'Golden Girls' Actress Estelle Getty Dies At 84

'Golden Girls' Actress Estelle Getty Dies At 84

LOS ANGELES - Estelle Getty, the Emmy-winning actress best known for her role on "Golden Girls," died Tuesday at her Los Angeles home after years of battling Lewy Body dementia, a neurological disease. She was 84.

"Sadly today ... at 5:35 a.m. Pacific Time, we said our last goodbyes to our little friend Estelle, who passed away and made her journey to the great beyond," her caregiver, Paul Chapdelaine, wrote on Getty's Web site.
Story continues below ↓advertisement

During a "Golden Girls" reunion in 2004, her fellow actresses announced that Getty was ill. Lewy Body dementia has symptoms similar to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Funeral plans were pending.

The 4-foot-10-inch Getty got her start playing the "Borscht Belt," but she took a break to raise a family. She returned to the stage and came to prominence on Broadway, playing Harvey Fierstein's mother in "Torch Song Trilogy." When the show came to Los Angeles in 1985, Getty was cast in "Golden Girls" at age 62, according to a biography.

Getty played Sophia Spirelli Petrillo-Weinstock, Bea Arthur's loopy mother, though she was actually slightly younger. She won a supporting actress Emmy for that role in 1988.

Her film debut was in 1978's "Team-Mates" and she had small roles in the hits "Tootsie" and "Mask."

Born Estel Scher in New York City, she would have turned 85 on Friday.

Getty is survived by two sons, Carl and Barry Gettleman. Her late husband, Arthur Gettleman, died in 2004.

And it doesn't even mention 'Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot' in her credits.

I actually liked Golden Girls as a kid, is that werid? RIP Estelle.

-HECK!

Not weird. Weird is me having the first 3 seasons on DVD.

One episode in season 2 has a young George Clooney.

That cracked me up dude.

I think there was a SNL sketch about these dudes being in a Golden Girls club or something.

You know, Estelle Getty was the youngest of the group. I saw Betty White on the new Pyramid game show. She looked pretty old, but still with it.

Clooney was on Facts Of Life also, wasn't he? I know he was on Roseanne. The 80's sitcom whore that he is.

-HECK!

That is until he got his big break playing the least interesting/most wooden character in ER.

I didn't know Estelle Getty was the youngest, but I knew her age was comparable to the rest of the group.

Betty White still cracks me up. She was the funniest thing about that Bringing Down The House movie with Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, and her erotic audio book reading on Family Guy last year or the year before... classic!

She has been able to poke fun at herself, squash that Rose persona. I can dig it. It's like Cloris Leachman doing Beerfest.

-HECK!

Who the fudge is Cloris Leachman?

And what a stupid name that is.

Older lady, longtime actress. Young Frankenstein?

IMDB it, sucker.

-HECK!

What? You think I just have time to look every little thing up on IMDB?

Ah who am I kidding, of course I do...

Ah, Frau in Young Frankenstein. Got it.

I was in tears when I saw this on the news. I loved Estelle Getty. I still watch Golden Girls, a lot. It's one of my favorite shows... even if it's old. I crack up at the one liners between the ladies, and it doesn't matter if I've already seen that particular episode a dozen times before. It's still funny.

RIP Estelle. You were an amazing entertainer, and you will be missed.

I still like Golden Girls, I'm not quite in the "bought the DVD" league (sorry Grant), but I watch the re-runs on TV whenever they're on.

I read that one TV station in the US is doing a 10-hour Golden Girls marathon as a tribute and viewers can vote on their favourite Estelle epsiode which will be played last. That's kind of cool, but I don't know if I could watch 10 hours straight of Golden Girls (or any show for that matter)

In my defense, they're bootlegged Chinese DVDs. Cost about 20 US bucks for 3 seasons.

I could sooooooooooooooo watch ten hours of the GG's. Same with I Love Lucy. Classic shows.

Golden Girls worked in its time. Same with The Cosby Show. Those sitcoms wouldn't work today.

And as a 10 year old kid, what the hell was I doing watching old ladies talk shit to each other each week?

-HECK!

Well, as far as I'm concerned... The Golden Girls DOES work today. If it didn't, it wouldn't be in daily syndication. Yes, I know that you mean on main stream tv stations. Still, it works for me. Keeps me happy. I'd rather watch those older shows than most of the crap that fills our channels now-a-days. All these crap reality shows, and regular shows filled with disgusting crap/topics/acting, etc...

The fact it's syndicated doesn't neccessarily speak to its lasting power. Wings is syndicated, too. That show was utter shit.

And in 2008, a sitcom featuring four elderly, widowed and/or divorced woman living together in a house would never work.

We're all but done with the era of standard studio audience sitcoms. There are only a few left. Two And A Half Men is one of the last ones.

-HECK!

I agree, some old shows are still great.

Fresh Prince is still cool. M*A*S*H rocks!

I love the Golden Girls. I was so sad when I heard that she had passed away. Now there is all the bad blood about the other girls not showing up to her funeral. Bea Arthur said she just couldn't face going and saying goodbye like that. Rue is or had knee surgery and can't fly. Betty sent flowers, but said she said her goodbyes years ago while Estelle was able to still know her.

Damn, Estelle really made that show. I watch it still.

I can't stand MASH. My dad would watch it when I was a kid. The music would send chills down my spine. I'd run from the room screaming.

I think Three's Company music has the same effect on my folks. I loved that show. They couldn't stand it.

Speaking of Three's Company, that is one I can still watch.

-HECK!

HECK! wrote:

We're all but done with the era of standard studio audience sitcoms. There are only a few left. Two And A Half Men is one of the last ones.

-HECK!

I would watch Charlie Sheen do ANYTHING. I don't care what this topic is about. You brought it up and opened the door and I'm running thru. Gawd. I'd watch him watch paint dry. I'd like to body paint him. Ummmm...what was the subject of this thread again?

Heck can't stand M*A*S*H