Betty White: A Celebration, a movie special celebrating the life of Betty White, will feature the beloved star’s final on-screen appearance.
Producers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein told The Hollywood Reporter that special, which will debut in theaters for one day only on January 17, includes an interview that the Golden Girls star gave 11 days before her death.
‘Betty shot a tribute to her fans on Dec. 20, which will be in the film,’ Boettcher told the media outlet.
Her words: Betty White: A Celebration, a movie special celebrating the life of Betty White, will feature the beloved star’s final on-screen appearance; seen in 2005
He continued, ‘It was her idea to do this. She said, “I want my fans to know this.”’
‘We’ve been asked to share it. We’ve been asked to put it on social media. The only place we thought was right was putting it in the film and sharing it with her friends, family and fans who are going to be there.’
The comedy legend passed away on December 31 due to natural causes.
Tribute: Producers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein told The Hollywood Reporter that special, which will debut in theaters for one day only on January 17, includes an interview that the Golden Girls star gave 11 days before her death.
Boettcher and Trinklein shared details about her final interview, which they say she ‘ad-libbed’ without a script or teleprompter.
‘It was Dec. 20, in her home. Betty loved getting glammed up, as she called it,’ Boettcher said.
‘The dress, the hair, the look — she just loved that. It’s probably about a minute or two long clip of just her looking directly in the camera as the graciously fun, warm Betty.’
He continued, ‘She thanks all her fans over the years and for being out on the 17th to see the film. It’s just got that twinkle that’s Betty. The great thing about it is that she didn’t read it off the teleprompter or have a script.
‘She ad-libbed it, and that’s Betty to the very end. She’s spontaneous and has the wherewithal to go with it and do it live. She was so good at that. You can’t watch it for the first time and help but get goosebumps when you hear her. It’s just very, very sweet.’
Icon: Boettcher and Trinklein shared details about her final interview, which they say she ‘ad-libbed’ without a script or teleprompter. Seen in 2010
While Betty did not actively work on the special, the producers said she provided them with a list of ‘near and dear’ people that she said would be ‘perfect’ for them to interview.
Ryan Reynolds, Valerie Bertinelli, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Carol Burnett and Georgia Engel were among the stars that Betty included on the list.
‘The list goes on,’ Boettcher said. ‘All these people were really close to Betty.
‘We thought that instead of just doing people she met at an awards banquet one time, we’d find people who were close to her life.’
Near and dear: Ryan Reynolds (pictured here with Betty in 2010), Valerie Bertinelli, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Carol Burnett and Georgia Engel were among the stars that Betty recommended for interviews
The filmmakers told THR that they also sought interviews from past and present members of her team, including her executive assistant and first agent from her days on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
‘Everyone we asked to participate and be interviewed agreed,’ Trinklein added. ‘No one gave it a second thought. Everyone was very gracious — when they heard about the project and Betty’s support for the project, they quickly wanted to be a part of it.’
The movie will also feature clips from the TV icon’s dramatic roles and early career including a lost episode of the 1957 sitcom Date with the Angels starring a young Betty.
Early days: The movie will also feature clips from the TV icon’s dramatic roles and early career including a lost episode of the 1957 sitcom Date with the Angels starring a young Betty. Seen in 1957
Boettcher and Trinklein explained how they made adjustments to the film, originally titled Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration, after the star’s sudden passing just shy of turning 100.
‘The film was already done and distributed to theaters, and we pulled it back,’ Boettcher said. ‘The first thing we did was sit down and talk with our team and Betty’s team — should we just cancel?
‘Betty’s team pushed us on, like, “No, she would want this. Go forward. Go with this.” So that was the big decision that had been made that weekend. Then on Monday, we just started reshaping the film to reflect the news that had happened.
‘But we still kept that tone of celebration and everything Betty would want to do with it. We also retitled the film.’
Changes: Boettcher and Trinklein explained how they made adjustments to the film, originally titled Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration, after the star’s sudden passing just shy of turning 100. Seen in 1987
He continued, ‘The original beginning of the film was A-list stars wishing Betty a happy birthday and jointly singing ‘Happy Birthday.’
‘We had to scrap all the A-list stars. It was like a five to seven-minute-long sequence. We had interview clips that we put in there that we had done that was, “Someday Betty will pass. What are your thoughts when that happens?”
‘Then Betty’s important message to her fans is what the film starts with. That was the crowning jewel at the beginning of the film.’
The producers weighed in the film potentially providing Betty’s final word to her friends and fans.
Boettcher said, ‘We humbly sit in this seat of privilege to be able to do this project and have the breadth of the majority of her career, really, that she’s given us and shared with us.
‘I think the film radiates Betty’s heart, humor, and happiness. You can’t help but smile when you hear her name or see her on-screen. As we all know, Betty’s kind of a rascal, a troublemaker. I remember going places with her filming, and she would always say, “Oh, here’s Steven and Mike. They’ve been embedded with me for the last 10 years.” Then she would wink-wink. It was always her way of being playful and fun, and I think the film reflects that.’
Legacy: The producers weighed in the film potentially providing Betty’s final word to her friends and fans. Pictured in 2012
Trinklein added, ‘On one hand, I want to say we’re not the final word because the final word plays out every single day when you can enjoy her work on various television shows.
‘At the same time, it is sort of the final encapsulation that she participated in. As Steve mentioned, she was part of the process for a long time, so it is a lot of responsibility.
‘But I think we handle that. Yes, there’s a tribute at the beginning, and everyone takes that somber moment to reflect, but then we kick back into what Betty would have wanted, which is the fun and joy and spontaneity of her life. I feel really good. This is a celebration of what she really was about.’