Estelle Getty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Estelle Getty
Getty at the 1989 41st Primetime Emmy Awards
Born	Estelle Scher (1923-07-25)July 25, 1923 Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Died	July 22, 2008(2008-07-22) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California
Resting place	Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress, comedian
Years active	c. 1940s–2001
Notable work	The Golden Girls The Golden Palace Empty Nest
Height	4 ft 10+1⁄2 in (149 cm)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Arthur Gettleman ​ ​ (m. 1947; died 2004)​
Children	2

Estelle Gettleman (born Estelle Scher; July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008), known as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedian. She was best known for playing Sophia Petrillo on the TV show The Golden Girls (1985–1992). For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. She also played Sophia in other shows like Empty Nest, The Golden Palace, and Blossom.

Estelle Getty also appeared in movies such as Mask (1985), Mannequin (1987), and Stuart Little (1999). She stopped acting in 2001 because of health problems. She passed away in 2008 from a brain condition called Lewy body dementia.

Early Life

Estelle Scher was born in New York City on July 25, 1923. Her parents, Charles and Sarah Scher, were Jewish immigrants from Poland. They lived in an apartment that was also their family's glass business. Estelle had a sister named Rosilyn and a brother named Samuel. As a child, her family called her Etty.

Her father installed glass windows in cars and trucks. Her mother was a homemaker, meaning she managed the household. Every Friday, her father took the family to the Academy of Music. They watched a movie and a live show called vaudeville. Watching these shows made Estelle want to become an actress.

After finishing Seward Park High School, Estelle lived at home. Her father was not sure she could be a successful actress. So, she worked as a secretary. This job allowed her to go to auditions in the afternoons and evenings while still earning money.

Acting Career

For many years, Estelle Getty acted in plays in New York. She also worked another job and raised her two sons. But it was hard for her to get noticed for her acting skills.

Breakthrough Role

In 1982, when she was almost 60 years old, she got her big break. She played Mrs. Beckoff in the Broadway play Torch Song Trilogy. The writer, Harvey Fierstein, wrote the part just for her. People praised her performance a lot. She even received a Drama Desk Award nomination. She continued to play this role for four years.

The Golden Girls and Other Shows

In 1985, her role in Torch Song Trilogy helped her get cast as Sophia Petrillo on the new TV show The Golden Girls. To look like an older mother in her 80s, Getty wore wigs, special clothes, and heavy makeup. In real life, she was actually a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played her TV daughter, Dorothy. In 1988, Getty won her most famous award, a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, for her work on the show.

The Golden Girls ended in 1992 after seven seasons. The show was very popular, often ranking among the top 10 TV shows. After The Golden Girls, Getty, along with co-stars Rue McClanahan and Betty White, starred in a spin-off show called The Golden Palace. This show lasted for one season. Getty then appeared in other TV shows like Empty Nest, Nurses, Blossom, Touched by an Angel, Mad About You, and The Nanny.

During her time on The Golden Girls, Estelle Getty wrote her autobiography. It was called If I Knew Then, What I Know Now... So What?. She also released an exercise video for older people in 1993.

Personal Life

Family Life

Estelle met Arthur Gettleman at a party. She later used his last name for her stage name. They got married on December 21, 1947. They had two sons, Carl and Barry. They stayed married until Arthur passed away in 2004.

After they married, they lived in the Bronx for a while. After their sons were born, they moved to Oakland Gardens in Queens. Arthur worked with Estelle's father in the glass business. For some years, from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, Estelle lived in California for The Golden Girls. Arthur stayed in New York because he did not want to leave.

Helping Others

Estelle Getty was very involved in helping people with HIV/AIDS. Her friends, like Harvey Fierstein and Rosie O'Donnell, said she lost close friends and family to the disease. This included her nephew, Steven Scher, whom she cared for. She also lost her Torch Song Trilogy co-star, Court Miller. In 1996, she helped open a special care center for AIDS patients called Beacon Place in Greensboro, North Carolina. This was her nephew's hometown.

Later Years and Death

Estelle Getty passed away on July 22, 2008, at her home in Los Angeles. She was 84 years old. Her family said she died from Lewy body dementia, a brain condition that affects memory and thinking. She was buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Her headstone says "With Love and Laughter" and has a Star of David, showing her Jewish faith.

Her co-stars from The Golden Girls, Bea Arthur, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan, were very sad. They said that her illness had made it hard for her to talk with them or recognize them. She had started showing signs of memory problems during the filming of The Golden Girls. Even though she had acted for over 30 years, she began to struggle to remember her lines. In later seasons, she had to use cue cards to help her.

What She Acted In

Movies

TV Shows

Stage Plays

See also

In Spanish: Estelle Getty para niños