Summary

• Betty White's film career spanned decades, showcasing her versatility in genres from rom-coms to animated classics like Ponyo.
• Her role in films like "Hard Rain" and "The Proposal" highlighted White's ability to deliver both comedic and dramatic performances.
• White's voice work in films like "The Lorax" and "Toy Story 4" cemented her status as an entertainment icon beloved by audiences of all ages.

With a career that lasted more than 80 years, Betty White was the most recognizable elderly woman showbusiness had ever seen and was a mainstay of popular culture for generations. While White was best known as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls and for her many television appearances, she also had an impressive film career with memorable roles in animated movies, comedies, and dramas. A true icon of the entertainment industry, White was beloved by viewers of all ages and continued to appear in movies until shortly before she passed away in 2021 at the age of 99.

White’s film career dated as far back as 1945, and in the era of black-and-white movies, she starred alongside screen legends such as Henry Fonda and Charles Laughton. Following her major television success during the 1980s, White started taking on more film roles and proved her skill as a comedian as well as her lesser-seen amazing dramatic skill. While White was often typecast as an elderly lady in grandmother roles, she frequently subverted these parts by delivering hilarious and memorable performances that solidified White’s reputation as an icon of popular culture.

10 Hard Rain (1998)

Betty White as Doreen Sears

It’s incredible to see how many genres Betty White has worked within, and that’s why it was such a treat to see her show up in the action thriller Hard Rain. As a heist story set during a major natural disaster, Hard Rain followed an Indiana gang who tried to pull off a three-million-dollar robbery while their town was being evacuated due to major flooding and intense storms. Jim (Morgan Freeman) and Tom (Christian Slater) played the armored truck driver uncle and nephew caught in the middle trying to protect the money without losing their lives in the storm.

White gave a committed performance as a staunch older lady who refused to play into stereotypes of a meek and helpless senior citizen.

Betty White played the elderly resident Doreen Sears, who, along with her husband Henry, refused to evacuate and were desperately trying to protect their property from the storm and thieves. Although it was only a minor role, White gave a committed performance as a staunch older lady who refused to play into stereotypes of a meek and helpless senior citizen in this special effects-filled financial flop. Despite White’s performance, Hard Rain was derided by critics and grossed just $19.9 million (via Box Office Mojo) against its $70 million budget.

9 The Lorax (2012)

Betty White as Grammy Norma

Betty White was a true entertainment icon, and her voice was just as recognizable as her image, which can be seen through her many acclaimed voice roles in movies like The Lorax. Based on the beloved children’s book by Dr. Seuss, The Lorax was a powerful environmentalist tale about 12-year-old Ted on a quest to find a real tree to impress the girl of his dreams; however, along the way, he discovered the story of the Lorax. While The Lorax delivered solid family entertainment, some of the simple morality of Seuss’s story was lost through its over-the-top animation style.

White gave a memorable supporting performance as Ted’s wise-cracking grandmother, Grammy Norma, who helped add humor to this zany environmental allegory about the devastating consequences of industrialism. However, unlike DeVito as the Lorax, White only voiced her character in the English language version. With an impressive level of commitment, DeVito rerecorded his dialogue for the Russian, German, Italian, Catalan/Valencian, Castilian Spanish, and Latin-Spanish dub editions of The Lorax.

8 The Story Of Us (1999)

Betty White as Lillian Jordan