Behind scenes with 'Hot in Cleveland' star Betty White

93-year-old actress to earn Lifetime Achievement Award this weekend

BURBANK, Calif. – American icon Betty White will be given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Daytime Emmy Awards onSunday.  White currently stars in the hit show "Hot in Cleveland," which airs on Channel 4 weeknights at 8 p.m.

News4Jax anchor Mary Baer traveled to the set of the show in Los Angeles earlier this month and had the chance to spend time with the veteran actress and her co-stars and film commercials promoting the show.

White already has five Emmy awards.  Her Hollywood career goes way back and includes her unforgettable role as the sweet and naive Rose Nylund on "Golden Girls." 

White was also a fan-favorite when she played  the flirtatious, witty, even conniving Sue Ann Nivens on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Now the 93-year-old plays the saucy, wise-cracking Elka on "Hot in Cleveland."

Baer is a die-hard fan of the Mary Tyler Moore Show and was so excited to be able to head to the West Coast to meet White and her A-List "Hot in Cleveland" cast.

Bear recalls finding White to be immediately genuine, engaging, charming.  White even winked at her.

IMAGES: Behind the scenes at promo shoot

White's passion for animals is something she and Mary share, and they talked about those on four legs while they sat around the table on the "Hot in Cleveland" set.

White shared stories about her big, golden retriever that waits for her at home.  But her love for all animals is well documented.  White told The Hollywood Reporter that, "I have to keep acting so that I can afford to keep doing my charity work, helping animals in need."

Bear also noticed the incredible bond White has with her co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendy Mallick, who she's been working with on this show since it premiered in 2010.

"Their warmth comes through the screen right at you and you can see how much they love each other underneath the one-liners,  and how much of a good time they're having doing the show," said David LaFountaine Sr. vice president of advertising and promotions for CBS Television Distribution.

LaFountaine says actors and actresses love to guest star on the show, too, because they get to work with Betty White!

The director of the promo shoot with Bear and the cast is wowed by the amount of talent and the number of laughs.

"I did another shoot with Betty and the cast, and they're so amazing actresses," said Rob Lawe, executive producer/creative director with ReelFresh Video Audio Design.

Lawe recalled one specific story with White that really made him laugh.

"We were doing a pr

omo shoot and she had to hold a bowling ball. And she's getting on in her years and we didn't want to make it too heavy, so we had it crafted so that it weighed about a pound. And so when the art department brought it in and gave it to her, she took it in her hands and she went like this: 'Oooh' [she pretends it's heavy and is going to drop it] and then everybody on the set was like [gasps]. And then she was like, 'Ha ha, gotcha!'" Lawe recalled. "So that's what it's like to work with Betty White."