Where To Watch
8 golden facts about this Golden Girl: Bea Arthur
From the Marines to Miami, Bea Arthur’s life was anything but ordinary.
The Everett Collection
Before she was serving up cheesecake and comebacks as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls, Bea Arthur had already lived a life worthy of its own sitcom.
From the Marine Corps to Broadway to becoming one of TV’s most memorable stars, Arthur’s career was about much more than Miami.
Dorothy was golden, but these Bea Arthur fun facts are pure gold. Take a look!
Watch The Golden Girls on MeTV!
BACK-TO-BACK EPISODES
Weeknights at 10 PM, Sundays at 6 PM & 8 PM
*available in most MeTV markets1. She was a Marine before she was a Golden Girl
Before she was making audiences laugh as Dorothy Zbornak, Bea Arthur was working in a much more serious role.
In 1943, she became one of the first women to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve.
She worked as a typist, truck driver and dispatcher during World War II and was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant. She was a golden girl with some serious grit!
2. Bea Arthur and Angela Lansbury were best friends
Bea Arthur and Angela Lansbury may have been Mame costars, but their friendship lasted long after the curtain fell.
Arthur was already a Broadway star when she took on the role of Vera Charles in the 1966 musical, years before Dorothy ever moved to Miami. She even won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the role.
The two became close friends during the production, and Arthur later spoke fondly of Lansbury in her one-woman show. Now that’s a friendship worthy of a standing ovation.
3. Her name wasn't always Bea Arthur
Bea Arthur was born Bernice Frankel. After marrying Robert Alan Aurthur in 1947, she legally changed her name to Bea Arthur, using a variation of his surname.
So yes, even her name got a little Hollywood makeover.
4. She had a complicated relationship with cheesecake
The Golden Girls may have bonded over cheesecake, but Arthur wasn't a fan of the dessert in real life.
The actresses consumed over 100 cheesecakes during the show's seven-year run. Bakeries from around the USA would send in cheesecakes for them.
But Bea Arthur hated cheesecake in real life... While many would see this as a perk, she saw it as a recipe for disaster.
5. She was a passionate animal advocate
Like a couple of her Golden Girls costars, Betty White and Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur was a passionate animal advocate.
Arthur’s compassion extended well beyond the screen. She was a longtime animal rights advocate and worked with multiple animal organizations, using her celebrity status to support animal welfare.
In fact, she once appeared on Judge Judy as a witness for a defendant who was involved with the animal rights organization PETA.
Dorothy had plenty to say, and Bea had plenty to stand up for.
6. Bea Arthur’s trophy case was just as golden as The Golden Girls
Bea Arthur may have been known for her sharp one-liners, but her trophy case could speak for itself.
She won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Vera Charles in Mame in 1966. She later took home an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Maude in 1977, followed by another Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for The Golden Girls in 1988.
With a Tony and multiple Emmys on her shelf, Arthur came remarkably close to completing the coveted Triple Crown of Acting. All she was missing was an Oscar.
7. She had a voice you couldn't forget!
That unmistakable voice wasn't just made for sitcoms!
The Little Mermaid’s Ursula was originally envisioned with a voice like Bea Arthur’s. Although Arthur didn’t end up voicing the sea witch, her unmistakable, deep voice helped inspire the character’s sound. The role ultimately went to Pat Carroll
Years later, Arthur finally entered the animated world, voicing the powerful Femputer on Futurama.
Whether she was delivering Dorothy’s deadpan zingers or bringing an animated character to life, you always knew when Bea Arthur was speaking.
8. Her final public appearance was with her Golden Girls costars
On June 8, 2008, Arthur reunited with Rue McClanahan and Betty White to accept The Golden Girls’ Pop Culture Award at the TV Land Awards. It was Arthur’s final public appearance.
She spent her final public appearance surrounded by the women who helped make her a television icon.
