Estelle Getty , the actress who portrayed the cantankerous octogenarian Sophia on The Golden Girls, died at the age of 84.
She was my favorite golden girl, quick to call out Blanche for being a slut and Rose for being a morn. Estelle, let me be the first to say: thank you for being a friend.
Getty, who suffered from dementia, passed away early this morning at her Los Angeles home surrounded by her family, acording to her son Carl Gettleman.
Donning a granny wig and oversize glasses to play a character 20 years older than herself, Getty won an Emmy and Golden Globe as the wisecracking oldest member of The Golden Girls, costarring with Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan.
The sitcom, which ran from 1985 to 1992, gave Getty her breakthrough role at age 61, after she struggled for years as a character actress.
I overheard my interns talking about wearing black tomorrow. I’ve never been so proud of kids these days.
“Shady Pines, Ma, Shady Pines.”
July 22, 2008 at 2:34 pm