Bea Arthur wasn’t afraid to stand up for her co-stars on the set of the Golden Girls.
That’s what her longtime personal assistant Dan Watt recently claimed at The Golden Girls Insiders Show in Southern California.
Watt, along with Estelle Getty’s longtime personal assistant Richard Weaver and The Golden Girls makeup artist Art Harding shared some behind-the-scenes secrets in the show that they are hoping to take on the road. Including the fact that Arthur knew one director needed to be replaced — and she stood up and said something.
Golden Girls stars Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo; Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak; Betty White as Rose Nylund; Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux
Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo; Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak; Betty White as Rose Nylund; Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux
The ‘Golden Girls’ didn’t always get along
For seven seasons, Arthur, Getty, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White starred as Dorothy Zbornak, Sophia Petrillo, Blanche Devereaux, and Rose Nylund on NBC’s Golden Girls. They were a group of single, older women living together in Miami, Florida. And the actors who played those iconic characters came into the series with extensive resumes featuring both TV and stage roles.
Harding recently told Closer Magazine that sometimes the stars of the Golden Girls didn’t get along. But, no matter what the problems were among the cast, “there were no divas.”
“There were some tough relationships, but they were always professional on the set. They always knew their lines, and they were always ready to roll,” Harding said.
Watt noted that on most days, Arthur, McClanahan, and White would eat lunch together and rehearse. However, “Estelle preferred to go to her trailer to study her lines.” Weaver revealed that Getty suffered greatly from stage fright and would often struggle to remember her lines.
“There was an insecure part of Estelle because she was up against these powerhouse veterans,” Weaver said. “Bea told me there were times that she would go to Estelle’s dressing room and help calm her down. That’s when Bea became the mother figure in their relationship.”
Bea Arthur knew 1 director needed to be replaced — ‘shouldn’t a comedy director be funny?’
Watt says that despite his boss’ commanding presence, Arthur was actually quite shy in real life and “hated talking about herself.” However, the Maude alum was vocal when she needed to be.
Arthur’s former assistant recalled a time when a director was hired for an episode of Golden Girls who the four actresses thought was a bad fit for the show, and it was Arthur who actually stood up and said something.
“She had the chutzpah to speak up and share everyone’s view. She walked over and said, ‘Shouldn’t a comedy director be funny? I’m going to lunch now,” Watts shared, adding that the director was replaced the next day.
The ‘Golden Girls’ star was generous to her co-stars, and called Estelle Getty ‘Ma’
Weaver recalled that Arthur was quite generous to her co-stars. When McClanahan was struggling after her divorce, Arthur sent her plane tickets and invited her to stay with her. And, knowing that White was a big-time animal lover, she had a seeing-eye dog trained in her name as a Christmas gift.
However, Arthur’s closest relationship was with the woman who played her on-screen mother. Arthur was actually a few months older than Getty in real life, but she still called her “ma.” And, she continued to do so for the rest of her life.
“They picked the best people to do that show. They were legends. And on Golden Girls, they always made you laugh to no end,” Harding said.
Golden Girls is now streaming on Hulu.
