Estelle Getty

We’ve all been there before, there is no shame in admitting to it. Those nights where sleep has evaded even the most tired, who now find themselves up channel surfing until the next thing they know, they are binge-watching reruns of the classic sitcom The Golden Girls. Try as they may, once they get locked onto Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo delivering her scathing and always hilarious one-liners, they’re hooked.

Sadly, Estelle Getty passed away in 2008 after a long battle with dementia. Her spirit, though, lives on in those classic The Golden Girls reruns and as long as there are channel surfers out there, her spirit will continue to shine. So, let’s take a look at Estelle Getty and her television and film career that started late in her life, but brought so much joy to all her fans.

ESTELLE GETTY WAS BORN IN 1923 AND WAS A WORKING MOTHER LONG BEFORE ACTING

Estelle Getty was born in Manhattan, New York on July 25, 1923. It was a time when the Depression had taken over the country and essentials were hard to come by. Estelle’s father owned his own business while her mother was a homemaker.

Estelle’s father did well enough for his family that on certain Friday nights, he would take them out to the Academy of Music where they would watch a movie or a live vaudeville performance. It was during these movies or performances that Estelle Getty decided she wanted to become an actor.

Estelle Getty had her mind set but after graduating high school, she continued to live at home with her parents. Her father, knowing of Estelle’s desire to become an actor, had his doubts about her being able to have a successful career as an actor. Estelle, though, kept the faith, taking on a job as a secretary so she could make it to late afternoon or early evening auditions and still bring home some money.

Estelle Getty cut her teeth in the theater. For years, Getty would constantly get roles in New York, while also maintaining a job, and raising her two boys. She stuck a toe into the Hollywood waters in 1978 when she was 55 years old, playing a teacher in the film Team-Mates. It didn’t do much to further her career.

ESTELLE GETTY WAS ON BROADWAY IN 1982

Although her name was a known commodity in and around New York, it wasn’t until 1982 that Getty began to get truly noticed for her talent. It came in the Broadway production of Torch Song Trilogy, where she played Mrs. Beckoff, a part that was specifically written for her by playwright Harvey Fierstein. Suddenly, the Hollywood doors began to crack open for Getty.

SHE WAS IN SMALLER HOLLYWOOD ROLES BEFORE LANDING GOLDEN GIRLS

For four years, Estelle Getty played Mrs. Beckoff on and off Broadway. During that time, she also traveled west to get appearances on TV shows like Baker’s Dozen, One of the Boys, Fantasy Island, Cagney & Lacey, Hotel, and Newhart.

She also transitioned into feature films, grabbing roles in Tootsie, Deadly Force, and Mask. But it was her role as Mrs. Beckoff that caught the attention of Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions (Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, and Susan Harris) when they started casting for what would become Estelle Getty’s most notable role and character.

ESTELLE GETTY WAS CAST AS SOPHIA PETRILLO IN THE GOLDEN GIRLS

Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions (also known as Witt/Thomas Productions) was putting together a series that would star three middle-aged women, one of whom is living with her older mother. The production company had a track record of fun sitcoms like Soap (controversial for its time), Benson, I’m a Big Girl Now, It Takes Two, and It’s a Living, so there was a lot of hope for The Golden Girls.

Surprisingly enough, the role of Sophia Petrillo was the first to be cast, so Estelle Getty knew quite early in the process that she had a job on a network series. The roles of Blanche Devereaux and Rose Nylund were also easy to cast when Rue McClanahan and Betty White were immediately brought in.

The producers felt McClanahan should play Rose and White play Blanche, based on roles they had played in the past. But director Jay Sandrich felt the two should switch it up, and finally, at the last moment, the two women decided to swap roles and it turned out to be a brilliant move.

The road to finding Estelle Getty’s television daughter was a little more difficult. The producer first went to veteran actress Elaine Stritch to play Dorothy Zbornak but apparently, her audition bombed. Harris had felt all along that Bea Arthur would be perfect for the role but also felt that Arthur would not take the role, as it was very similar to her role as Maude. She asked McClanahan if she wouldn’t mind talking to Arthur about possibly taking on the role, and in a surprise move, Arthur agreed to play Estelle Getty’s daughter.

To get into her part as Sophia Petrillo, Estelle Getty went through three hours of makeup for each shooting. Although 62 years old when she took the part, she needed to look much older than her “daughter and daughter’s friends.” Getty ran with the role, many times getting the episodes’ best one-liners.

Her character of Sophia Petrillo was so popular that on top of playing her for 7 seasons on The Golden Girls, Estelle Getty reprised her role on The Earth Day Special, Blossom, The Golden Palace, Empty Nest, and Nurses.

SHE STARRED WITH SYLVESTER STALLONE IN STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT

As Estelle Getty was winning hearts and busting funny bones with her role as Sophia Petrillo, she was making her name in Hollywood. Right as the final season of The Golden Girls aired in 1992 (Bea Arthur chose to move on from the hit series), Getty was brought in to film a movie with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Oops, we mean Sylvester Stallone. Wait, what do we mean?

Arnold and Sly were, at the time, bitter enemies, both constantly vying for the title of Top Dog in Hollywood and as the story goes, which both Arnold and Sly have confirmed numerous times, Arnold pulled a dirty one on Sly. Arnold was the first one to get the script for Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and he knew right off the bat that the script was terrible. But he also knew that no matter what, the film was going to be made.

Arnold let it be known through back channels that he was “interested” in taking the role. As word got back to Sly, Stallone’s competitive nature kicked in and he decided that he wanted the role. Regardless of how poor the script was, he just didn’t want Arnold starring in the film. Arnold continued to “push” for the role, making sure that Stallone wanted it badly.

“He’s quite clever,” Stallone once said. “He goes around town saying, ‘I can’t wait to do this film.’ I go to my agent, ‘Get that thing away from him.’” So his agent did, or it was more that Arnold gladly gave it up. The rest, unfortunately for Stallone and Estelle Getty, was history. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot tanked and is routinely considered to be one of Stallone’s worst movies in what has been a wonderful career.

As for Estelle Getty, her role was almost an afterthought. So much attention was paid to Stallone’s movie choice, that Getty pretty much flew under the radar. She would get plenty of similar roles until she retired at the age of 78 due to worsening health conditions.

ESTELLE GETTY PASSED AWAY IN 2008 AT THE AGE OF 84

Estelle Getty was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. By the time the end was near, Getty’s Golden Girls, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White all said her disease had progressed to the point where Getty couldn’t recognize them or even carry on a conversation with them. Getty quietly passed on July 22, 2008, at the age of 84.

Estelle Getty may be gone, but she is never far away from our thoughts. She has undoubtedly put smiles on the faces of many insomniacs over the years with those late-night reruns of The Golden Girls and as long as networks are willing to keep showing those reruns, the smiles will continue.