Betty White Turns 90 — And Has Been Awesomely Acting Her Age For 30 years

Michelle Obama isn’t the only awesome role model with a birthday today–January 17 is also the day when, 90 years ago, the world was blessed with the sassy, beautiful Betty White. The former Golden Girl and recent cult hero may have recently become popular with the younger crowd, but it’s not because she’s putting on airs about her own age. White has been proudly defying aging stereotypes for much of her long career, and, most recently, embracing the realities of getting older by working with AARP. She’s a new kind of role model, both for her impressive career and her inspirational acceptance of aging.

At 90 years old, White’s not trying to fool anyone by pretending to be anything other than what she is. But that’s not anything new for her…which is actually kind of new for Hollywood. Consider much younger actors (like 51-year-old Melissa Leo), who have already been vocal about their struggles to land realistic roles without the assistance of plastic surgery. And yet, White’s been anteing up to her age for decades.

White was just 63 when she landed the role that really made her a household name: Rose on Golden Girls. Which may seem like an age-appropriate role (it was a show about divorced retirees, after all), but, just for contrast, 63 is how old Olivia Newton-John, Samuel L. Jackson, Bernadette Peters, and Steven Tyler all are now. And yet, White wasn’t nipping and tucking and trying to play a 40-year-old single mom–she was playing up her white hair, and proudly acting the part of a pal and a confidante to millions of viewers. In a world where revealing your age is enough to file a lawsuit over, that’s a pretty brave and commendable decision.

And while White is a pretty great public figure for today’s young people, who have grown up in an anti-aging world, she’s also doing great work for folks of her own generation. A proud spokesperson for AARP, White’s campaign for the association–called “Get Over It“–is marked by her signature honesty and wit about the subject of aging. And they couldn’t have picked a more influential figure. According to Reuters, White’s popularity among the elderly is uncontested–she’s cited as the most popular role model for retirees and those who are soon to retire. Which indicates that, despite our collective obsession with youth, a woman like White, who’s frank and upfront about her age (and about her dalliances with cosmetic surgery), is still more admirable than those who desperately try to outrun nature’s will.

Betty White isn’t just a hero because she’s a funny and awesome older person. A celebrated television personality for more than 50 years, White’s long and diverse career makes her an inspirational icon. And her consistent acceptance of her real age shows that, even in a youth-obsessed culture, honesty and candor still go a long way.

Images: Parade and AARP