Buy From Amazon: Golden Girls and other Estell Getty Movies
Estelle Getty (July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008) was an Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning actress (theatre and screen). In her later years, she retired from acting and was battling Lewy Body dementia.
Death of Estelle Getty
On July 22, 2008, at approximately 5:30 a.m. PDT, Getty died in her Hollywood Boulevard home in Los Angeles from natural causes (according to her manager), three days before her 85th birthday.
Each of Getty’s former Golden Girls co-stars reflected on her death: Rue McClanahan told the Associated Press, "Don’t feel sad about her passing. She will always be with us in her crowning achievement, Sophia." Bea Arthur said in a statement, "Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comic duos ever, and I will miss her." Betty White remarked, "The only comfort at this moment is that although Estelle has moved on, Sophia will always be with us."
In honor of Estelle, Lifetime TV, which airs The Golden Girls, announced that it will air ten episodes of the series featuring the best of Sophia on Friday, July 25. Fans can vote for their favorite episode on Lifetime’s website. The winning episode will be aired last in the marathon.
Related Pages: Deaths of Golden Girls Cast
- Rue McClanahan, ‘Golden Girls’, dies from stroke 76 (2010-06-02)
- Golden Girls TV star Bea Arthur dies 86 (2009-04-25)
- FYI: Betty White (88) is alive and well.
* Buy From Amazon: Golden Girls and other Estell Getty Movies
Estelle Getty is the mother
Estelle Getty Biography
Getty was born Estelle Scher. She got her start in the Yiddish theater, and her most important early role was playing Harvey Fierstein’s mother on Broadway in the play Torch Song Trilogy. However, she is best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on the popular 1980s sitcom, The Golden Girls. In it, she played the wise-cracking old Sicilian mother of Dorothy Zbornak, who was the show’s main protagonist, played by Beatrice Arthur. Getty was actually one year younger than Arthur.
She was married to Arthur Gettleman (from whose name she adapted her stage name) from 1946 until his death in 2004. Getty had two grown sons: Carl Gettleman, who lives in California, and Barry Gettleman, who lives in Florida.
She wrote her autobiography, with Steve Delsohn, titled If I Knew Then, What I Know Now. . .So What? (Contemporary Books, 1988).
In 1991 Estelle Getty opened her heart to her nephew, Steven Scher (age 29), who was in the final stages of AIDS and near death in 1991. With Steve’s parents living in England and his friends no longer able to care for him in Greensboro, North Carolina, Estelle had Steve flown out to California where she admitted him to hospice care. Steve died in January 1992. An extensive account of her act of charity was published in STAR Magazine.
In 2000, she stopped making public appearances after revealing that she had Parkinson’s Disease and osteoporosis. In 2002, it was revealed to the media that she was also suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. It was later discovered that she actually had Lewy Body Dementia, and both the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diagnoses were incorrect. In 2003, there was a Golden Girls reunion hosted on the Lifetime television network but Getty did not appear in it due to her failing health.
Awards
Emmy Awards
1992 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
1991 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
1990 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
1989 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
1988 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Won)
1987 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
1986 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
Golden Globe Awards
1991 – Actress In A Supporting Role – Series, Mini-Series Or Television Movie – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
1986 – Actress In A Leading Role – Musical Or Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Won)
1985 – Actress In A Leading Role – Musical Or Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)