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 You are here: Infos on Show > Leading Roles

Golden Girls / Golden Palace:
Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan)
Dorothy Zbornak Hollingsworth (Bea Arthur)
Rose Nylund (Betty White)
Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty)
Stanley Zbornak (Herbert Edelman)
Miles Webber/Arnie Peterson (Harold Gould)
Roland Wilson (Don Cheadle)
Chuy Castillos (Cheech Marin)
Oliver Webb (Billy L. Sullivan)

Rue McClanahanRue McClanahan (Eddi-Rue McClanahan)...

Birthday: 21-Feb-1935, Healdton, Oklahoma, USA.
Size: 1,60m (5' 3'')
Rue attended the University of Oklahoma. She was trained to become an actress in New York and at Pasadena Playhouse. She played parts in many films, TV shows, theatre plays and TV commercials.
Rue shares a big house in Los Angeles with her 6th husband Morrow Wilson as well as many cats and dogs. The father of her son Mark is Tom Bish who was her first husband.
Rue is chairwoman (honour) of the PETA organization (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals): "Cruelty is one fashion statement we can all do without. (...) Compassion is the foundation of everything positive, everything good. If you carry the power of compassion to the marketplace and the dinner table, you can make your life really count."
But Rue also acts. She accompanies protest marches such as the "March for the Animals" in Washington, D.C. Rue made the other Golden Girls refusing to wear real fur and to become vegetarians. Rue execrates crowded homes for animals. She stands up for more human conditions and asks people to adopt animals to relieve their distress.
Rue McClanahan suffered from breast cancer but she was lucky to defeat it.


...as Blanche Devereaux:
Religion: Southern Baptist
Blanche Devereaux (her maiden name is Hollingsworth) is a pointed and sexobsessed Lady from Atlanta, the Traditional South. She works at a Museum and has had more than 143 men in her life (according to her own statement). When her husband George was still alive, Blanche used to take a more conventional way of life... Blanche's purpose in life are: "Men, men, men..." George died when he was hit by a wrong-way driver.

Rue on Blanche:
"The part of Rose was ninety percent mine. But I'd played that role before, I wanted to be Blanche. I knew immediately how to play her, the attitude, body language, her mannerisms and accent. I connected with her straight away. I wanted it so badly."

Blanche Devereaux
Fan-Mail (as of June 2006):
Rue McClanahan
c/o Chris Reed
1185 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10036-2602
Home


Bea ArthurBeatrice Arthur (Bernice Frankel)...
Birthday: 13-May-1922, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Size: 1,77m (5' 9.5'')
Bea loves playing at the theatre. That's why she regularly returns to the theatre. Bea prefers playing on Broadway.
Her husband Gene Saks left her and their two little sons Matthew and Danny behind after 29 years of marriage.
Bea shys away from the public: "My problem is my size. People expect me to be in charge because I am so tall. I look the part. On stage I'm absolutely omnipotent but really I'm neurotically shy."
She lives a reclusive live in California and shares her house merely with dogs and books. Nevertheless, she gets involved in several charities.


...as Dorothy Zbornak Hollingsworth:
Religion: Roman-Catholic
Dorothy Zbornak (her maiden name is Petrillo) is a frustrated substitute teacher. She was left by her husband Stan after 38 years of marriage. 65-year-old Stan met stewardess Chrissy on a flight to Maui and fell in love with her.
Stan knocked Dorothy up at high school when she still was a 17-year-old minor girl. It's Dorothy's destiny to get annoyed each time Rose tries to tell another of her infamous "St. Olaf" stories.

Dorothy Zbornak Hollingsworth
Fan-Mail (as of June 2006):
Bea Arthur
2000 Old Ranch Road
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Home


Betty WhiteBetty White (Elisabeth Betty White, Betty Marion White)...
Birthday: 17-Jan-1922, Oak Park, Illinois, USA.
Size: ?
Betty can proudly look back on more than 40 years in the TV business.
Betty is the step mother of the three sons of her 3rd, deceased husband Allen Ludden. The loss of her husband was pretty painful. She had to copy with matters they were used to do together. An experience which was essential for the role of Rose: "You have to learn new stuff - open new doors. You've got to keep your sense of humour or you're lost." Rose never ever loses her positive attitude, although she is very often the center of unintended attention. And this is no different with Betty.
Betty stands up very much for animals. For example, her book"Betty White's Pet Love" examines the therapeutical use of animals on human beings.


...as Rose Nylund:
Religion: Lutheran
Rose Nylund (her maiden name is Lindstrøm) is a warm-hearted, ingenuous yokel from the village St. Olaf, Minnesota. She was adopted by Gunnar and Alma Nylund because her biological father is a monk. Her biggest feebleness is to take everything much too literally. She happily lived with her husband Charlie for 32 years. Charlie died because of a heart attack in their double bed... For a long time she worked at a Medical Care Center to help other people. When she is dismissed she continues her work voluntarily, but also works at a local TV-Station. Rose's most infamous sentence starts with: "In my home town St. Olaf..."

