Bea Arthur

Actress-comedienne Bea Arthur was born Bernice Frankel on May 13, 1922 in New York City to a Jewish family. She grew up in Maryland, where her parents ran a dress shop. At 12 years old, she was the tallest girl in her school at 5'9". She earned the title of "Wittiest Girl" in her school, and her dream was to be in show business, but didn't think her family would support her on that. She then worked as a laboratory technician, drove a truck, and worked as a typist in the Marine Corps. Her brief first marriage ended in divorce. Afterwards, she told her parents she wanted to pursue a career in show business, and they supported her decision to join the New York's Dramatic Workshop for the New School for Social Research. Arthur (her acting name based on a variation of her first husband's surname) played classical and dramatic roles, but it would be years before she found her niche in comedy. Her breakthrough came on stage while appearing in the musical play "The Threepenny Opera," with Lotte Lenya.

Before she was a successful actress and comedienne, Bea Arthur was one of the first women to become an active-duty United States Marine. She volunteered and served during World War II as a truck driver and a typist in the Marine Corps. She was stationed at Marine Corps and Navy air stations in Virginia and North Carolina. During her military career, Arthur's rank went from private to corporal to sergeant to staff sergeant, the title she held upon her honorable discharge in September 1945.

For one season in the 1950's, she was a regular on Sid Caesar's television show,Caesar's Hour (1954).

Survived by her two sons, Matthew Saks (born July 14, 1961) and Daniel Saks (born May 8, 1964), whom she and former husband Gene Saks adopted at birth.

In 1964, she became truly famous as Yente the Matchmaker, in the original Broadway production of "Fiddler on the Roof". While a small supporting role, Arthur stole the show night after night.

In 1966, she went to work on a new Broadway musical, "Mame", directed by her second husband, Gene Saks, winning a Tony Award for the featured role of Vera Charles. The show's star, Angela Lansbury, also won a Tony Award, and she and Bea became lifelong friends.

In 1971, Arthur appeared on the hit sitcom All in the Family (1971) as Maude Findlay, Edith Bunker's cousin, who was forever driving Archie Bunker crazy with her liberal politics.

The guest appearance led to Arthur's own series, Maude (1972). The show was a hit, running for six years, during which many controversial topics of the time, including abortion, were tackled, and Bea won her first Emmy Award.

While doing Maude (1972), Arthur repeated the role of Vera Charles in the film version of Mame (1974), again directed by Gene Saks, but it was a dismal flop.

While appearing in Maude (1972), she raised her two sons, whom she had adopted with husband Gene Saks. After the show ended, so did her marriage to Saks. She never remarried, and became a lifelong animal rights' activist.

She also appeared on The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978).

Was the popular national spokesperson for Canadian drug store chain Shoppers Drug Mart in television and radio commercials throughout the 1980s.

In 1983, she started working on a new sitcom, Amanda's (1983), patterned after BritaIn's Fawlty Towers (1975) but it was short-lived.

In 1985, came The Golden Girls (1985) made its debut. Co-starring Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show was about the lives of three middle-aged women, and one's elderly mother, (played by Getty, who was actually younger than White and Arthur), living in Miami. It was an immediate hit, running for seven seasons. All of the cast members, including Arthur, won Emmy Awards during the show's run. She left when she thought each show was at its peak. The producers realized the shows wouldn't be the same without her.

The three lead actresses made appearances together for the rest of the decade to promote DVD releases of The Golden Girls (1985).

In 1992, The Golden Girls (1985) was canceled.

Arthur kept a low profile, appearing in only two movies: For Better or Worse (1995) and Enemies of Laughter (2000).

Once appeared on Judge Judy (1996) as a witness for a defendant who was involved with the animal rights organization PETA. The defendant won.

Her son, Daniel Saks, was the set designer for the sitcom Dharma & Greg (1997).

They appeared together for the last time in 1998, at the TV Land Awards, receiving a standing ovation as they accepted the Pop Culture Award. She attended, with Angela Lansbury, her induction into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

In 1999, Arthur made an appearance at The N. Y.

Friars Club Roast of Jerry Stiller (1999).

Arthur won Emerson College's Musical Theater Society's Achievement Award in 2000.

She did a one-woman stage show in 2001, for which she received a Tony Award nomination.

In 2002 she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event for her one-woman show "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends".

In 2003, she reunited with Betty White and Rue McClanahan for The Golden Girls (1985) reunion special on the Lifetime Channel. Noticeably absent was supporting actress Estelle Getty, who was ill.

Won an award of achievement from Emerson College's Musical Theater Society, in Boston, Massachusetts. [2006].

Words of remembrance for "Time" magazine's milestones tribute by TV critic Jim Poniewozik (Issue: May 11, 2009).

In May 2013 a nude painting of her sold for $1.9 million in New York City.