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Inside Betty White’s 97th Birthday Party: Poker and ‘Waiting for Robert Redford to Call’ (Exclusive)

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Betty WhiteEric McCandless/ABC

Better than ever! Betty White is doing fabulously well on her 97th birthday.

“Betty is feeing great,” the Emmy winner’s rep exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, January 17, the beloved star’s birthday, adding that the actress “still loves to work and offers keep coming in.”

Related: Betty White’s Best Moments

When she’s not acting, White enjoys hanging out with close pals. “In [the] evening, Betty is playing poker with friends that she has played with for decades,” the Golden Girls alum’s rep added to Us. As for her birthday wish? “[Betty is] waiting for Robert Redford to call!”

The iconic actress hasn’t slowed down with age. In September 2018, she received a standing ovation while being honored at the Emmy Awards.

 

Related: Funniest Female Stars in Hollywood

“Thank you. I’m just gonna quit while I’m ahead,” she teased. “Little did I dream that I would be here and it’s incredible that I’m still in this business, that you’re putting up with me. I’m thanking you. It’s incredible that you can stay with a career this long and still have people put up with you. I wish they did that at home!”

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A beaming Betty White looks happy and healthy as she runs errands the day before her 97th birthday. Coleman-Rayner

White spoke about her successful career and good health in an interview with Parade magazine in January 2018. “I know it sounds corny, but I try to see the funny side and the upside, not the downside,” the Proposal star said at the time. “I get bored with people who complain about this or that. It’s such a waste of time. Enjoy life. Accentuate the positive, not the negative. It sounds so trite, but a lot of people will pick out something to complain about, rather than say, ‘Hey, that was great!’ It’s not hard to find great stuff if you look.”

Related: Stars and Their Celebrity Crushes: Meryl Streep and Will Ferrell, Emma Watson and Tom Felton, and More!

The Hot in Cleveland alum shared her advice for up-and-coming actors too: “Do your work, learn your lines and come in prepared. Don’t think you can win it, because you can’t. We’re in show business, which is fun, but take your business seriously, because it is a serious business.”

White has worked with the best in the business, but she added to Parade that her dream costar is 82-year-old Redford. “That could be a very good idea,” she gushed.

Reporting by Brody Brown

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