Estelle Getty just died...

by ohiocowboy 11 Replies latest social current

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  ohiocowboy

  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_en_tv/obit_getty RIP Sweet Lady....

  Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' dies at age 84

  By BOB THOMAS, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

  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 at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.

  "She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."

  " The Golden Girls ," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.

  Three of its stars had already appeared in previous series: Bea Arthur in "Maude," Betty White in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rue McClanahan in "Mama's Family." The last character to be cast was Sophia Petrillo, the feisty 80-something mother of Arthur's character
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  NewYork44M

  She lived a long and successful life. What more can you ask for?
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  Octarine Prince

  I loved that feisty ol' bitch!!!
  
  I salute her. RIP.
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  ohiocowboy

  It's always sad when someone like that dies because we are raised watching them, and they almost become like family from them being in or homes so much. And then when they find a cause to believe in such as AIDS awareness or Cancer, and devote themselves to that, it makes it more sad, because they loved other people so much.
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  compound complex

  Hi Ohio,

  Thanks for this.

  I read some time back that, prior to GG, Ms. Getty was gainfully employed as a secretary (?) and, consequently, had a car and home. She retained this job through her stints on stage. The oft-times unemployed actors in her entourage always had rides and food because of the little lady's generosity.

  CoCo
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  Velvetann

  She was very funny and a great character actress. I am so sad she is gone, I didn't realize she had dementia, that must be something fairly recent.

  Velvet
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  LovesDubs

  The ever present pocket book. And bottle bottom glasses...she was a peach! Bye Estelle!
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  Casper

  So sad.....

  Cas
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  Frequent_Fader_Miles

  The ever present pocket book. And bottle bottom glasses...she was a peach! Bye Estelle!

  Not to mention the ever-present handbag (even if she was going to the bathroom).

  Golden Girls would have never been the same without her. So sorry she's gone.
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  TrekkerJW

  That's so sad; Estelle Getty was my favourite actress on the show. I always appreciated Sophia's biting sarcasm. I recently got the entire series on DVD for my partner for his birthday, and we watched a bunch of episodes on the weekend. Here are a couple of my favourite Sophia quotes:
  
  * * *
  
  Blanche: I don't really mind Clayton being homosexual, I just don't like him dating men.
  Dorothy: You really haven't grasped the concept of this "gay thing" yet, have you, Blanche?
  Blanche: Well there must be homosexuals who date women.
  Sophia: Yeah. They're called lesbians.
  
  * * *
  
  Sophia: If I met a man who was over seventy but still looked half-way decent, I'd be on my back faster than you could say, "I've fallen and I can't get up!"