Screen legend Betty White is getting a lot of love from fans worldwide ahead of her 100th birthday in January. Now, Steve Martin has joined the celebration by sharing the story of what happened on the night he met Betty White nearly five decades ago. At the time, Martin was still fairly unknown when he approached White at a show and was "elated" to discover she was a big fan.
"In 1974, I was an obscure opening act for Linda Ronstadt at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Passing through the lobby before the show, I saw Betty White and her husband Allen Ludden waiting in line," Martin says in the tweet.
In another tweet, the Only Murders in the Building star added, "I loved Betty White, so I went up to them: 'I'm so honored to meet you both.' And then I said, 'Isn't Linda great?' She said, 'We came to see you.' I said, 'Why?' 'Because we heard you were funny.' I was elated."
Other celebrities have also been honoring Betty White in light of her big day coming up in January. This includes Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, who both co-starred with White in the comedy movie The Proposal. For her part, Bullock has always been impressed with White's impeccable comedic timing.
"Timing isn't easy in comedy, because you have to navigate other people's timing," Bullock told People. "Betty pivots like I have never seen, making it look seamless. The rest of us just remain silent and pray we're not cut out of the scene."
"I heard that scripts for Golden Girls were only 35 pages, which makes sense because so many of the laughs come from Betty simply looking at her castmates," added Reynolds, who says he's been a huge fan of White's for "as long as I can remember."
White will officially turn 100 on Jan. 17. In honor of the occasion, Fathom Events will host a theatrical celebration for White. Dubbed Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration, the celebration will include appearances from many of White's friends and co-stars sharing their memories of the actress along with highlighting some of the work from her career.
The synopsis reads: "Betty White invites you to her 100th birthday celebration event. The party for America’s sweetheart includes her star-studded cast of friends including Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel- Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendy Malick, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. You’ll experience Betty's funniest moments on The Golden Girls, hosting SNL, Hot in Cleveland, The Proposal, The Mary Tyler Moore Show—and a lost episode from Betty’s very first sitcom. Plus Betty reveals inside stories of her amazing life and career."
As for Steve Martin, the actor is currently filming the second season of the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building. The show, which also stars Martin Short and Selena Gomez, has been very well received by viewers. You can watch the series on Hulu, where Betty White's series The Golden Palace will start streaming on Jan. 10, 2021.