Estelle Getty of ‘Golden Girls’ Dies at 84

[n2doc]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 22, 2008
Filed at 1:31 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.

Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.

"She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."

"The Golden Girls," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.

Three of its stars had already appeared in previous series: Bea Arthur in "Maude," Betty White in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rue McClanahan in "Mama's Family." The last character to be cast was Sophia Petrillo, the feisty 80-something mother of Arthur's character.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Obit-Getty.html

[terrya]

1. Oh, no. Sad news.

I LOVED "The Golden Girls". Estelle Getty brought so much to the role of Sophia. I can't imagine any other actress in that role.

RIP, Estelle.

:-(

[Recursion]

3. Wasn't she the youngest of the four actresses?

[Contrary1]

7. No, Rue McClanahan (Blanche) is the youngest...

She is 74 now. Bea Arthur is 85, and Betty White is 86.

Damn, I'm getting old.

[countryjake]

10. No, she was only a bit younger than Bea & Betty, basically the same age...

and I think that Rue is only in her mid-seventies now. You should read about how hard it was for Ms. Getty to actually land her role in Golden Girls; she had to use a make-up artist and play "Sophia" throughout the entire interview for the audition. She was turned down several times until she "went into character".

[dflprincess]

6. My mother recently pointed out that she and I have both reached the ages

Dorothy and Sophia were on the show (I find that frightening) - and I've been threatening my mother with "Shady Pines" every since the show was on.

Goodbye, Estelle - and thanks for laughs.

P.S.
Didn't Rue McClanahan play Bea Arthur's neighbor on "Maude"?

[virgdem]

12. Yes she did..

she was Maude's neighbor, married to Arthur the doctor. Hoo boy, you're not the only one getting old.

[libnnc]

2. She was wonderful

I had read somewhere that she had been suffering from severe dementia.


Talented, funny lady.

RIP :-(

[soleft]

5. I thought she suffered from same condition as Dudley Moore

[emilyg]

9. Yes she was. RIP

[no_hypocrisy]

4. "Torch Song Trilogy"

I saw that play on Broadway with her and Harvey Fierstein three times in the Eighties because they were so superlative together.

RIP, Ms. Getty.

[terrya]

16. I wish I had seen her in "Torch Song"

I knew she did the role on Broadway. I only saw the movie with Anne Bancroft in the role as Harvey Fierstein's mother.

[racaulk]

8. RIP, Estelle.

Thank you for all the laughs and for being a champion to the GLBT community. You were an incredible talent and a fantastic lady. You will be missed.

:cry:

[TwilightGardener]

11. Oh no! I loved her on that show! RIP, and thanks for the laughs.

[bdamomma]

13. oh, she was great, she made that whole show.

[flygal]

14. She was loved by all ages

I remember my little niece watching that show laughing at her - she didn't get the jokes but Estelle's portrayal of Sophia was so funny. RIP

[countryjake]

15. I'm sad to hear this news.

Much sympathy for her family and to the other "Girls".

Peace to Estelle.

[hfojvt]

17. She also played a store owner in Mannequin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjMVgZ3aZ8c&feature=related

[jus_the_facts]

18. RIP Estelle...

:(

[Squatch]

19. Thank you for being a friend...

[question everything]

20. Recently they had the other three in some kind of a reunion

on some show - don't remember which one. And it was Betty White who said that Estelle Getty was no longer feeling any pain.

And they showed a clip with Burt Reynolds coming to pick "Sophia" for a date. And he asked her: which one is the slut? And all three, while still in shock, raised their hands.

RIP Estelle.