Betty on Rose:
"No matter how good a performance you give, you can't be that funny if it isn't on the page."

Betty White
Fan-Mail (as of June 2006):
Betty White
PO Box 491965
Los Angeles, CA 90049-8965
Home



Estelle GettyEstelle Getty...
Birthday: 25-Jul-1923, New York, New York, USA.
Deathday: 22-Jul-2008, in her mansion in Los Angeles, California, USA (at 5:35 a.m. Pacific Time).
Size: 1,45m (4' 9'')
Estelle can proudly look back on more than 50 years in the TV business.
Estelle has two sons (Carl and Barry) with her longtime husband Arthur Gettleman, who is residing in Florida, while she lives in Hollywood. This way of life emerged for both as a really good decision.
Like Sophia, Estelle had to accept many deep hits. She is also familiar with budgeting. She prefers sticking to proven remedy instead of splendours.
"The Golden Girls do things which our mother's wouldn't even have thought about. I use every possibility to throw a verbal bomb into our common living-room", Estelle reports. In real life Estelle is about two decades younger than "Sophia". It's a challenge for her make-up artists....
Estelle stands up for social weak persons. She knows about discrimination because of her size. Her autobiography"If I Knew Then What I Know Know - So What" was succesfully sold.


...as Sophia Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock:
Religion: Roman-Catholic
Sophia Petrillo is Dorothy's Sicilian mother. In 1920 Sophia and her second husband Salvadore (Sal) emigrated to Brooklyn. Sophia had cancelled her marriage with Guildo Spirelli shortly before. (Guildo Spirello was Sophia's unwanted but promised husband.) After Sal's death 22 years ago Dorothy pushed Sophia off and put her in a home. The day Sophia's home "Shady Pines" burned down the 80-year-old lady decided to live with Dorothy. Sophia's most famous sentence starts with: "Picture it, Sicily 19xx..."

Estelle on Sophia:
"I know this lady I'm playing. She's partly me and partly my imagination, but she's an original and that's what I've been playing all my life, original characters. (...) Don't allow people to say 'You're old, you can't do this.' You can do anything you want to."

Estelle Getty
Fan-Mail:
In spring 2000 Estelle Getty came out about her fight with Parkinson's disease. ESTELLE WILL NO LONGER BE SIGNING ANY AUTOGRAPHS! Any requests sent to her managers' at G.L.W.G. & Assoc. will be returned. Additionally, any requests sent to her personal address will be returned. She has sold her house in Los Angeles and has moved to a condominium nearby. Estelle's illness is progressing greatly, unfortunately, and this is the main reason why.

Bea Arthur said there were signs of dementia back when they were still doing the show. "We should have known something was wrong right from the beginning because she had terrible trouble retaining her lines," she told ET (19-Nov-2004). Click here to read the full interview titled "A 'Golden Girl's Tragic Battle with Dementia". Update: Estelle Getty has passed away on July 22, 2008 after a long illness. Rest in peace, Estelle!
Home



Herbert EdelmanHerbert Edelman (Herb Edleman)...
Birthday: 05-Nov-1933, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Deathday: 21-Jul-1996, Woodland Hills, California, USA.
Size: 1,96m (6' 5'')

...as Stanley Zbornak:
Stanley Zbornak is Dorothy's former husband. They've spent more than 38 years together.

Fan-Mail:
Herbert Edelman died on 21-Jul-1996 from lung cancer.
Home



Harold GouldHarold Gould (Harold V. Goldstein)...
Birthday: 10-Dec-1923, Schenectady, New York, USA.
Size: ?
Harold Gould received the Ph.D. in acting and he teaches pronunciation and drama at Cornell University. Harold appeared in several TV shows, usually playing a father, grand-father or another authority person.

...as Miles Webber/Arnie Peterson:
Miles Webber is the companion through a long section of Rose's life.

Professor Hastings (Sesame Street)
For comparison only: Professor Hastings from Sesame Street

Fan-Mail:
Harold Gould
603 Ocean Ave. 4 East
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Home



Don CheadleDon Cheadle...
Birthday: 29-Nov-1964, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Size: 1,74m (5' 8.5'')

...as Roland Wilson:
Roland Wilson shares his work as a receptionist at Golden Palace hotel with Blanche.

Fan-Mail:
Don Cheadle
13428 Maxell Avenue #476
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Home



Cheech MarinCheech Marin (Richard Marin)...
Birthday: 13-Jul-1946, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Size: 1,68m (5' 6'')
The first name "Cheech" is derived from "chicharron", a spicy grilled pork snack.

...as Chuy Castillos:
Chuy Castillos and Sophia are the chefs at the Golden Palace.

Fan-Mail:
Cheech Marin
c/o Creative Artists Agency
9830 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Home



Billy L. SullivanBilly L. Sullivan...
Birthday: 24-May-1980, Long Island, New York, USA.
Size: ?
In 1996 Oliver could be seen in a commercial for McDonald's.

...as Oliver Webb:
Oliver Webb works temporarily as a general dogsbody at the Golden Palace.

Fan-Mail:
N/A
Home

 
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