Hollywood Icon Betty White Dies Days Ahead of Her 100th Birthday

Betty White at the
Betty White at the "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" film premiere in 2012. Photo by Broadimage/Shutterstock (1620413c)

Betty White, best known for her roles in sitcoms Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, passed away at the age of 99. White established herself as one of comedy’s biggest stars over the course of her eight-decade-long career and many Hollywood stars mourned her loss on New Year’s Eve.

White’s agent Jeff Witjas, confirmed the stars’ passing, telling PEOPLE, “even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever.” She died peacefully at her Los Angeles home just 17 days ahead of what would be her 100th birthday.

Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, Viola Davis, and Robert Redford are only some of the stars who mourned the loss of White on social media. They paid touching tributes to the legendary actress, who won eight Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Grammy Award over the course of her career.

Betty White broke into Hollywood as a game show host and got her big break while starring on The Mary Tyler Moore Show during the 70s. The part of Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls gave her a chance to shine even brighter and she made a comeback with Hot in Cleveland during the 2010s. White will also be remembered as a passionate animal welfare advocate and she worked with a long list of organizations supporting this cause.