry chute. When I read the part, I told the director, James Brooks, who is amazingly talented, "I just can't do that!" I know it's for laughs, but given my feelings about animals and my work for animal welfare, I just didn't find it funny. I didn't think it would be a good example to people who might try it in real life.

I was hoping that Jim would change it! But Jim had fallen in love with the scene and wouldn't change it. So I said, "Sorry, I can't do it. But thank you very much!"

Another script was sent to me, and it started with a truly disgusting scene in which a drunken Santa Claus is vomiting all over a stack of toys. I didn't find that funny, either. The scriptwriters were these really talented guys, but I said, "Thank you but no thanks!"

So the answer is, more than regretting not not taking a role, I feel good that I've turned down roles for the right reasons. taking a role, I feel good that I've turned down roles for the right reasons.

With Leslie Nielsen in Chance of a Lifetime. Chance of a Lifetime.

PHOTO BY ALICE S. HALL/MPTVIMAGES.COM.

OLD FRIENDS, NEW STORIES.

It's always a joy to know your castmates.

I've known Carl Reiner for years. Lately, he's been appearing on Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland as a guest star in a recurring role-my character's boyfriend, no less. as a guest star in a recurring role-my character's boyfriend, no less.

Carl Reiner and Allen were in the Army together in World War II in the Pacific. I met Carl one night years later, when Allen had all the guys from his outfit over to our house. There was Mort Lindsey and Howie Morris and Harry David and Carl. No wives were invited. So I fixed a couple of big ca.s.seroles for the fellas and took the dogs upstairs to the bedroom. I wasn't allowed downstairs-it was one of those guys' nights out.

Carl recently told me, "I wouldn't have a career without Captain Ludden."

I had no idea what he was talking about, and said so.

Carl told me about this entertainment group Allen was in, called the Army Entertainment Section. Carl had written some material and stood up one night in front of the guys and read it.

Allen said, "You've got to do more of that."

Maurice Evans was also in the outfit, so Allen got Maurice to take the material to a producer, and Carl was off and running. He continued to be a writer but also went on to become one of our great comedians. It took a Shakespearean actor and a game-show host to make it happen in the beginning, but Carl took it from there.

Today, every so often, Carl will say to me, "Wouldn't Allen get a kick out of this if he were here-seeing us working together?"

I don't tell Carl, but I think Allen is is getting a kick out of it, because he's never very far from me. Ever. getting a kick out of it, because he's never very far from me. Ever.

With Carl Reiner on the set of Hot in Cleveland. Hot in Cleveland.

TV LAND/THE KOBAL COLLECTION.

THE RED CARPET.

Several times throughout this opus, I mention how much I love this business I'm in. And I mean every word of it.

But for all the things I enjoy about it, if ever I'm asked if there's something I don't don't like, the answer is a resounding like, the answer is a resounding Yes Yes.

Red-carpet events.

Don't get me wrong. When I'm at home watching television, I love seeing who's there and what they're wearing. But when you're the walkee, it can be an absolute nightmare.

In real life, you step out of the car and immediately you're struck blind and deaf as you're greeted by a line of photographers armed with flash cameras and microphone-wielding television reporters, three deep, all shouting at you.

Betty!

Betty!

Over here!

Betty, look here!

Look up, Betty!

Mrs. Ludden! (They know that will get my attention!) With all the flas.h.i.+ng lights and the noise, you tend to lose your balance. All of a sudden, you're staggering and you're sure people are thinking, Oh, she's had a few! Oh, she's had a few!

The lights are glaring and the noise is horrendous, but you try to be as polite as possible, because these aren't villains, they're just people trying to do their jobs.

Sometimes the function has somebody who takes you down the carpet. For instance, TV Land will send someone if the four of us are doing the event. But always, I also have Jeff walking behind me, at the edge of the media zone, off the red carpet. Riding shotgun, which I need.

Historically, premieres have always had these red-carpet events. But the process has taken on new proportions of late. Every event has a system of protocol, and the number of stars and reporters and photographers and media outlets just seems to grow and grow.

It feels like everyone's there with a microphone. And I know a lot of them-we do interviews all through the year. So as you're stumbling around, you're trying to talk to all sorts of different people. Usually a representative from the project (whatever project it may be) guides you to various reporters along the way-likely, they mix and match us along the way, to be fair to all the outlets. But you can't really hear what they're saying, given all the noise, so you just keep talking and hope you're making some kind of sense. It's all seat-of-the-pants.

You can't resent it-it's a necessary evil to promote a project. It's a hazard one just has to get over.

It's not my favorite part of my job. Have you noticed?

I would rather go to the dentist for a root ca.n.a.l.

The TV Land folks threw me an eighty-ninth birthday party. Here I am with the girls from Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland.... The red carpet is a lot better with friends!

