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Chicagoans will get the chance to honor Betty White on what would have been her 100th birthday this month. Betty White: A Celebration is set for January 17, coming to movie theaters across the country.
White died on New Years Eve at age 99, just a few weeks before her centennial celebration. “Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” White's close friend and agent Jeff Witjas previously confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”
Fans and former colleagues have taken to social media to share sweet tributes and memories with the iconic star, including Ryan Reynolds, Valerie Bertinelli, Joe Jonas, Viola Davis and others. White was best known for Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hot in Cleveland and many other beloved projects.
Those highlights of her career — which spanned more than eight decades — and many others will be featured in Betty White: A Celebration. Reynolds, Bertinelli, Carol Burnett, Jennifer Love Hewitt and others offer tributes. The film will also include clips from White’s final interview. Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein, who produced Betty White: 100 Years Young, said in a statement, in part:
“Our hearts mourn today with the passing of Betty White. During the many years we worked with her, we developed a great love and admiration for Betty as a person, and as an accomplished entertainer. We are thankful for the many decades of delight she brought to everyone. Betty always said she was the "luckiest broad on two feet” to have had a career as long as she did. And honestly, we were the lucky ones to have had her for so long.”
In addition to the Betty White: A Celebration, Illinoisans will honor White in her hometown. Oak Park, Illinois will recognize “Betty White Day” on January 17.
Find participating movie theaters and show times here.