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Steve Martin was “elated” the first time he met Betty White.

The ‘Only Murders in the Building’ actor – who first met the ‘Golden Girls’ legend almost 50 years ago – shared a sweet anecdote as he paid tribute in the run up to her 100th birthday on January 17th.

The 76-year-old comedian wrote on Twitter: “In 1974, I was an obscure opening act for Linda Ronstadt at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Passing through the lobby before the show, I saw Betty White and her husband Allen Ludden waiting in line.”

In another tweet, the ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ star gushed about how much he “loved” the iconic actress – who featured in the 1970s classic sitcom ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and her own programme ‘The Betty White Show’ – and how he was “elated” she and Allen had come to see him.

He tweeted: “I loved Betty White, so I went up to them: ‘I’m so honored to meet you both.’ And then I said, ‘Isn’t Linda great?’

“She said, ‘We came to see you.’ I said, ‘Why?’ ‘Because we heard you were funny.’ I was elated.”

He’s not the only celebrity to wish the ‘Hot in Cleveland’ actress – who has worked in Hollywood since the 1940s and was inducted to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1995 – an early birthday.

Ryan Reynolds – who Betty collaborated with on the 2009 romantic comedy ‘The Proposal’ alongside Sandra Bullock – revealed he has been an admirer of her’s “for as long as I can remember” and opined about her comic timing.

The 45-year-old actor added: “I heard that scripts for Golden Girls were only 35 pages, which makes sense because so many of the laughs come from Betty simply looking at her castmates.”

Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, he joked Betty is “a typical Capricorn” as she “sleeps all day” and is “out all night boozing and snacking on men.”

Responding to his words, she joked to the publication: “I’ve heard Ryan can’t get over his thing for me but Robert Redford is The One.”