Tongs: Estelle Getty

ESTELLE GETTY IS NOW DEAD - Estelle, thank you for being a friend

A litigation lawyer comments: Don't forget, it's not possible to defame the dead. This page is thus now kosher.

Estelle Getty on the TongsWiki: The internet's #1 resource for Estelle Getty information

Background and early career

Born as Estelle Scher on 25 July 1923, to Polish immigrants in the lower East side of New York, Getty's acting career began in her youth on the 'borscht belt' circuit and Yiddish stage. Despite early success, she gave it all up after marrying Arthur Gettleman in 1946, in order to raise her children Carl and Barry. During this period she worked as a secretary for a lawyer and at a paper company, although she continued to nurture her acting career in numerous theatrical performances in New York City.

The Golden years

It wasn't until 1978 that she returned to acting (in the now forgotten teen comedy Team Mates: Young Gangs of Wildwood High). After two small roles in the critically acclaimed classics Tootsie (1982) and Mask (1985), she took a major role was in the Broadway hit Torch Song Trilogy, in which she played Harvey Fierstein's meddling mother. It was during the show's succesful tour in Los Angeles in 1985 that Getty, then 62, was finally spotted by the producers of The Golden Girls and cast as Bea Arthur's meddling mother Sophia Spirelli Petrillo-Weinstock (although Getty was actually two months and twelve days younger than Arthur; the illusion was maintained through heavy make-up). Getting the part was not easy, however. After auditioning four times for the role, she was called in yet again for another reading. Determined to get the role, Getty hired a makeup artist to age her and bought a voluminous second hand polyester dress and a handbag from local charity stores. She wore the costume throughout her recall, and remained in character throughout, ultimately persuading the producers she was right for the part.

The character of Sofia was an immediate and enduring hit, and featured not only in 180 episodes of the Golden Girls itself, but also 24 episodes of its weaker sequel, The Golden Palace (1992) and guest appearences as Sophia in Empty Nest (in 1991), Blossom (in 1991) and Nurses (in 1993). Still, it was for the Golden Girls that Getty won an Emmy in 1988.

Getty's career truly took off in Mannequin in 1987, when she upstaged Kim Cattrall's Emmy Hesire as Mrs Claire Prince Timkin, owner of a failing department store. More recently Getty was seen in a minor role in the Michael J Fox / Hugh Laurie collaboration Stuart Little, as 'Grandma Estelle Little'.

In addition to Sophia, she played Cher's mother in Mask, Barry Manilow's in Copacabana, Sylvester Stallone's in Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot and Arnold Beckoff's in Torch Song Trilogy. In her autobiography, If I Knew Then What I Know Now... So What? (1988), Getty writes "I've played mothers to heroes and mothers to zeroes. I've played Irish mothers, Jewish mothers, Italian mothers, Southern mothers, mothers in plays by Neil Simon and Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. I've played mother to everyone but Attila the Hun."

Other interests

Getty was apparently very popular with the gay community, and although really only celebrated as a piece of pop culture kitsch she returned the favour with public support for gay rights and fundraising for AIDS research, proclaiming "too many of you my friends are dying. Now it's time for me to do my part and help you." He who wasn't there, he missed a great thing.

Getty retired from public life in 2000 after revealing she had Parkinson's disease, and in 2002 further revealed she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. By 2003 it seems the tables were turned and it was her, not the gays, who were dying. Her health had deteriorated considerably and she was reportedly too ill to take part in a reunion of the Golden Girls, and by November 2004 it was widely reported she was suffering from severe dementia. She continues to struggle for bitter life, in Los Angeles.

At the height of her career, Getty still measured just 4 feet 10½ inches (1.49 metres).

Full filmography

The Million Dollar Kid (2000) as Sister Rosanne
Stuart Little (1999) as Grandma Estelle Little
The Sissy Duckling (1999) (TV) (voice) as "Schoolteacher"
A Match Made in Heaven (1997) (TV movie)
The Golden Palace (1992) TV Series as Sophia Spirelli Petrillo-Weinstock
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) as Tutti Bomowski
Empty Nest (1988) TV Series as Sophia Spirelli Petrillo-Weinstock (1994-1995)
Mannequin (1987) as Mrs. Claire Prince Timkin
Copacabana (1985) (TV) as Bella Stern
The Golden Girls (1985) TV Series as Sophia Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock
Mask (1985) as Evelyn
Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story (1984)
No Man's Land (1984) (TV) as Eurol Muller
Deadly Force (1983) as Gussie
Tootsie (1982) as "Middle-Aged Woman"
Team-Mates (1978) as "Teacher" (aka Young Gangs of Wildwood High / Youth Gangs)

Awards

1988 Emmy for Oustanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (The Golden Girls)
1986 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series-Comedy / Musical (The Golden Girls)