Though the four stars of The Golden Girls were the series primary attractions, a number of great characters were introduced after the first season.
The release of a new, five-minute pilot that features the four women of The Golden Girls has thrust the classic sitcom back into the popular consciousness. Of course, the series has never been far away, given that it continues to air on several cable channels, enchanting new generations of fans.
Through its seven seasons, the show addressed a number of weighty issues and, of course, the relationship among the four women was one of its central appeals. However, they were joined by a number of great characters, and so it is worth taking a look back at some of the best individuals who were introduced after the first season.
Clayton Hollingsworth
Blanche’s gay brother and his husband in Golden Girls
There have been many notable examples of LGBTQ+ representation on television, but The Golden Girls is still notable for the extent to which it was willing to address the issue during the notoriously homophobic 1980s. This was largely through Blanche’s brother Clayton, who both comes out as gay and gets engaged to a man.
In both cases, he is willing to challenge his sister on her biases and her (not very subtle) homophobia. It’s no wonder that he has become something of a gay icon, and he well deserves his place as one of the best secondary characters in the series.
Aunt Angela
Sophia and Angela, both perturbed, standing back to back in The Golden Girls
Sophia is, of course, responsible for some of the funniest lines in Golden Girls. However, she meets her match when her sister Angela comes to visit, not once but twice. Nancy Walker perfectly captures what a sister of Sophia’s would look like, and there is undeniable chemistry between her and Estelle Getty.
While she’s more than willing to get on Sophia’s nerves, it’s also clear just how much the two love and care about one another. Whenever the chips are down, their bond shows itself to be absolutely unbreakable.
Uncle Angelo
Dorothy Hugs Stan While Sophia and Angelo Approve
Aunt Angela isn’t the only member of Sophia’s family to show up – her brother Angelo also makes an appearance. Once again, there is undeniable chemistry, and Bill Dana puts his formidable comedy talents to good use in the character. Angelo is irascible and ornery, and he has a particular weakness for women (which leads to many very funny scenarios).
However, as funny as he is, it’s also clear that he has a lot of loyalty to his sister Sophia, and the two maintain a strong bond throughout his time on the series.
Rebecca Devereaux
Debra Engle as Rebecca in Golden Girls
Though Blanche was capable of great kindness, some of the worst things she did in Golden Girls revolved around her daughter, Rebecca. Of all of Blanche’s children, Rebecca was the one who received the most screen time, and she repeatedly showed that she was the same kind of strong woman as her mother.
Despite Blanche’s protests, she was willing to go through with being artificially inseminated, and she also proved that she was quite willing and able to strike out on her own as a single mother. No matter what her mother, or others, might have thought, she was going to live life on her own terms.
Miles Webber
Miles Webber
Of all of the many relationships that take place in The Golden Girls, the one between Rose and Miles is arguably one of the best. Though he has his fair share of secrets – including the fact that he is part of the Witness Protection Program – Miles clearly loves Rose very much.
This is all the more extraordinary given their very different lives since he is a professor and she is a farmer’s daughter. However, he respects Rose for who she is, and it’s this fundamental respect that makes him such a great character and also helps to explain the strength of their relationship.
Sal Petrillo
Sal Petrillo in The Golden Girls
There are some things that many fans don’t know about Sophia, but one thing is for sure: she dearly loved her late husband Sal. Though he is mentioned in the first season, he only starts to appear on-screen later, and Sid Melton, the actor who plays him, is perfect for the role.
Though he can be a bit of a boorish buffoon, it is still clear that Sal dearly loves Sophia. The two of them have a feisty and complicated relationship, but it is precisely this that allows Sal to be both one of the series’ best and funniest characters.
Michael Zbornak
Michael Zbornak Golden Girls
In addition to addressing weighty social issues, The Golden Girls was also willing to look into the fraught dynamics of family life. Dorothy, for example, had to constantly contend with her disappointment in her son Michael and his life choices.
Though Michael could be a bit careless, that’s precisely what makes him such a great character. Like several of the other adult children who appear, he is trying to find himself in the world, and so he serves as a useful counterweight to Dorothy, challenging the assumptions she has about what a successful life looks like.
Jean
Jean waking Rose up in The Golden Girls
Throughout its run, The Golden Girls made a point of including various LGBTQ+ characters, one of the most notable of whom was Dorothy’s high school friend, Jean. Jean has a loving and bubbly nature, and it’s clear she cares very much for her old friend.
Just as importantly, she also finds herself falling in love with Rose, and though the latter doesn’t reciprocate her feelings, they nevertheless agree to be friends. From the beginning of her episode to the end, Jean shows just how gracious and kind she truly is.
Angela Petrillo
Angela Petrillo at a funeral
Even though Sophia’s son Petrillo never shows up on the screen, his wife Angela does, when she comes to Miami for her husband’s funeral. She is more than willing to go toe-to-toe with Sophia, particularly once the latter makes it clear just how much she doesn’t like her daughter-in-law.
What allows Angela to truly stand out, however, is how willing she is to offer Sophia a bit of grace once it becomes clear how much she loves and misses her deceased son. In that pivotal moment, Angela shows that family does matter in the most important moments.
George Devereaux
golden girls blanche george
Blanche, like Rose and Sophia, lost her husband, in her case to a car accident. In one of the Golden Girls’ best episodes, however, she has a dream in which she finally gets to say goodbye to him in the way she didn’t in life. From the moment he appears, it’s clear George Devereaux is one of the series’ best characters, particularly in the way he treats Blanche.
The two have such an easy rapport that it’s easy to see why they had such a loving and enduring marriage.
SEE MORE: The Golden Girls 35th Anniversary: My 5 Favorite Episodes
