Ad Age: So let's talk about how in demand you are these days. It really is a testament to how much of a hot commodity you've become all over again.
Ms. White: Oh, it's just ridiculous. But I really am having a wonderful time. Fortunately I'm blessed with good health and good energy. I might as well relax and enjoy it.
Ad Age: So what is your energy source these days? I think a lot of people were amazed just to see you on "Saturday Night Live," in every sketch, always on, doing all sorts of things.
Ms. White: I gotta tell you, that was the scariest thing I've ever done. It was really funny stuff, but it was a challenge. I almost divorced my agent over it. I said, "No way!" He said, "You've gotta do it." And once I got there, everybody couldn't have been more supportive or more wonderful to work with. But once it was over it was, "Ahhhh!" [mimes falling off a cliff].
Ad Age: What was the biggest challenge being on that set with all those veteran performers like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler?
Ms. White: What worried me the most about being on the set is I can't really read cue cards. I memorize everything. Well, you can't memorize those lines because they change it so often, even on the show they change it in the middle of sketches. But the cue-card man was a genius. Wally, he made me special cards, and said, "Stick with the cards." But when I'm talking to Tina Fey you can't really do that -- you wanna look right in her eyes. And then they'd drag you backstage in a closet about as big as this chair and rip all your clothes off and somebody's putting makeup on and somebody's putting a wig on you and somebody's calling you from onstage, "Where's Betty?"
Ad Age: You've done several ad campaigns in recent years, including 1-800-Pet-Meds, Snickers and a recent partnership with the Sleep Better campaign. What are your criteria when working with advertisers?
Ms. White: Well I've always done ads for brands I actually use—that's how you build loyalty. I mean, Snickers—I've been eating them for years and years. But the mini versions, so I don't feel like I'm eating the whole bar, you know? Until I eat seven or eight of them, of course.
Ad Age: It's been really fascinating to watch how social media and Facebook have had a major role in your comeback. Is the joke you made on "Saturday Night Live" true—did you really not know what Facebook was before the campaign?
Ms. White: Oh, I didn't have a clue! But that's just my own stupidity. But then all of a sudden all this stuff was happening as a result.
Ad Age: So what is your daily interaction with technology? Do you have a computer or an iPhone?
Ms. White: I don't, but I have a secretary who does that stuff, and an agent who manages all my work. I get so much mail that if I click a button at 4 a.m. it terrifies me that I'll mess everything up.
Ad Age: I won't ask what buttons you're pushing at 4 a.m. But you know there's a campaign to get you to host the Oscars now?
Ms. White: Oh, no!
Ad Age: "Oh no" as in you hadn't heard of the campaign?
Ms. White: "Oh, no" in every way! Like I said, I almost divorced my agent because of "Saturday Night Live," I couldn't think of doing something like that again.
Ad Age: You have five Emmys, and Sandra Bullock just honored you with a lifetime-achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. At this stage in your career, do you have any goals or milestones left to conquer?
Ms. White: Oh, heavens no. I just feel like the luckiest old broad to have been doing this for 62, almost 63 years now [knocks on wooden director's chair].
Ad Age: Are there any comedians you admire or would like to see carry on your legacy?
Ms. White: Well, if we're talking about my generation, of course, my peers and "The Golden Girls." But from the younger generation, I really think Sandra Bullock really has great comedic talent. She's just terrific. And I don't think she's hosted "Saturday Night Live." She should have a campaign!
Ad Age: Can we count on you to start that on Facebook?
Ms. White: Oh, sure. Just tell me how to use it.