Arthur's son, Matthew Saks, said that her decision to leaveThe Golden Girlswasn't a very complicated one, and that while she did appear on The Golden Palacelater, she was reluctant to do so. Elaine Stritchauditioned for Dorothy Zbornak and almost got the role. The set wasn't big enough for all four characters to sit side by side, and producers and directors didn't want any ofThe Golden Girlsto have their backs to the camera, which is why one of them often sat on a stool near the table. Gettleman said Tony Thomas, a former executive producer of "The Golden Girls," did attend the funeral. The world will always remember McClanahan as one of the most famous names of the '80s. (Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press) 5 / 7. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Jasmine Tookes, Juan David Borrero announce birth of baby girl. Getty, who came from a prominent theatre background, unexpectedly struggled to memorize her scripts for the weekly series. McClanahan developed and sold her own lingerie line called A Touch of Rue, which was sold on QVCand inspired by her adventurous and sultry character. Rue McClanahan, one of the other Golden Girls, has also talked about their different acting styles in the past. While Betty White was beloved by all of America, it has now shockingly been revealed that her former "The Golden Girls" co-stars Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan previously slammed her as a "f***ing c***!". During their short relationship, the couple had one son named Mark. The family of Rue McClanahan, who portrayed Blanche Devereaux on "The Golden Girls," sat down with CNN to talk about her work on the show, how she got her start and shared funny memories of the . McClanahan is originally from Oklahoma, and producers originally had her keep her natural accent to play Blanche in the pilot. She added, "It was the most excitingWe all began to look at each other because there wasn't any first reading feeling about it. She came and did one episode, though. Was estranged (in 2009) from her sixth husband, She was a lifelong liberal Democrat. 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Ironically, McClanahan was the one who convinced Arthur to take the role, which she had been reluctant to play. ", Related: Here's What the FamousGolden GirlsHouse Actually Looks Like Inside. The actress who played her, Rue McClanahan, was 51 when the series began, making her the only Golden Girls actress whose real-life age more or less corresponded with her character's. | Everything you need to know about 'The Golden Girls' cast, including how old they were in the show vs real life. The stroke made it difficult for McClanahan to speak and move parts of her body, although she retained her ability to understand what was being said to her. A girl alone in the world, has got to keep a firm hold on her emotions or she'll be lost! Mark Bish. In the mid-nineties, McClanahan was diagnosed with cancer, but was able to fight it successfully. RELATED:Golden Girls: 5 Reasons It's A Classic ( & 5 Reasons It's Aged Poorly). She was Jewish, New York funny. That's for two reasons: One, while the characters' ages on the series seemed fairly clear-cutBlanche, Rose and Dorothy were in their mid-50s, while Sophia was Dorothy's widowed, elderly motherthe actual ages of the actresses playing them were completely different. . Jay Sandrich, who was our director for most of theMary Tyler Mooreshows, said, 'If Betty plays another nymphomaniac they are going to think it is Sue Ann Nivens all over again.' However, in real life, the actress who portrayed Sophia, Estelle Getty, was just 62, making her one year younger than her onscreen daughter! 69 on the Writers Guild of America's list of100 Best-Written TV Series of All Time. Learn about the cast: Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan and Betty White. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. After her second marriage broke up, she went to New York, and started doing films. "She had an awful time remembering her lines because she would freeze and panic," she said. Saturday Night LivealumCheri Oteriwas attached to the project, which was to be about a group of aging gay men living together in Palm Springs, California, inspired by the classic seriesand there was even a one-line role in the works for White. McClanahan did not shy away from describing her interest in men and the many affairs she had. Fans would all agree this was the right choice. For two years (1982 - 1984), she played "Aunt Fran" on Mama's Family (1983) until her character was killed off and she joined the cast of Golden Girls. They thought it was real life," she said. Despite Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia always bonding over the creamy dessert, in real life, Arthur was not a fan of cheesecake at all. Look at the facts, Blanche is a man-crazy, glamorous, extremely sexy, successful with men Southern belle from Atlanta, Georgia, and I'm not from Atlanta! Coco disappeared from most of the pilot and from the rest of the show, though The Golden Girlsdid still have a lot of progressive episodes