Betty White Talks About Her Passions, Her Role in The Lorax, and How to Make the Most Out of Life

She has a list of accomplishments that include seven Emmy Awards and her iconic role as Rose on The Golden Girls.  She is an actress, comedian, singer, author, and television personality…a legend.  So when I asked Betty White what she has accomplished that she is most proud of, my admiration of her was taken up a notch as she cited her work with the Morris Animal Foundation.  For over 50 years, White has worked with the Los Angeles Zoo and the foundation, which funds humane studies for animal specific health problems. At one point, she recognized the fact that nobody was addressing pain in animals.  White utilized the funding from one of her commercials to initiate research on alleviating pain in animals.  According to White, “[there isn’t] a scientific study that Morris Animal Foundation funds–and they fund hundreds–that doesn’t have pain medication built into the research.  And I think I’m happiest about that.”

So how did I end up speaking with a woman so legendary…so accomplished…so beloved in the world of film and television? A few weeks ago, Universal Pictures invited a group of bloggers to screen and participate in roundtable interviews with some of the talent and filmmakers of the soon-to-be released 3D animated film, The Lorax.  If you’ve read my review, then you know how much I enjoyed the film and how excited I am to share it’s incredible message about the importance of environmental responsibility with my children.

In the film, White voices the “sassy and energetic” Grammy Norma, a character not originally in Dr. Seuss’ original book but one that is a favorite of Audrey Geisel (the wife of Dr. Seuss and executive producer of the film).  Grammy Norma is the one who tells 12-year-old Ted (Zac Effron) to visit the Once-ler, explaining what he should do when he arrives.  Her character is integral to ensuring the Truffula Tree seed is found and kept safe. White was approached to voice Grammy Norma, and believed in the film’s “great message to kids about appreciating trees.” The film possess all of the things that she believes in and loves.

Perhaps what people love most about Betty White is her comedic personality.  I don’t have that innate ability to come up with one-liners on the spot, yet at 90, she’s incredibly sharp and witty.  Even as a child, she would sit together with her mother and father at the dinner table, and while they would enjoy times of silliness and fun, they would also talk seriously.  White recalls that “those moments at the dinner and breakfast tables went a long way [towards] teaching me how to appreciate the positives as opposed to the negatives.”

Having interviewed and participated in a number of roundtables, I’ve come to understand how very different it is to voice a character in an animated film versus playing a traditional character.  Actresses like Betty White record alone, which obviously has both it’s benefits and it’s challenges.  When asked about her experience, she recalls feeling a bit silly because “they ask you to make all these weird noises and…you’re sitting there by yourself and you feel rather ridiculous.” “But, somehow, pretty soon, you get into it, and then you get into the beautiful visual thing that it is, as well as the Dr. Seuss’ loveliness.”  When asked what her favorite part of the The Lorax was, she stated, “the beautiful colors and celebrating and caring about the environment, which is one of my big, big, big things.”  I hope everybody else loves it as much as those of us involved in it.

From my encounter with Betty White, I find her beauty to radiate from the inside out.  It was an incredible honor to have a few moments with her.  I’ll leave you with her advice on making the most out of life…

“…if you don’t appreciate something as it’s happening, if you look back and say, oh, gee, that was a great time, I didn’t realize it at the time, you’ve missed it.  …everything isn’t sweetness and light.  You get some bad times, too.
But, by appreciating and celebrating the good stuff, you can handle the bad stuff better.”

The Lorax, which stars Betty White as Grammy Norma, opens in theaters nationwide on March 2nd, which would have been Dr. Seuss’ 108th birthday.

PS: You still have time to enter to win a fabulous prize pack which includes some fun movie-themed items and a $50 Fandango GC so you can see the film when it opens this weekend.

No compensation was received for this post.  I was invited to The Lorax Press Junket, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.

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