It’s hard to believe it’s been over three decades since the first episode of The Golden Girls aired. Over the years, friends and family members have shared incredible stories and never-before-seen photos with Closer Weekly, shedding light on the groundbreaking show that captured our hearts. From its witty humor to its heartfelt moments, The Golden Girls remains a timeless classic.
The legendary quartet—Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty—starred in 177 episodes, creating a sitcom that was a hit from the very first episode. “It gave the aging population hope,” Rue’s son, Mark Bish, tells Closer. “They were such professionals and the writing was so sharp that they were able to bring real quality to a sitcom. These women were trailblazers in every sense of the word.”
Betty White and Rue McClanahan: Two of the four iconic women who made The Golden Girls unforgettable.
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Behind the Scenes: The Dynamics of the Cast
But behind the laughter and camaraderie on screen, there were some challenges. Betty White once admitted that Bea Arthur wasn’t always the easiest to get along with. “Bea was not that fond of me,” Betty has said. Bea might have been even more irked when Betty became the first cast member to win an Emmy after the first season. “There was joking when Betty came in after that: ‘Oh, boy, it’s going to be rough around here,’” says Jim Colucci, author of the book Golden Girls Forever.
Bea’s son, Matthew Saks, tells Closer that his mom wasn’t trying to be difficult—it was just her nature. “My mom wasn’t really close to anybody. I’m not saying she was a loner, but she just liked to go home and read the paper. She was a private person, and that’s how she rolled.”
Estelle Getty: The beloved Sophia Petrillo, whose character brought both humor and heart to the show.
The Challenges of Casting Older Actresses
There were also challenges that came with casting older actresses. Estelle Getty, a seasoned theater veteran, was used to memorizing a single script, so the ever-changing lines of a weekly sitcom proved to be tough for her. “People wonder if her dementia was beginning, even back then,” says Colucci, referring to the actress, who passed away from Lewy Body dementia in 2008. “Estelle really had a panic about knowing her lines. She’d write them on props, and ask to read from cue cards in the later years.”
Matthew Saks adds, “It was frustrating. It was hard on everybody. But they all had each other’s backs, and that’s what made the show so special. They worked through it because they cared about the show and the legacy they were creating.”
The Golden Girls: A cast that became a second family to millions of viewers.
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The End of an Era
After seven highly rated seasons, it was Bea Arthur who decided it was time to call it quits. But even after 30 years, Rue’s son says there’s nothing that will outshine what they had on screen: “I don’t know if you could ever duplicate that particular chemistry. They were a once-in-a-lifetime group, and their legacy lives on.”
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