Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress whose razor-sharp delivery made her a TV star in sitcoms Maude and The Golden Girls, has died. She was 86.
Arthur died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, spokesman Dan Watt said. She had cancer.
"She was a brilliant and witty woman," said Watt, who was Arthur's personal assistant for six years.
Arthur first appeared in landmark sitcom All in the Family as Edith Bunker's loudly outspoken, liberal cousin, Maude Finley, proving a perfect foil for blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor). Their exchanges were so entertaining that producer Norman Lear fashioned Arthur's own series.
Maude was a hit immediately on its CBS debut in September 1972, and Arthur won an Emmy Award for the role in 1977.
The comedy flowed from Maude's efforts to cast off the traditional restraints women faced, but the series often had a serious base. Her husband Walter (Bill Macy) became an alcoholic, and she underwent an abortion, which drew a torrent of viewer protests.
Its early ratings approached those of its parent, All in the Family, but by 1977 the audience started to dwindle. In early 1978 Arthur announced she was quitting the show.
Golden Girls (1985-1992) was another groundbreaking comedy, finding surprising success in a market increasingly skewed toward a younger, product-buying audience.
It concerned three retirees - Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan - and the mother of Arthur's character, Estelle Getty, who lived together in Miami.
As Dorothy Zbornak, Arthur seemed as caustic and domineering as Maude, but she was unconcerned about the similarity of the two roles.
The interplay among the four women and their relations with men fueled the comedy, and the show amassed a big audience and 10 Emmys, including two as best comedy series and awards for each of the stars.
In 1992, Arthur said she was leaving Golden Girls. The other stars returned in The Golden Palace, but it lasted only one season. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Contributed by The Standard and AFP – 27.04.09