The Cast of The Golden Girls.

Navigation: Main page

Author: Martindale, David

Where Are They Now?

It amazes and delights Rue McClanahan every time: how kids today can't seem to get enough of The Golden Girls, the sitcom in which she starred with Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, and Estelle Getty. "You wouldn't expect so many young people to relate to a show with four old broads living together," McClanahan says. "But teenagers and young children are always coming up to me and saying how they love it."

The Golden Girls (from left): Betty White (Rose), Rue McClanahan (Blanche), Bea Arthur (Dorothy), and Estelle Getty (Sophia)

The reason it manages to bust age barriers? "Because funny is funny," White says, "no matter whether you're young or old."

The Golden Girls (1985-92) was funny, all right. It won "Outstanding Comedy" Emmys in '86 and '87. And all four stars were named Best Actress (White in '86, McClanahan in '87, Arthur in '88) or Best Supporting Actress (Getty in '88). Each cast member had a successful career outside The Golden Girls, but now they' re forever thought of as a unit and McClanahan notes she's frequently asked how the other "girls" are doing.

McClanahan (who played Blanche, the man-hungry Southern belle) lives in New York with sixth husband Morrow Wilson. Turning 68 this month, with one grown son, she's still acting (a recent highlight was her 2001-02 Broadway run in The Women). Since battling breast cancer in '97, she's a passionate spokesperson for breast cancer awareness.

Arthur (who played Dorothy, the outspoken divorcee lives in Los Angeles. Now 79, she's twice divorced, with two grown sons. She's earned rave reviews for her onewoman stage show (...And Then There's Bea), which toured the country before opening on Broadway in 2002. She's also an outspoken AIDS activist.

White (who played Rose, the naive widow) lives in L.A. Widowed since the 1981 death of Allen Ludden, she's still acting (especially memorable in the 1999 movie Lake Placid). Now 80, she's also a tireless activist on behalf of animals.

Getty, 79 (who played Sophia, Dorothy's salty-talking mom), lives in L.A. with longtime husband Arthur Gettleman (they have two sons). She retired in 2000 after revealing she has Parkinson's disease.

PHOTO (COLOR): White, 2002

PHOTO (COLOR): McClanehan, 2001

PHOTO (COLOR): Arthur, 2002

PHOTO (COLOR): Getty, 1999

~~~~~~~~

By David Martindale