The beloved sitcom The Golden Girls broke new ground over its time on the air, and the cast had prolific careers before and after the show debuted.
The classic sitcom featured an all-star line-up, and some of the Golden Girls cast had major careers before and after the show was on the air. Debuting in the fall of 1985, the series follows a group of older women who live in Miami and bond over their shared life experiences and complicated love lives. Over its seven-season run on the air, The Golden Girls not only boosted its roster of established stars like Betty White and Bea Arthur, but it also went on to be one of the most progressive TV shows of its time.
The Golden Girls broke new ground because of its portrayal of independent mature women, and the series was frequently a platform for other issues including race, class, and sexual identity. The series was a critical success, earned 68 Emmy nominations, and it found new life on streaming. The Golden Girls’ short-lived sequel, The Golden Palace, kicked off several spinoffs, but none were able to capture the magic of the original. While cast members like Betty White were already famous from their years in TV, The Golden Girls turned its big four into bona fide household names.
Golden Girls is a beloved comedy centered around the lives of four elderly women. Years later, some of the storylines remain way ahead of their time.
Bea Arthur As Dorothy Zbornak
Arthur Passed Away In 2009 At The Age Of 2006
Played by Bea Arthur in the cast of The Golden Girls, Dorothy Zbornak is a no-nonsense gal whose quick temper is offset by her acerbic and biting wit. Already a decades-long veteran of the small screen by the mid-1980s, Arthur had made a big splash as the title character in the All in the Family spinoff Maude. Around the same time, she graced the big screen as Vera Charles in the Hollywood adaptation of the musical Mame and memorably appeared in the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special. Arthur passed away in 2009 at the age of 86.
A blended image features Sophia, Blanche, and Dorothy of Golden Girls seated on a sofa with a closeup of Rose in the foreground
The Golden Girls is iconic for its humor and its amazing leading ladies, but how old were Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia supposed to be?
Betty White As Rose Nylund
White Passed Away In 2021 At The Age Of 99
Perhaps the most well-remembered of Betty White’s TV and movie roles, the comedic legend plays Rose Nylund, the ditzy and lovable retiree who often regales her pals with strange stories from her life on the farm in Minnesota. White rose to fame in her long-running stint as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. After her time in the cast of The Golden Girls, White also played several notable movie characters, including Bitey White in Toy Story 4 and Grandma Annie in The Proposal. The celebrated actor died in December 2021, just weeks before her 100th birthday.
Rue McClanahan As Blanche Devereaux
McClanahan Passed Away In 2010 At The Age Of 76
As part of the main cast of The Golden Girls, Rue McClanahan plays the Southern belle Blanche Devereaux, who though recently widowed is often on the lookout for a man and is usually picked on by her friends for her playful promiscuity. Outside of her roles in Hollywood movies like Starship Troopers where she played a biology teacher, McClanahan’s claim to fame came on TV with roles like Fran in the cast of Mama’s Family, and she had previously worked with co-star Bea Arthur when she played Vivian on Maude. McClanahan died in 2010 at the age of 76.
Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) with their children in
All of the Golden Girls were mothers, and while they meant well, there were times when they could have been more sensitive in their parenting.
Estelle Getty As Sophia Petrillo
Getty Passed Away In 2008 At The Age Of 84
Sophia Petrillo holds a bag in front of flowers in a promotional image for The Golden Girls
Played by Estelle Getty in The Golden Girls cast, Sophia Petrillo is Dorothy’s mother, whose undeniable charisma and quick wit make her the lovable bane of her daughter’s existence. Though Getty was always remembered for her comedic role as Sophia in The Golden Girls, she also had a prolific career in films with dramatic parts like Evelyn in Peter Bogdanovich’s Mask. Getty starred as Tutti alongside Sylvester Stallone in the buddy cop movie Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, and she played department store owner Claire Timkin in Mannequin. Getty passed away at the age of 84 in 2008.
Herb Edelman As Stanley Zbornak
Edelman Passed Away In 1996 At The Age Of 62
Stanley (Herb Edelman) tries on a toupee in The Golden Girls
Herb Edelman played Stanley Zbornak, Dorothy’s ex-husband whom she holds a grudge against throughout the series for his cheating ways — though Stan redeemed himself in The Golden Girls finale.
The main characters of Golden Girls are classic to their fans, but there are tons of hidden details that everyone missed. This list will dig into those.
