Estelle Getty Dies at 84

[Jenn! 918]

Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' dies at 84

By BOB THOMAS – 42 minutes ago

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.

When she auditioned, Getty was appearing on stage in Hollywood as the carping Jewish mother in Harvey Fierstein's play "Torch Song Trilogy." In her early 60s, she flunked her "Golden Girls" test twice because it was believed she didn't look old enough to play 80.

"I could understand that," she told an interviewer a year after the show debuted. "I walk fast, I move fast, I talk fast."

She came prepared for the third audition, however, wearing dowdy clothes and telling an NBC makeup artist, "To you this is just a job. To me it's my entire career down the toilet unless you make me look 80." The artist did, Getty got the job and won two Emmys.

It culminated a long struggle for success during which Getty worked low-paying office jobs to help support her family while she tried to make it as a stage actress.

"I knew I could be seduced by success in another field, so I'd say, 'Don't promote me, please,'" she recalled.

She also appeared in small parts in a handful of films and TV movies during that time, including "Tootsie," "Deadly Force" and "Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story."

After her success in "The Golden Girls," other roles came her way. She played Cher's mother in "Mask," Sylvester Stallone's in "Stop or My Mom Will Shoot" and Barry Manilow's in the TV film "Copacabana." Other credits included "Mannequin" and "Stuart Little" (as the voice of Grandma Estelle).

"The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992, was an immediate hit, and Sophia, who began as a minor character, soon evolved into a major one.

Audiences particularly loved the verbal zingers Getty would hurl at the other three. When McClanahan's libidinous character Blanche once complained that her life was an open book, Sophia shot back, "Your life's an open blouse."

Getty had gained a knack for one-liners in her late teens when she did standup comedy at a Catskills hotel. Female comedians were rare in those days, however, and she bombed.

Undeterred, she continued to pursue a career in entertainment, and while her parents were encouraging, her father also insisted that she learn office skills so she would have something to fall back on.

Born Estelle Scher to Polish immigrants in New York, Getty fell in love with theater when she saw a vaudeville show at age 4.

She married New York businessman Arthur Gettleman (the source of her stage name) in 1947, and they had two sons, Carl and Barry. The marriage prevailed despite her long absences on the road and in "The Golden Girls."

Getty was evasive about her height, acknowledging only that she was "under 5 feet and under 100 pounds."

In addition to her son Carl, Getty is survived by son Barry Gettleman, of Miami; a brother, David Scher of London; and a sister, Rosilyn Howard of Las Vegas.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTMkQDO...CD_7FwD92321300

Edited July 22, 2008 by Jenn!

[LoriLawless 0]

I just saw that.

[Jenn! 918]

Yes, very sad.

Sophia is one of the all-time best TV characters.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Golden Girls was not show I could get into, but nevertheless...may she rest in peace.

Edited July 22, 2008 by Jabberwocky

[almaty 19]

same here brother stevie..rest in peace

[*JG* 2]

I always thought she was very funny. I'm saddened today.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I never watched that show, but as Steve said...nevertheless may she rest in peace.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

RIP, Ms. Getty

[Savanphil 3]

RIP

[Cassie 8]

I watch GG reruns pretty much every morning before I get out of bed. RIP, Sophia!

Rose: Sophia, why are you in such a bad mood?

Sophia: Excuse me Rose, but I haven't had sex in fifteen years and its starting to get on my nerves.

Stan: Hello Sophia, you're looking younger every day.

Sophia: Hi Stan, and that's a beautiful toupee you're wearing. Great, now we're both liars.

Sophia: Blanche, a terrible thing has happened to you. But when life does something like this, there are a couple of things you got to remember. You got your health, right?

Blanche: Yeah.

Sophia: You can still walk, can't you?

Blanche: That's true.

Sophia: Great, go get me a glass of water.

[Dorothy and Sophia come home after Sophia's best friend's funeral]

Sophia: Well, I guess Phyllis Glutman will be my new best friend.

Dorothy: I thought you hated Phyllis Glutman.

Sophia: I do, but at the rate my friends are going, I won't have to spend too much time with her.

Sophia: When I turn my hearing-aid up to ten, I can hear a canary break wind in Lauderdale!

[Minya's wife 24]

So sad. I love watching GG reruns. She was a funny lady.

-P

[Fandango 1,439]

Awww RIP Estelle...you were class!

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

RIP

[Angel7422 0]

I loved Golden Girls, Sophia was my all-time favorite character. So sad to read that she has died. I loved the one line zingers she'd hurl at the other 3 as well. I still watch the reruns when i can. Just to think out of makeup she was the youngest of the four or so I read.

[wizardfitz 13]

I loved Golden Girls, Sophia was my all-time favorite character. So sad to read that she has died. I loved the one line zingers she'd hurl at the other 3 as well. I still watch the reruns when i can. Just to think out of makeup she was the youngest of the four or so I read.

its to bad she was so good in that role