R.I.P. Sophia
Estelle Getty died at the age of 84 early this morning at 5:34 AM at her home in Los Angeles. Getty, one of The Golden Girls, played Sophia on the show. Sophia was the feisty mother with a wise-cracking sharp tongue. She played the mother of Dorothy [Bea Arthur]. The award winning The Golden Girls ran for 7 seasons from 1985 to 1992 and is still revered by many today as one of the best comedy sitcoms of all time.
The cast on the popular show were; Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Beatrice Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak, Betty White as Rose Nylund and Rue McClanahan as Blanch Devereaux. Though Getty played Dorothy’s mother, she was one year younger than Beatrice Arthur and Betty White.
Some of Sophia’s sharp one-liners were originally written for Coco, the live-in gay cook played by Charles Levin, who was feature in the show’s pilot. After the pilot executives were concerned about having a gay character on the show and dropped him. As a result it was Sohpia that was quickly written in as a replacement. She quickly became the favorite of the show.
Getty hasn’t been well for several years, she also suffered from Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disease. She was at home with family when she passed. We will miss you girl!
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[...] Lika Starr wrote an interesting post today on Estelle Getty Dies At 84 – RIP Sophia Of The Golden Girls. Here’s a quick excerpt: [...]
[...] People magazine reported Saturday afternoon that Bea Arthur had died peacefully in her sleep. The actress had been suffering from cancer for some time. Arthur was best known for role as Dorothy Zbornak in the hit 80’s TV sitcom, The Golden Girls. She shared the spotlight equally with her costars Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty who died last July. [...]