At 87, Betty White busier than ever

One problem with getting older, Betty White says, is that people assume you've picked up wisdom along with the wrinkles.

"They'll come up to me and ask, 'Could you advise me ...?' on this or that. "I tell them to forget it. It's all I can do to get myself through a day."

White, 87, was chatting from Los Angeles to promote "The Proposal," the new comedy in which she co-stars with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

Bullock plays a ruthless boss for a New York publishing firm who is about to be deported back to her native Canada. Her solution is to force her long-suffering assistant (Reynolds) to marry her, thus providing instant U.S. citizenship.

White, best known for TV's "The Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," plays Reynolds' eccentric grandmother, whom they encounter on a visit to his home in Alaska.

A brief glimpse at White's resume suggests she's working more now than at any time in her career. "It's delightful, isn't it?" she said. "After all these years, they still want me.

"And it's not like I'm out there looking for work. The scripts just keep coming in. Not that they're all wonderful. But I usually can find something that sounds interesting.

"The first time I read the script for 'The Proposal' I found myself laughing out loud. And when I heard Sandy and Ryan were going to be in it, I figured it was too good to be true."

When actors are starting out, White said, they tend to accept every part offered them.

"You have to if you're going to build a career. But I'm at the point now where there's no use in doing something I'm not going to enjoy."

Making "The Proposal" was highly enjoyable, she said.

"Honestly, it's the most fun I've had on a single project ever. Of course, I haven't seen the movie yet, so I don't know how it came out. But as an older actor I've found it's more important to pick projects I'll enjoy doing. No point in worrying about how the movie or TV show might be accepted. That's out of my hands."

Mostly, White said, she sticks with comedy. It feels better.

"I just enjoy laughter so much. I'm a very positive person, and comedy brings that out. Comedy is instantly gratifying. The film crew tells you if it's working. And I love working in front of a live audience. Theater is fun. What's even better are multiple-camera TV shows where the audience is practically right in your lap. You get an instant review."

White keeps a schedule that would floor actors half her age. Long days don't faze her.

"When you're working on TV they pick you up at 5 a.m. and you often don't get home until after midnight. But if you enjoy what you're doing, you don't mind. If it's something you don't enjoy, then a two-hour workday is too long."

When not on a set, White still has little down time. Her family and her charitable work see to that. "I inherited three of the most wonderful stepchildren in the world. They were 9, 13 and 14 when I married their father, Allen Ludden (who died in 1981). We all get together several times a year. I feel I can brag about them because I didn't actually have them."

She's also an animal activist, though she uses the word "activist" with reservations.

"I prefer to say I'm concerned about animal health and welfare rather than animal activism," White said. "For years I've been associated with the Morris Animal Foundation that develops treatments for animal illnesses."

White says she tries to steer clear of what she calls "animal rightists." "My problem with those people is that they keep pressing all the emotional buttons by showing terrible pictures of abused animals. But when you start talking to them, you often find they don't really know that much about animals. They're just caught up in the emotions of the cause.

"So I guess I've learned at least one bit of wisdom: extremism on either side can push you right off the map."