TV Icon Bea Arthur Dies

Posted April 26, 2009, 7:03 am in Television


Bea Arthur, the former “Golden Girl”,  died in Los Angeles Saturday at the age of 86. A family spokesperson said Arthur had cancer but declined to give any other details.

Arthur is best known for her roles on the hit television shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls."  "Maude" debuted on CBS in 1972 and was an instant hit.  The series was a spinoff of "All in the Family," on which Arthur played Edith Bunker's liberal and sharp-tongued cousin Maude. Arthur was nominated for five Emmy Awards during "Maude's" six year run, winning in 1977.

Arthur returned to TV in 1985 in the NBC comedy series “The Golden Girls”.  The program garnered 10 Emmy Awards, including one for Arthur in 1988.

Both roles were regarded as culturally significant.  “Maude” was a symbol the rise of feminism in American life.  "The Golden Girls," with its focus on older women, was said to stretch the demographic boundaries of the television audience.
Arthur also enjoyed a long stage career in which she played in the original Broadway version of "Fiddler on the Roof" and won a Tony Award for her supporting role in "Mame."

Arthur was a supporter of animal rights and AIDS research.

She is survived by two sons, Matthew and Daniel, and two granddaughters.

No funeral services were planned.

Arthur's family asked that donations be made to the Art Attack Foundation of PETA in lieu of flowers.






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