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Bea Arthur

Bea Arthur

Birthday: 1922-05-13 | Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA

Beatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress and comedian. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Arthur began her career on stage in 1947, attracting critical acclaim before achieving worldwide recognition for her work on television beginning in the 1970s as Maude Findlay in the popular sitcoms All in the Family (1971–1972) and Maude (1972–1978) and later in the 1980s and 1990s as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls (1985–1992). She won several accolades throughout her career, beginning with the 1966 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Vera Charles in Mame. She won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1977 for Maude and 1988 for The Golden Girls. Arthur has received the third most nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series with nine; only Julia Louis-Dreyfus (11) and Mary Tyler Moore (10) have more. She was inducted into the academy's Television Hall of Fame in 2008. Her film appearances include Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) and the film version of Mame (1974). In 2002, she starred in the one-woman show Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends. An obituary described Arthur as "the tall, deep-voiced actress whose razor-sharp delivery of comedy lines made her a TV star." She served in the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve in World War II.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2025
The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship

as    Self / Dorothy Zbornak (archive footage)

2022
Golden Girls 3033

as    Dorothy Zbornak (voice) (archive sound)

2021
2021
2021
The Golden Girls: Ageless

as    Self (archive footage)

2014
Robin Williams Remembered

as    Self

2007
RiffTrax: The Star Wars Holiday Special

as    Ackmena (archive footage)

2004
Broadway's Lost Treasures II

as    Vera Charles (segment "Mame")

2003
The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series

as    Dorothy Zbornak (archive footage)

2003
Enemies of Laughter

as    Paul's Mother

2003
The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments

as    Self / Dorothy Zbornak

1995
For Better or Worse

as    Beverly Makeshift

1990
Night of 100 Stars III

as    Self

1988
My First Love

as    Jean Miller

1987
1986
1985
The Golden Girls

as    Dorothy Zbornak

1983
Amanda's

as    Amanda Cartwright

1982
Night of 100 Stars

as    Self

1980
The Beatrice Arthur Special

as    Herself

1978
The Star Wars Holiday Special

as    Ackmena

1974
Mame

as    Vera Charles