Estelle Getty

Estelle Getty
Getty in 1989
Born
Estelle Scher

(1923-07-25)July 25, 1923
DiedJuly 22, 2008(2008-07-22) (aged 84)
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedienne
Years active1940s–2001[1]
Notable workThe Golden Girls
The Golden Palace
Empty Nest
Spouse
Arthur Gettleman
(m. 1947; died 2004)
Children2

Estelle Gettleman (née Scher; July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008), known professionally as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedienne. She was best known for her portrayal of Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls (1985–1992), for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She reprised the role in Empty Nest (1993–1995), The Golden Palace (1992–1993), Blossom (1990–1995), and Nurses (1991–1994).[2] Notable films in which she appeared include Mask (1985), a semibiographical film in which she played the grandmother of Roy L. Dennis, Mannequin (1987), and Stuart Little (1999). She retired from acting in 2001 due to failing health, and died in 2008 from dementia with Lewy bodies.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Goodbye Golden Girl: Comic actress Estelle Getty dies at 84". Haaretz. July 23, 2008. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2021. the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985
  2. ^ "Estelle Getty: Matriarch of 'The Golden Girls'". The Independent. July 24, 2008. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  3. ^ Carlson, Michael (July 24, 2008). "Obituary: Estelle Getty". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 2, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  4. ^ Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' Dies at 84, July 22, 2008, archived from the original on February 4, 2021, retrieved September 30, 2019