News
Matriarch of Golden Girls, Getty, dies at 84
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: July 23, 2008
LOS ANGELES
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 yesterday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.
"Estelle always wanted to be an actress, and she achieved that goal beyond her dreams," former Golden Girls co-star Rue McClanahan said. "Don't feel sad about her passing. She will always be with us in her crowning achievement, Sophia."
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 that she did not look old enough to play 80.
"I could understand that," she said a year after the show began. "I walk fast, I move fast, I talk fast."
But she came prepared for the third audition, 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, and Getty got the job and won two Emmys.
The Golden Girls culminated a long struggle for success during which Getty worked low-paying office jobs as 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 said.
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 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.
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.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details
ADVERTISEMENT
N.C. Politics
Federal Politics
Relish appears Thursdays in the newspaper. If you'd like to explore our relish content online, you can find it under the Entertainment section.
Advertisement
Reader Comments
Posted by ( eman1970 ) on July 23, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I would like to take this moment to send my condolences to her surviving children and any other family members of the GREAT SOPHIA. I have been watching the GOLDEN GIRLS for about twenty years now and have the full collection and have dreaded this day. I loved Sophia as if she was the grandmother I never had but wish I did. She was an amazing actress who made you believe ever bit of her role as the matriarch of such a fantastic "family"/ cast. She will be so sorely missed. God Bless and may the angels have you 'Sophia'. You ARE an ANGEL.
Report Abuse
Posted by ( luvinLC ) on July 23, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
May E. Getty rest in peace! What is SO fabulous is she is a still a part of my morning & night-twice. yea! lifetime. I can't imagine Golden Girls w/a diff Sophia. We're praying for the family but take comfort in knowing how many lives she touched..still is! God Bless!
Report Abuse