Where To Watch
Estelle Getty said that The Golden Girls made her a ''hero'' to an older generation
"I have played so many people older than me, it’s not funny," said the actor.
Every actor has a preferred character type. Some love to play the heroes, others the comic relief. Estelle Getty seemed destined to play the old lady. It was a common role for her on the stage during her earlier career, and it was a character type that would make her a television star when she was cast in the series The Golden Girls.
“I have played so many people older than me, it’s not funny,” Getty told The State. “So this is not the first time I’ve played an old lady. I did it many times on the stage, more than I care to talk about.”
While Getty certainly wasn’t as old as Sophia Petrillo, she became a champion for older people.
Watch The Golden Girls on MeTV!
BACK-TO-BACK EPISODES
Weeknights at 10 PM, Sundays at 6 PM & 8 PM
*available in most MeTV markets“Yeah, I feel like a hero to older people now,” said the actor. “Those who can write, do! I’ve been saying things that other people want to say and can’t. I have been invited to speak at senior citizen groups. I can’t now, but I will do it when we go on hiatus.”
Getty’s time on The Golden Girls proved that an older age doesn’t mean a stalling in livelihood, though she admitted to being a bit apprehensive when she first met her new co-stars.
“I’ll be frank. I was out of my mind with fear when I started working with the three. I figured I was out of their league, but they were so wonderful to me. They knew they had nothing to be afraid of until I figured I could hold my own. Boy, did they shake.”
Related