Harold Gould As Miles Webber
Gould Passed Away In 2010 At The Age Of 86
Rose (Betty White) and Miles (Harold Gould) embrace in The Golden Girls
Appearing in the cast of The Golden Girls from season 5 onward, Harold Gould played Miles Webber, Rose’s boyfriend who is eventually revealed to be in the witness protection program. Though much of Gould’s later career was made up of one-off appearances on shows like L.A. Law and Cold Case, he was mostly known for his movie role as Kid Twist in The Sting. Gould played Grandpa in the 2003 version of Freaky Friday, and he featured in the major role of Arthur Mendelson in Patch Adams. Gould died at the age of 86 in 2010.
The Golden Girls Supporting Cast & Characters
Sal (Sid Melton) grins in The Golden Girls
Sid Melton as Sal Petrillo – Introduced after The Golden Girls season 1, Sid Melton joined the cast as Sal Petrillo, Sophia’s late ex-husband who is only seen in flashbacks and dream sequences. Best known for his role as Ikky Mudd in the series Captain Midnight, Melton also appeared as Joe in the gripping war drama film The Steel Helmet. Melton died in 2011 at the age of 94.
Shawn Schepps as Rebecca Devereaux – Shawn Schepps was the first performer to play the role of Rebecca Devereaux, Blanche’s daughter who is a former model. Though she largely works behind the scenes on shows like Weeds, Schepps is best known for her role in front of the camera as Nancy in The Terminator.
Debra Engle as Rebecca Devereaux – Debra Engle took over the role of Rebecca Devereaux in season 5 of The Golden Girls and reprised the role in The Golden Palace. Engle had a multitude of one-off roles on TV series like E.R. and Crossing Jordan. She died in 2023 at the age of 69.
Monte Markham as Clayton Hollingsworth – Starring as one of The Golden Girls’ most progressive characters, Monte Markham played Clayton Hollingsworth, Blanche’s brother who has a hard time revealing his sexuality to her. Markham had a long-running stint as Captain Thorpe on Baywatch and starred in the indie horror film We Are Still Here as Dave McCabe.
Sheree North as Virginia Hollingsworth Warren – Sheree North appears in the cast of The Golden Girls as Virginia Hollingsworth Warren, Blanche’s estranged sister. A perennial genre actor, North starred as Myrna in the prison film Breakout, and as Jewell in Charley Verrick. She died at age 73 in 2005.
Bill Dana as Angelo Grisanti – Playing one of the relatives of The Golden Girls’ main characters, Bill Dana appears as Angelo Grisanti, Sophia’s brother. Dana is best remembered for his variety show, The Bill Dana Show, but he also starred as Johnathan Seigle in the Get Smart movie, The Nude Bomb. He died in 2017 at the age of 92.
Nancy Walker as Angela Grisanti Vecchio – Also playing one of Sophia’s siblings, Nancy Walker appears in the cast of The Golden Girls as Angela Grisanti Vecchio. Walker made a splash in her 40-episode stint as Ida on the sitcom Rhoda, and as Mildred on the series McMillan & Wife and became an advertising icon by appearing in numerous commercials for Bounty paper towels. She died in 1992 at the age of 69.
Back when The Golden Girls was on the air, the sitcom about four older women living in Miami was thought to be ahead of its time. How true is this?
Doris Belack as Gloria Petrillo-Harker – First played by Doris Belack, Gloria Petrillo-Harker is Dorothy’s sister who is married to a wealthy man in California. Black played Dr. Tomsky in the Bill Murray comedy What About Bob? and also starred as Rita in Tootsie. She died in 2011 at the age of 85.
Dena Dietrich as Gloria Petrillo-Harker – Taking over for Doris Belack, Dena Dietrich also played the role of Gloria Petrillo-Harker on The Golden Girls. Dietrich is best remembered for her turn as Competence in the Mel Brooks comedy History of the World: Part I, and she also appeared in multiple episodes of the series Philly as Judge Armstrong. She died in 2010 at the age of 91.
Scott Jacoby as Michael Zbornak – Appearing in the cast of The Golden Girls as Michael Zbornak, Scott Jacoby played Dorothy’s son who works as a traveling musician. Jacoby turned heads in the eerie horror film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane when he played Mario, and he also appeared as the title character in the film Baxter!
