Estelle Getty
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Estelle Getty | |
|---|---|
Getty at the 41st Primetime Emmy Awards in 1989
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| Born | Estelle Scher July 25, 1923 New York City, New York |
| Died | July 22, 2008 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California |
| Other names | Estelle Scher-Gettleman |
| Education | Seward Park High School |
| Occupation | Actress, comedian |
| Years active | 1978–2000 |
| Television | The Golden Girls The Golden Palace Empty Nest |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Spouse(s) | Arthur Gettleman (m. 1947–2004; his death) |
| Children | Carl Gettleman Barry Gettleman |
| Website | |
| estellegetty.com | |
Contents
Early life
Getty was born Estelle Scher in New York City, the daughter of Sarah and Charles Scher, Polish immigrants of the Jewish faith. They worked in the glass business. She had a sister, Roz, and a brother, David.[3] Getty got her start in the Yiddish theater and also as a comedian in the Catskills borscht belt resorts,[4] and among her most notable stage roles was as Harvey Fierstein's mother in Torch Song Trilogy during its original Broadway run.[5]Career
Getty is best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on the popular 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls.[6] Her character was the wise-cracking Sicilian mother of Dorothy Zbornak, played by Bea Arthur, although Getty was in fact one year younger than Arthur.[7][8] Getty won an Emmy Award in 1988 for Outstanding Supporting Actress.[9]During her time on The Golden Girls, Getty wrote an autobiography with Steve Delsohn entitled If I Knew Then, What I Know Now... So What? (Contemporary Books, 1988).[3] She further capitalized on her success by releasing an exercise video for senior citizens in 1993.[10]
Personal life
Getty attended Seward Park High School in New York City.[11]She was married to Arthur Gettleman (whose name she adapted into her stage name) from December 21, 1947 until his death on September 10, 2004.[12] The couple had two sons: Carl Gettleman, who lives in California, and Barry Gettleman, who lives in Florida.[13]
In 1991, as later reported in Star magazine, Getty helped to nurse her 29-year-old nephew Steven Scher, who was near death and suffering from the final stages of AIDS.[14] Because Scher's parents lived in England and his friends were no longer able to care for him in Greensboro, North Carolina, Getty had him flown to California and admitted to hospice care. He died in January 1992. Getty was a supporter of gay rights.
In 2000, Getty stopped making public appearances after revealing she had Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis. In 2002, media reports claimed she was also suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Doctors later discovered she actually had Lewy body dementia; both the Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diagnoses were incorrect.[13] Cast members attempted to talk to her on the phone or in person but found that she couldn't remember them, or anything about the show. Bea Arthur said that even during production of the series, Getty had so much trouble remembering her lines that they should have known something was wrong from the beginning.[15][16]
In 2003, Lifetime television hosted a Golden Girls reunion. In 2008, the show was awarded the Pop Culture award at the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards. Getty did not participate in either project.
Getty died on July 22, 2008, just three days before her 85th birthday. She is buried and interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Awards
Emmy Awards
- 1986 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
- 1987 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
- 1988 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Won)
- 1989 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
- 1990 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
- 1991 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
- 1992 – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
Golden Globe Awards
- 1985 – Actress in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Won)
- 1986 – Actress in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy Series – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
- 1991 – Actress in a Supporting Role – Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie – The Golden Girls – (Nominated)
Drama Desk Award
- 1982 - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play - Torch Song Trilogy – (Nominated)
Golden Raspberry Awards
- 1992 – Worst Supporting Actress - Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (Won)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Team-Mates | Teacher | |
| 1982 | Tootsie | Middle Aged Woman | |
| 1984 | No Man's Land | Eurol Miller | Television movie |
| 1985 | Mask | Evelyn | |
| 1985 | Copacabana | Bella Stern | Television movie |
| 1987 | Mannequin | Mrs. Claire Timkin | |
| 1992 | Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot | Mrs. Tutti Bomowski | Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress |
| 1997 | A Match Made in Heaven | Betty Weston | Television movie |
| 1999 | Stuart Little | Estelle Little | |
| 2000 | The Million Dollar Kid | Sister Rosanne |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Nurse | Sadie Mandler | Episode: "Equal Opportunity" |
| 1982 | Baker's Dozen | Mrs. Locasale | Episode: "Dear John" |
| 1984 | Cagney & Lacey | Mrs. Rosenmeyer | Episode: "Baby Broker" |
| 1984 | Fantasy Island | Money Lady | Episode: "The Match Maker" |
| 1984 | Hotel | Roberta Abrams | Episode: "Intimate Strangers" |
| 1985 | Newhart | Miriam the Librarian | Episode: "What Makes Dick Run" |
| 1985–1992 | The Golden Girls | Sophia Petrillo | 180 episodes American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Female in a Television Series (1991–92) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1986–87, 1989–92) |
| 1987 | Roomies | Mama | Episode: "Mid-Term Fever" |
| 1990 | City | Helen Rutledge | Episode: "Seems Like Old Times" |
| 1991 | Blossom | Sophia Petrillo | Episode: "I Ain't Got No Body" |
| 1992–1993 | The Golden Palace | Sophia Petrillo | 24 episodes |
| 1993 | Nurses | Sophia Petrillo | Episode: "Temporary Setbacks" |
| 1993–1995 | Empty Nest | Sophia Petrillo | 52 episodes |
| 1996 | Touched by an Angel | Dottie | Episode: "The Sky Is Falling" |
| 1996 | Brotherly Love | Myrna Burwell | Episode: "Motherly Love" |
| 1997 | Mad About You | Paul's aunt | Episode: "The Birth – Part 1" |
| 2000 | Ladies Man | Sophia Gates | Episode: "Romance" |
| 2001 | It's Like, You Know... | Estelle Getty | Episode: "Lust for Life" |
Live theatre
- Torch Song Trilogy (1982).... Mrs. Beckoff[17]
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