Time has whispered away since four sassy seniors shared cheesecake and zingers in Miami. The beloved Golden Girls – Dorothy’s wit, Blanche’s Southern spice, Rose’s St. Olaf tales, and Sophia’s Sicilian sass – have all left us now, with Betty White (Rose) being the last to say goodbye in 2021, just shy of her 100th birthday.
Are Any of the Golden Girls Still Alive?
The final curtain has fallen on TV’s most fabulous foursome. Our last Golden Girl, Betty White (Rose), nearly made it to 100 before bidding farewell in 2021 – talk about going out with perfect comic timing. Rue McClanahan’s Blanche sashayed into the great beyond in 2010, while Bea Arthur’s Dorothy delivered her last deadpan in 2009. Estelle Getty, our beloved pocket-sized Sicilian mama Sophia, departed in 2008, presumably with a “picture it” story for the angels.
Meet the Golden Girls: A Cast That Redefined Television Comedy
In 1985, four fabulous ladies revolutionized TV by proving retirement could be downright hilarious. These Miami roommates weren’t living in a retirement home – they were rocking Dorothy’s house while collecting Emmy awards faster than Blanche collected gentlemen callers.
Estelle Getty: (Sophia Petrillo)
Before becoming TV’s most quotable Sicilian mama, Estelle Getty was conquering stages and stealing scenes in films like “Tootsie.” But it was her role as the purse-wielding, sharp-tongued Sophia Petrillo that made her a household name. Picture it: powerhouse who could deliver zingers faster than her character could whip up marinara sauce. Getty took her final bow in 2008 at the age of 84.
Bea Arthur (Dorothy Zbornak)
Before mastering the role of Dorothy Zbornak, Bea Arthur was Broadway’s queen of sass, stealing scenes in “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Mame.” Her transformation into Golden Girls’ deadpan diva proved that timing isn’t just for comedians – it’s for tall, commanding actresses who can silence a room with one raised eyebrow. Arthur’s Dorothy gave hope to substitute teachers and divorcées everywhere, proving that second acts in life could be fabulous. She passed away at the age of 86 after her battle with cancer.
Rue McClanahan (Blanche Devereaux)
Before setting Miami’s dating scene ablaze as Blanche Devereaux, Rue McClanahan was already lighting up screens in “Maude” and “All in the Family.” As the Golden Girls’ resident Southern belle, she perfected the art of making men swoon while keeping the audience in stitches. Her Blanche was a masterclass in how to chase romance with the enthusiasm of a teenager and the experience of a romance novel connoisseur. In 2010, McClanahan made her final exit – far too early at 76 (due to a cerebral haemorrhage) – leaving behind a legacy of laughter and proving that Southern charm never goes out of style.
Betty White (Rose Nylund)
Before charming audiences with St. Olaf stories as Rose Nylund, Betty White was busy pioneering television when TV sets were still practically furniture. Her eight-decade career started with “Life with Elizabeth,” proving she had comedic chops long before Rose’s infamous herring tales. As the Golden Girls’ resident optimist, White turned naivety into an art form, delivering punchlines with the innocent precision of a stand-up comic disguised as a Minnesota farm girl.
Even in her 90s, she remained America’s sweetheart, spreading joy and snark in equal measure while championing animal causes. On December 31, 2021, she left the world, leaving us just shy of her 100th birthday.
Conclusion
Even though our beloved cheesecake-loving quartet has left the Miami stage, their legacy is as bright as the juiciest peach and even more than Blanche’s dating life. From eye rolls of Dorothy to ‘Picture it’ stories of Sophia, the weirdos of Minnesota of Rose to love affairs of Blanche, these golden actresses showed that life after 40 can be hilarious. We can no longer thank them for being friends but their jokes and proverbs still make young people laugh. Besides, as everyone who watched Golden Girls knows, a good laugh, friends, and cheesecake at 2 AM will fix everything.
FAQs
Q1: When did the last Golden Girl pass away?
Our beloved Rose Nylund, Betty White passed on December 31, 2021, a few weeks before her 100th birthday. Typically, Betty had the best timing to crack a joke at the right moment and she did it again to the very end. She was the only one left from TV’s most famous quartet of glamour girls, who outlived her co-stars of the cheesy show, by over a decade. She was an embodiment of America’s sweetheart even when she was in her 90s.
Q2: Who was the first Golden Girl to pass away?
The first to go was Estelle Getty, who played the iconic Sophia Petrillo, in 2008 at the age of 84. In fact, although Getty portrayed the oldest character on the show, she was actually younger than her screen daughter Bea Arthur. Oh, she was a great casting choice – making generations believe she was a Sicilian matriarch with a purse full of one-liners and ‘Picture it’ anecdotes.
Q3: What were the ages of the Golden Girls actresses when they passed?
Here’s the final curtain call lineup: Estelle Getty passed away at 84 years, Bea Arthur died at 86 years, Rue McClanahan at 76 years and Betty White, the over-achiever, was 99 years when she left. A side note, McClanahan, who portrayed the sexually voracious man-magnet Blanche, was the youngest to die.
Q4: Did any of the Golden Girls win awards for their roles?
These Miami mavens had Emmy Awards like Blanche had phone numbers. All the four actresses who acted in the show got at least an Emmy award for their performance – something as rare as a quiet moment in the Petrillo family. They showed that four women of a certain age could not only own prime time television but could sweep through awards season while sporting shoulder pads and serving up cheesecake.
