Betty White appeared on so many television shows throughout her decades-long career, it’s not always easy to remember them all. In fact, “Malcolm in the Middle” fans might have forgotten that White was in the 2004 episode called “Victor’s Other Family,” playing Lois’s stepmother, Sylvia (per IMDb). It reunited White with her former “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” co-star Cloris Leachman, who played Lois’s mom. While the two women weren’t particularly close, they did share a mutual admiration for one another. “I remember when [Betty] was roasted [on Comedy Central],” Leachman explained “I sat across from her and every time someone said something, we looked at each other and just laughed. We know what it’s like to be a woman and work in Hollywood, we’ve been doing it for so long, so I guess that’s why everyone puts us together.”
And White wasn’t the only Golden Girl to show up on “Malcolm in the Middle.” Bea Arthur guest starred on the show’s Season 1 finale in 2000. In the episode called “Water Park,” Arthur played Dewey’s strict babysitter, Mrs. White. According to Fandom, the show’s producers originally wanted Arthur to have a recurring role on the show, but settled on just the 1 episode.
