Bea Arthur Bea Arthur is an Emmy Award-winning American actress and comedienne famous for her husky voice, prominent stature (standing at almost five-foot-ten), and caustic wit. She is also a qualified medical technician and was one of the first women volunteers for the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Arthur was born on May 13, 1923, as Bernice Frankel, to parents, Philip and Rebecca Frankel. Though she was born in New York, she grew up in Maryland . Arthur has appeared in a few movies, but most of her acting work has been for stage and television. In 1964 she became famous for her role as Yente the Matchmaker in the original Broadway production, Fiddler on the Roof. In 1966 she worked on the Broadway musical Mame, which was directed by her second husband, Gene Saks, whom she married on May 28, 1950. The couple had two children together before their divorce in 1978. In 1971 Arthur appeared as a guest in the hit sitcom All in the Family as Maude Findlay. This guest appearance led to her own series, Maude, in 1972. During its six year run, the show dealt with controversial topics for the era, including abortion, and earned Arthur an Emmy for her work. In 1978 she appeared in the television special The Star Wars’ Holiday Special.
In 1985 Arthur appeared in a new sitcom called The Golden Girls; she played Dorothy Zbornak, a past middle-age substitute teacher who lived in Miami, Florida with four other women. The show; which co-starred Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty; became an immediate hit and ran for seven seasons until it was cancelled after Arthur left the show. AfterThe Golden Girls Arthur kept a low profile and only appeared in a couple of movies: For Better or Worse in 1996 which was directed by and starred Jason Alexander and Enemies of Laughter in 2000 with Peter Falk and Kathy Griffin. In 2002 she made a return to Broadway with her one-woman show Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends. The performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Special Theatrical Event. Arthur is a committed animal rights activist and has taken part in numerous campaigns for PETA. She has even gone so far as to boycott Kentucky Fried Chicken because of their maltreatment of chickens. Arthur lives on a ranch in California and is said to dislike watching her own performances on television and film. She is best friends with Angela Lansbury, whom she met while filming Mame, and is also friends with actress Shirley MacLaine.
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