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"Some parts stay with me for weeks afterward. It's these people that I play. They get under my skin and I just can't let go of them. I have immersed myself into their lives and into their beings so much that they feel like a part of me." Few actresses can lay claim to the extraordinary and enduring success of American actress Cloris Leachman. Not only has she won more Primetime Emmy Awards than any other actor for her comedic work on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Malcolm in the Middle, Leachman also took home an Oscar for her dramatic work in The Last Picture Show. 

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Now in her 90s, the iconic actress is known not only for the impact she's made as one of Hollywood's most cherished actresses, but also for her willingness to speak her mind. Here's a closer look at the rich legacy of Cloris Leachman, including the answer to the oft-asked question: Are she and Betty White really best friends? 

A Star is Born

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Cloris Leachman was born on April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa. Her earliest memory of performing dates back to elementary school. "In third grade, my teacher asked me to read in front of the class. I was so touched because that really was the first acting I had ever done, just reading in front of the class. And I was so amazed with the fulfillment I got from being in front of people," she told the Des Moines Register. 

During her childhood, Leachman took dance lessons and piano. She had her first audition at the age of 11 for a radio show at Drake University. She got there from her rural Iowa home by hopping on the running board of a truck headed in that direction. After Leachman landed the role of the princess on the show, the rest became Hollywood history. 

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While in college at Illinois State University and Northwestern University, Leachman followed her passion for acting by majoring in drama. Her classmates at Northwestern included Patricia Neal, Paul Lynde, and Charlotte Ray. Leachman was also involved in beauty pageants as a young woman and won the title of Miss Chicago 1946 which led to a top 16 finish in the Miss America Pageant. After acting with the Des Moines Playhouse for a bit, she eventually moved to New York.

In 1948, Leachman made her first credited television appearance on an episode of The Ford Theatre House. This led to many other television spots, and eventually to regular status on The Bob & Ray Show. While she largely remained a television actress in her early career, Leachman's movie debut as femme fatale Cristina Bailey in the classic film noir Kiss Me Deadly showcased her versatility while forecasting her future stardom. 

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The Winningest Actor in Emmy History

Leachman became a household name for her role as Phyllis Lindstrom on smash hit, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This led to the spin-off series, Phyllis, on which she had the starring role. Leachman's portrayal of Phyllis received many accolades, including five Emmy Award nominations. Later in her career, she also got Emmy nods for her work on the television movie A Brand New Life and on the hit television show, Malcolm in the Middle. In sum, she has won nine Emmy Awards, making her the winningest actor in Emmy history.

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While Leachman may owe her fame to her comedic roles, she's also been lauded for her dramatic chops. In fact, she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Peter Bogdanovich's 1971 adaptation of Larry McMurtry's The Last Picture Show. Leachman said of receiving this honor, "I'm at a point where I'm free to go out and have a little fun with my career. Some Oscar winners have dropped out of sight, as if they were standing on a trapdoor. Others picked it up and ran with it. I'm going to run with it." 

After working so long as an actress, winning an Oscar in her 40s was especially fulfilling to Leachman, although she did have at least one regret. "I was so surprised the night of the Oscars. I never expected to win … but I sure was glad that I did. I still tell Peter [Bogdanovich, the director] I could have done even better in that last scene in Picture Show, but he didn't want to reshoot it. He used the first take," she has said. 

Leachman also fondly recollects her time playing the role of Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein. "Gene [Wilder] and I laughed all through filming Young Frankenstein. One scene with Frau Blücher on the stairs took 14 takes because Gene was laughing so hard each time. Gene was one-of-a-kind. I miss him," she told the Arizona Daily Sun. 

In addition to her work on television and in film, Leachman has enjoyed a successful stage career. Not one to shy away from trying something new, she also launched her own clothing line, "Cloris," in 2009. 

Speaking of trying something new, Leachman made headlines when she appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2005. "My son became my manager, and he said to me, 'Mom, if you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be?' And out of my mouth immediately came, Dancing with the Stars," explained Leachman of how her reality show stardom came to be. Paired with Corky Ballas, she was the show's oldest contender at the age of 85. 

Leachman was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980. Her tremendous talent also earned her the 23rd spot on the TV Guide Network's roundup of the Funniest Women on TV. 

Which brings us to Betty White. Are the two celebrated actresses really best friends as rumors insist that they are? Not so much, according to Leachman. "I hear from people all the time who think we hang out and talk and go places together, I don't know why. We work together and then we go our own separate ways. My family is who I spend my off-time with," she said. Leachman does lay claim to helping to launch White's career: She suggested her for the star-making role of Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Despite this connection, Leachman wouldn't mind some separation in the public eye. "I wish we weren't joined together all the time. I mean it's not right," she continued.

 At the same time, Leachman admits to envying White's major moment hosting Saturday Night Live. "If Betty did it, then I want to do it. But Betty won't be doing Dancing With the Stars, so what are you going to do?" 

Regardless of the maybe-rivalry between the two amazing women, there's no denying that Leachman's career is one for the record books. Which begs the question. In such a difficult industry, to what does she attribute her six decades of success? Ingenuity. "The reason I am a good actress, I think, is because the times when I didn't have a good part and you think, 'What the hell do you do with it? You have to figure something out," she insists.