Betty White’s Funny Unscripted “Great Herring War” Improv From Golden Girls

After the death of Betty White, there is a lot written and posted in tribute to the amazing actress and comedian, whose career is over seven decades-long. Perhaps White’s most treasured and loved role was Rose, the sweet yet naive Midwestern woman, on the hit TV show, ‘The Golden Girls.’

During a famous episode, White compares the strife between her and co-stars Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur to “The Great Herring War” of her childhood. The silly story gets more and more outlandish, and White apparently improvises, causing McClanahan and Arthur to break character. While both obviously struggled to keep serious faces, there is debate about whether this amazing performance was actually improv.