Broadway veteran Hugh Jackman will be among the star-studded line-up paying tribute to one of the world's most beloved entertainers in BETTY WHITE'S 90th BIRTHDAY: A TRIBUTE TO AMERICA'S GOLDEN GIRL tonight, January 16th from 8-9:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The Tony-award winner has just ended his sold-out engagement 'Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway' at The Broadhurst Theater. He has previously appeared in Keith Huff's 2009 production of 'A Steady Rain' and as the singer-songwriter Peter Allen in 2004's 'The Boy From Oz' for which he received the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actor in a musical as well as Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards.
Jackman will join celebrities Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, Carl Reiner, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Vicki Lawrence, Ellen Degeneres, Ray Romano, Seth Meyers, Tracy Morgan and John O'Hurley in tonight's salute to Betty White.
Previously announced stars paying tribute to the seven-time Emmy winner include White's "Mary Tyler Moore" co-stars Ed Asner, Valerie Harper and Gavin MacLeod, as well as Jay Leno and Amy Poehler. White's "Hot in Cleveland" co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves will also be on hand to deliver birthday wishes along with Joel McHale and William Shatner.
The birthday special, taping at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, will include special musical performances, surprise appearances and comedy, and will feature the irreverent tone, spirit and energy that is the hallmark of White's six-decade career in show business. White will take the stage to share some memories and give thanks to those who've come to honor her.
From her first words on radio in 1947, to her current TV series "Hot in Cleveland," viewers will be taken on an unprecedented journey through White's storied career. Her work on game shows, talk shows, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls" will be featured, along with her performances in movies and commercials. And most importantly, White will be saluted for her favorite role: making the world a better place for animals.
