Estelle Getty Biography

Estelle Scher-Gettleman (July 25, 1923 " July 22, 2008), better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre. She was best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992, which won her an Emmy and a Golden Globe, on The Golden Palace from 1992 to 1993 and on Empty Nest from 1993 to 1995. In her later years, after retiring from acting, she battled Lewy body dementia.

Early life

Getty was born Estelle Scher in New York City, the daughter of Sarah and Charles Scher, Jewish immigrants from the Galicia region of Eastern Europe who worked in the glass business. She had a sister, Roz, and a brother, David. Getty got her start in the Yiddish theater and also as a comedienne in the Catskills borscht belt resorts, and among her most notable stage roles was as Harvey Fierstein's mother in Torch Song Trilogy during its original Broadway run.

Career

Getty is best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on the popular 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls. Her character was the wise-cracking Sicilian mother of Dorothy Zbornak, played by Bea Arthur, although Getty was in fact one year younger than Arthur. Getty won an Emmy Award in 1988 for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

During her time on The Golden Girls Getty wrote an autobiography with Steve Delsohn entitled If I Knew Then, What I Know Now... So What? (Contemporary Books, 1988). She further capitalized on her success by releasing an exercise video for senior citizens in 1993.

Personal life

Getty attended Seward Park High School. She was married to Arthur Gettleman (whose name she adapted into her stage name) from December 21, 1947 until his death in 2004. The couple had two sons: Carl Gettleman, who lives in California, and Barry Gettleman, who lives in Florida.

In 1991, as later reported in Star magazine, Getty helped to nurse her 29-year-old nephew Steven Scher, who was near death and suffering from the final stages of AIDS. Because Scher's parents lived in England and his friends were no longer able to care for him in Greensboro, North Carolina, Getty had him flown to California and admitted to hospice care. He died in January 1992. Getty was a supporter of gay rights.

In 2000, Getty stopped making public appearances after revealing she had Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis. In 2002, media reports claimed she was also suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Doctors later discovered she actually had Lewy body dementia; both the Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diagnoses were incorrect. Cast members attempted to talk to her on the phone or in person but found that she couldn't remember them, or anything about the show. Bea Arthur said that even during production of the series, Getty had so much trouble remembering her lines that they should have known something was wrong from the beginning.

In 2003, Lifetime television hosted a Golden Girls reunion, but Getty did not appear due to her failing health.

Death

On 22 July 2008, at approximately 5:30 a.m. PDT, Getty died in her Hollywood Boulevard home in Los Angeles from natural causes three days before her 85th birthday.

Estelle Getty was buried in the Plains of Abraham (formerly Section 14) Jewish section, of Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA. She is interred near other entertainment notables like actors Paul Muni, Lester Allen, Felix Bressart, former German filmmakers Joe & Mia May (Mandel), and 007 co-screenwriter Richard W. Maibaum. On August 1, 2009, Estelle's tombstone was installed.

Getty's Golden Girls co-stars reflected upon her death; Rue McClanahan told the Associated Press, "Don't feel sad about her passing. She will always be with us in her crowning achievement, Sophia." Betty White remarked, "The only comfort at this moment is that although Estelle has moved on, Sophia will always be with us." Bea Arthur said in a statement, "Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comic duos ever and I will miss her." Arthur herself died of cancer less than a year after Getty on April 25, 2009, and on June 3, 2010 Rue McClanahan died of a brain hemorrhage.

In honor of Getty, Lifetime TV, which aired reruns of The Golden Girls at the time, aired ten episodes of the series featuring the best of Sophia on Friday, July 25, 2008, her birthday. Fans voted for their favorite episode on Lifetime's website. The episode "Old Friends" received the most votes and was aired last during the marathon.

Awards

Emmy Awards

• 1986 " Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)
• 1987 " Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)
• 1988 " Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Won)
• 1989 " Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)
• 1990 " Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)
• 1991 " Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)
• 1992 " Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)

Golden Globe Awards

• 1985 " Actress in a Leading Role " Musical or Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Won)
• 1986 " Actress in a Leading Role " Musical or Comedy Series " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)
• 1991 " Actress in a Supporting Role " Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie " The Golden Girls " (Nominated)

Drama Desk Award

• 1982 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play - Torch Song Trilogy " (Nominated)

Golden Raspberry Awards

• 1992 " Worst Supporting Actress - Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (Won)

Performances

Filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1978	Team-Mates	Teacher
1982	Tootsie	Middle Aged Woman
1985	Mask	Evelyn
1987	Mannequin	Mrs. Claire Timkin
1992	Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot	Mrs. Tutti Bomowski
1999	Stuart Little	Estelle Little	Character was George's grandmother and Frederick's mother
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Baker's Dozen	Mrs. Locasale	1 episode
1984	Cagney & Lacey		1 episode
	Fantasy Island	Money Lady	1 episode
	No Man's Land	Eurol Miller	Television pilot
	Hotel	Roberta Abrams	1 episode
1985	Newhart	Miriam the Librarian	1 episode
	Copacabana	Bella Stern	Made-for-television musical film
1990	City	Helen Rutledge	1 episode
1985"1992	The Golden Girls	Sophia Petrillo	Main cast (Seasons 1"7; 180 episodes)
1992"1993	The Golden Palace		Main cast (Season 1; 24 episodes)
1993	Nurses		1 episode
1993"1995	Empty Nest		Main cast (Seasons 6"7; 52 episodes)
1996	Touched by an Angel	Dottie	1 episode
1997	A Match Made in Heaven	Betty Weston	Made-for-television film
2000	Ladies Man	Sophia Gates

Live theatre

• Torch Song Trilogy (1982).... Mrs. Beckoff