• Bea Arthur was an American actress, best known for her leading roles in television sitcoms, including The Golden Girls and Maude.

  Arthur passed away on April 25, 2009, at the age of 86. Her family confirmed that the actress had been suffering from cancer.

• Fast Facts

  1. Born: May 13, 1922, in New York City
  2. Birth name: Bernice Frankel
  3. Grew up on the Eastern shore in Cambridge, Maryland
  4. Died: April 25, 2009, cancer
  5. Known for her distinctive deep voice
  6. Played Maude in TV sitcom Maude
  7. Played Dorthy in The Golden Girls
  8. Obtained last name of Arthur during brief marriage in 1950s
  9. Won an Emmy Award for leading role in Maude in 1977
  10. Won a Tony Award for role in the musical Mame
  11. Didn't become a TV actress until in her 50's
  12. Had previously acted in exclusively theater
  13. Height: 5'9"

• Early Life

  Born Bernice Frankel in New York City, Arthur dreamed of becoming a theater-comedy starlet from an early age. Reaching a height of 5'9" by the age of 12 and obtaining her distinctively deep voice, she was often cast as male roles in her school plays. After obtaining a degree as a medical lab technician, Arthur enrolled in drama school in 1947.

• Stardom

  After touring the New York City theater circuit for over three decades, Arthur burst onto the television screen with a role in All in The Family, which proved so popular as to draw its own side-project which became Maude. Following her departure from Maude in 1977, Arthur went on to star as Dorthy in The Golden Girls.

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