Bea Arthur was a woman of many characters, but she was also a woman of many talents. After so many years starring as Dorothy Zbornak, the actor had no problem with a bit of uncertainty after The Golden Girls had wrapped filming.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do next, but I did know that I didn’t want to do any more episodic television,” said Arthur during an interview with the Cox News Service. “I was perfectly willing to just hang around and play with my Dobermans, my dogs, and do the occasional benefit here in L.A.” Just a bit later, Arthur would appear on Broadway, performing her one-woman show.

Arthur’s later aversion to television wasn’t necessarily the result of any lingering upset. Rather, television had been very good to the actor. Before she starred in The Golden Girls, Arthur had helmed the equally popular series, Maude. Of course, while many of her characters shared a common thread, Arthur maintained that each character she played was more than capable of standing as an individual. Still, one quality they shared was a penchant for misbehavior in pursuit of honesty.

Watch The Golden Girls on MeTV!

Premieres Monday, March 16!

Weeknights at 10 PM, Sundays at 6 PM & 8 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

“What I say when I’m asked, ‘Am I Maude?’ or ‘Am I Dorothy?’ is that all three of us are 5 feet 9 1/2 in our stocking feet, and we all have very deep voices,” said the actor. “There is another similarity, which is that the three of us like to prick bubbles and break taboos. Other than that, no. But that’s a pretty big thing.”