centered around LGBTQ+ issues, including the AIDS crisis. She got a facelift in between Season 2 and Season 3, driving the makeup team into a tizzy. "She was very dependent on keeping everything as it always had been, and I was anything but that. . Another set insider saw the relationship a little differently. I don't know why Betty and Bea didn't go, maybe because they, too, have said their goodbyes to her when she was alive," McClanahan said. Simply put, Bea was a little more serious while acting, where Betty liked to joke around and flirt with the audience. "She seems to slum down in her chair and really get into character. Compassion is the foundation of everything positive, everything good. She once remarked that she believed that living with people was sinful unless married to the person. All four of the women won Emmy Awards for their roles. ", "She took care of me the Thanksgiving my mother died the first year ofMaude," McClanahan recalled. Blanche was free and fun-loving, and every fan wanted to be friends with her as she was also loyal, caring, and gave great advice. Blanche never tells anyone her real age, even having it erased from her records. Fans who pay close attention can tell Blanche's accent seems to change, becoming more southern, throughout the series. The "Dorothy bashing" was one of the reasons Arthur would ultimately exit the series. Stage fright was an understatement when it came to Getty. The incomparable Betty White was the eldest, elitist daughter, Ellen. Despite any drama off camera, the women were convincing as four friends who would do anything for one another. She wouldn't go to lunch [with me] unless Betty [White] would go with her," McClanahan said. Rebecca and Janet, Blanche's daughters, were the only two to ever make an appearance on the show, the other three never bothered to visit their mother. The Emmy-winning actress lived in the single-story . In the series' first run, Rue McClanahan played Mama's sister Fran Crowley, who eventually chokes on a toothpick at the Bigger Jigger. What does Blanche mean by a girl alone in the world? 1 in ratings on its opening night in 1985 and stayed in the top 10 for six seasons, winning several awards. Rue McClanahan got married to Morris Wilson in 1997. Fans never questioned what Blanche said about style, as she always looked stunning. Rue with her son Mark and her first husband Tom, about 30 years after the divorce. See Rue McClanahan full list of movies and tv shows from their career. Although the women will forever be linked to their famous characters, McClanahan admits that they couldn't be more different from their Golden Girls personas. They were married for seven years before they divorced in 1971. Kayla enjoys TV shows and movies of all genres, and loves digging deep into the themes and meanings of shows and movies. They loved it. Getty herself once explained that death wasn't her only no-go, noting, "I have a thing about gratuitous pain. Rue McClanahan children. That year, Bea Arthur, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan were all nominated for the award, but when Rue's name was called, her loving and supportive co-stars cheered the loudest for her. I heard from Bea and she said, 'I'm having Thanksgiving dinner and you come over here immediately.' LOS ANGELES, July 25 (UPI) -- Estelle Getty's son, Carl Gettleman, said Getty's former co-stars from "The Golden Girls" did not attend her funeral in Los Angeles Thursday. 'The Golden Girls' Rue McClanahan didn't think Blanche Devereaux was a slut Blanche's love life was a central focus of The Golden Girls . She just thought it was time to leave the show," he said. Matter of fact, she had portrayed Grandma Estelle in the 1999 American family CGI comedy film, Stuart Little which grossed $300.1 Million on the box office and was made with a total budget of $105 Million -$133 Million. The divorce was a bitter experience for McClanahan, and she sued Fisher for half of what he earned during their time together. Apr 6, 2017, 02:47 PM EDT. Health and death . Childhood & Early Life. So, she'll always be with us in that way," Wilson said after her death. Their union lasted two years. McClanahan shared with the audience that Arthur took one of her long pauses, looked at McClanahan's husband, and said, "I love Rue! March 3 (UPI) -- John Cena, Awkwafina and Simu Liu have signed on to star in director Paul Feig's action-comedy "Grand Death Lotto" for Amazon Studios. She added that self-love had to be made a priority for one to gain fulfillment. Why would you make fun of somebody who's fat or who's cross-eyed or who's bald? March 3 (UPI) -- Model Jasmine Tookes and her husband, Snapchat executive Juan David Borrero, have announced that they welcomed a baby girl last month. The story goes: Maude discovers that Vivan has had a facelift and decides to get one herself. NEXT:Golden Girls: Every Season Finale, Ranked. Betty White and Bea Arthur seemed to be a match made in heaven on their hit show, Golden Girls.The two ladies starred alongside Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty in the hit written by Susan Harris .