D DIPASUPIL/FILMMAGIC.COM.

With Malin Akerman, Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock, Anne Fletcher, and Mary Steenburgen on the set of The Proposal The Proposal.

PHOTOFEST/WALT DISNEY PICTURES.

THE PROPOSAL.

Doing movies is different but interesting.

One thing in particular struck me about being on the set of The Proposal The Proposal-what a joy it was to work with Sandra Bullock.

Here's this big movie star, and there wasn't anything "movie star" about her at all. She was just as down-toearth as she could be. We became great and dear friends. Still are. The same goes for Ryan Reynolds.

Anne Fletcher, the movie's wonderful director, had been a ch.o.r.eographer originally. We all got relaxed and silly with one another, so she wouldn't just walk onto the set-she'd do a ballet leap onto the set, saying, "The director is here!"

In one of the scenes in the movie, Sandra and I are dancing around a bonfire.

On that day of filming, we'd been working all day, but we had to finish that night, because we were moving locations the next day. It was three o'clock in the morning, and I had to sing this blinking Eskimo song in order to shoot the scene.

First I had to learn it. And Eskimo makes no sense. I don't know how Eskimos communicate! But I learned it. G.o.d knows what I was really saying.

And then it came time to dance around the fire.

Anne just turned us loose-told us to do whatever we felt like doing. And Sandra's such a good sport. So just about the time we started moving around ...

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The rain started, and it kept getting harder and harder.

Now, we had to finish this scene! We were leaving the site the next day. So they put up a canvas on four big poles to keep us dry. But the rain continued-harder and harder.

I've said before I love my profession, and I do. At three o'clock in the morning in the rain, you'd better love it a lot lot.

With Sandra-a scene in The Proposal The Proposal.

2009 TOUCHSTONE PICTURES/PHOTO BY KERRY HAYES/MPTVIMAGES.COM.

THE LOST VALENTINE.

For the Hallmark movie The Lost Valentine The Lost Valentine with Jennifer Love Hewitt, we shot in this pretty little house in Atlanta in a lovely neighborhood. Across the street was a low wall, and behind it was this big gra.s.sy lawn. with Jennifer Love Hewitt, we shot in this pretty little house in Atlanta in a lovely neighborhood. Across the street was a low wall, and behind it was this big gra.s.sy lawn.

All the neighbors knew that I was working there, so they all brought their dogs.

We'd look across the street from the set, and they'd all be lined up-owners and dogs, sitting on the wall.

Between scenes, I'd go across the street to say h.e.l.lo and get to know all the dogs.

There was this young man, Mitch, hired to escort me around the set, who would go over with me. One day he came in and said, "Betty, there's a Newfoundland out there."

The way he tells it, at the word "Newfoundland," I shot shot out of my chair like a bullet! Why not? I don't get to smooch with a Newfie that often. out of my chair like a bullet! Why not? I don't get to smooch with a Newfie that often.

So I got my dog fix every day.

Now, that's a happy set.

With Jennifer Love Hewitt on the set of the Hallmark movie The Lost Valentine The Lost Valentine.

HALLMARK/THE KOBAL COLLECTION.

LETTERS.

INTERVIEWS (REDFORD).

It is a real privilege to have been working in this business for so long, but there are a few built-in hazards-some of which can't be avoided. Interviews, for example. There is no way to even estimate the number of them I have done over the years-we must be in the millions by now. This means I have answered the same questions, told the same anecdotes, wheezed on and on ad infinitum, again and again. The interviewers know the material better than I do, going in-and it's tough to put a fresh spin on it.

A few years ago I was asked one of the standard questions for probably the umpteenth time: "Is there anything you haven't done in your career that you would still like to do?"

Well, I had just seen Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in Out of Africa Out of Africa for the third time, so the answer was automatic: "Yes, Robert Redford." And I was surprised to suddenly find it was true! Ever since, I have realized that that answer fits a variety of situations, and I have used it accordingly. for the third time, so the answer was automatic: "Yes, Robert Redford." And I was surprised to suddenly find it was true! Ever since, I have realized that that answer fits a variety of situations, and I have used it accordingly.

I have never met him. I never want to meet him (I'd be too embarra.s.sed after taking his name in vain so many times). However, what began as a crush on a movie star soon grew into genuine admiration. I became aware of his concern for the environment, his love of and respect for nature, his involvement with The Wilderness Society, and I maintain that the Robert Redford answer works for me in almost any department.

Fast-forward to January 2010. A few days after I had received an unbelievable honor from the Screen Actors Guild, I brought the mail in one morning, as usual, and found the following letter.

Dear Mrs. Ludden:

Robert Redford has asked that I forward his congratulatory note to you on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild.