HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Estelle Getty, who starred on the long-running television sitcom “The Golden Girls,” died Tuesday morning at her Los Angeles home. She was 84.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Estelle Getty, who starred on the long-running television sitcom “The Golden Girls,” died Tuesday morning at her Los Angeles home. She was 84.
Getty, who played the wise-cracking Sicilian mother of Beatrice Arthur’s character, was actually a year younger than her co-star in real life. Getty won both an Emmy (1988) and a Golden Globe (1986) for her role of Sophia Petrillo on the hit series, which aired from 1985-1992.
“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, Carl Gettleman, told the Associated Press. “She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived.”
In addition to Arthur, Getty starred alongside Betty White and Rue McClanahan on the NBC series.
“The only comfort at this moment is that although Estelle has moved on, Sophia will always be with us,” White wrote in an e-mail to AP.
“Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comic duos ever, and I will miss her,” Arthur said in a statement.
Getty was born in New York and fell in love with the theater at an early age. Her first notable role was playing Harvey Fierstein’s mother in the Broadway play “Torch Song Trilogy.”
Following her “Golden Girls” success, Getty went on to appear as Cher’s mother in “Mask” and as Sylvester Stallone’s interfering parent in “Stop or My Mom Will Shoot.” Other credits including the films “Mannequin” and “Stuart Little” (the voice of Grandma Estelle), and the TV movie “Copacabana.”
Getty was married to Arthur Gettleman (the source of her stage name) from 1947 until his death in 2004. In addition to her son Carl, she is survived by son Barry Gettleman, of Miami; a brother, David Scher of London; and a sister, Rosilyn Howard of Las Vegas.
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