Though their ages are not exactly confirmed on the show, the main characters in The Golden Girls, including Dorothy, Sophia, Rose, and Blanche, range in age from their late 40s to their late 80s. Other characters such as Stan and Blanche’s siblings are presumably also in this age range. Finally, Dorothy’s son Michael and her daughter Kate were likely in their 20s or 30s during the show.
- Dorothy – 55
- Rose – 55
- Blanche – 53
- Sophia – 79
- Stan – 57
- Clayton Hollingsworth – 45
- Angelo Grisanti – 82
- Angela Grisanti Vecchio – 84
- Michael – 23-29
Rue McClanahan’s Blanche Devereaux Was The Youngest In The Golden Girls
While Blanche Devereaux was approximately 53 years old at the start of The Golden Girls, making her the youngest of the main characters, her actor Rue McClanahan was actually a few years younger, 51 years old, at the start of the series. In this way, McClanahan was also the youngest actor in the main cast. McClanahan’s character, Blanche, was a promiscuous widow who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She is portrayed as a Southern Belle with a flirtatious attitude, although the death of her husband clearly affected her for a long time. Blanche is the owner of the house in Miami and is 60 at the end of the series.
Bea Arthur’s Dorothy Zbornak Was In Her 50s When The Golden Girls Started
Dorothy Zbornak is portrayed to be around 53-55 at the start of The Golden Girls and 60-62 by the end. Surprisingly, Dorothy’s actor, Bea Arthur, was a decade older, 63. In fact, Arthur was tied for the oldest of The Golden Girls lead actors. Dorothy is the only Golden Girl who isn’t a widow in the series, and rather, has a deadbeat ex-husband, Golden Girls’ Stan, whom she was married to for 38 years before he cheated. That means the two married while they were still teenagers. Dorothy is sarcastic, easy to anger, and often the brunt of the joke. Bea Arthur’s vastly different age from her character is the biggest surprise among The Golden Girls cast.
Betty White’s Rose Nylund Was Older Than Blanche & Dorothy
One of the few Golden Girls with a confirmed age is Rose Nylund. In the show, it is confirmed that Rose is 55 years old during season 1, making her 62 by the series finale. Similar to Bea Arthur, Rose’s actor, Betty White, was 63 at the start of The Golden Girls, making her almost a full decade older than her character. Rose is known for her sweet attitude and is often made fun of for her perceived lack of intelligence. During the series, she begins a romantic relationship with a college professor, Miles Webber. Rose is also famous for telling strange stories about her upbringing in Minnesota.
Estelle Getty’s Sophia Petrillo Was The Oldest In The Golden Girls
Of the four Golden Girls, Sophia Petrillo is the oldest, written to be 79 at the start of the series and 86 by its end. In a strange twist though, Sophia’s actor, Estelle Getty was only 62 when she first portrayed her character. This not only made her much younger than her character but even a year younger than Bea Arthur, who plays her daughter in the series. Sophia is Dorothy’s widowed mother in The Golden Girls. She was born in Sicily and escaped an arranged marriage. She is witty, blunt, and depicted as a great cook. Sophia’s wise-cracking makes her a fan-favorite in The Golden Girls.
