Betty White had 'sweet' last word, former co-star says

Betty White is being remembered by both her fans and colleagues.

Actress Vicki Lawrence spoke out following the beloved TV icon’s death, sharing memories of what it was like working with her late friend. The two co-starred on “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Mama’s Family.”

“Well, you didn’t really work with her — you just had a good time. Carol called it ‘playing in the sandbox,’ and I think that’s exactly what it was,” Lawrence recalled to Page Six. 

“Betty was just the perfect playmate,” Lawrence added. “And I have to say this, she was incredibly professional. I don’t remember her ever not being prepared or ever messing up her lines.”

BETTY WHITE’S ‘CRUSH’ ROBERT REDFORD HONORS LATE ACTRESS FOLLOWING HER DEATH AT AGE 99

The actress also touched on how White was loved by generations of fans. 

Betty White is being remembered by both her fans and colleagues. The late star is pictured here with Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence.

Betty White is being remembered by both her fans and colleagues. The late star is pictured here with Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence.
(Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

“Show business can be so disappointing when you meet people, but Betty was such a lovely lady, and I loved hearing her talk about early, early Hollywood,” Lawrence said. “I was reading the other day, when she first started on television, there were only a thousand people in LA that had a TV. Like, holy s—, that’s just insane! 

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“I feel like our No. 1 television historian has just left us, you know? For her to reach that many generations, and be just as adored every generation, [is incredible],” she noted.

In addition to her incredible work on-camera, Lawrence shared that White was hilarious when they weren’t filming as well. 

“Oh God, she was so bawdy! She was such a naughty girl,” Lawrence told the outlet. “She had such a raunchy sense of humor.”

Pictured: (l-r) Betty White as Ellen Harper Jackson, Vicki Lawrence as Thelma 'Mama' Crowley Harper, Rue McClanahan as Aunt Fran Crowley.

Pictured: (l-r) Betty White as Ellen Harper Jackson, Vicki Lawrence as Thelma ‘Mama’ Crowley Harper, Rue McClanahan as Aunt Fran Crowley.
(Ron Tom/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Lawrence also remembered the moment she learned of the news and how she reached out to Burnett.

“I texted Carol and said, ‘This just sucks. I hate this. It’s just horrible to see the people you love so much go away,’” Lawrence said. “Carol wrote back and said, ‘I know, I know. I spoke to Betty’s assistant, who was with her when she passed, and she said the very last word out of her mouth was ‘Allen,'” Lawrence reportedly claimed to Page Six, referencing White’s late husband Allen Ludden.

Allen Ludden and White were married from 1963 until his death in 1981.

Allen Ludden and White were married from 1963 until his death in 1981.
(Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

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Lawrence added: “How sweet is that? I said, ‘That is so sweet. God, I hope that’s true. For all of us, I really hope it’s true, a lovely thought.’”

Ludden and White were married from 1963 until his death in 1981.

White died at age 99 on Friday of “natural causes,” her longtime rep and friend Jeff Witjas said.

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