On May 13, 1922, Bea Arthur was born in Brooklyn, NY. She is best known for her Emmy-winning roles in the groundbreaking sitcoms “Maude” and “Golden Girls.” Along with her acting career that spanned seven decades, Arthur was a dedicated activist for animal, gay and women’s rights.
Arthur first became interested in acting as a member of the Blackstone College for Girls’ drama program. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve during World War II, she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. Her Broadway debut was
in “Fiddler on the Roof” in 1964, playing Yente the Matchmaker. In 1966, her portrayal of Vera Charles in “Mame” earned her a Tony Award.
Although she was already an accomplished stage actress and singer, Arthur became a television favorite starting in the early 1970s. TV audiences were first introduced to Arthur as Maude Findlay during her 1971 guest appearance on “All in the Family.” She played Edith Bunker’s liberal sister who battles with Edith’s infamously conservative husband, Archie. Maude was such a hit on the episode that Norman Lear, the creator of “All in the Family,” gave her a spin-off show.
From 1972-1978, “Maude” used comedy to address some of the hot-button issues of the day, including alcoholism, drug abuse and infidelity. During the first season, Maude, who is in her late 40s, living with her fourth husband as well as her adult daughter, decides to have an abortion in a two-part episode entitled “Maude’s Dilemma.” Several CBS affiliate networks refused to broadcast the controversial episode. Arthur was praised for her portrayal of the outspoken-feminist character. She went on to win her first Emmy in 1977 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Seven years after “Maude” aired its final episode, Arthur returned to television in another pioneering sitcom, “Golden Girls.” She played Dorothy Zbornak, a divorced older woman living with her friends and her mother in Miami. By featuring a cast of actresses, (Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty) over the age of 40, “Golden Girls” broke new ground for women on sitcoms that typically featured a younger cast. Furthermore, the show contained plotlines about their active dating and sex lives, topics not previously discussed on television in relation to women “of a certain age.” In 1988, Arthur won an Emmy for her “Golden Girls” role.
Arthur shared the same liberal values as her TV counterparts, Maude and Dorothy. She was an important activist for animal rights and AIDS-related causes. Although she died from cancer in 2009, she bestowed $300,000 to a New York City organization that provides homeless LGBTQ youth with a place to live. In 2017, the Bea Arthur Residence opened its doors and was named in her honor.