The Golden Girls 40 years on: What did the cast do after the show?
8 September 2026, 15:22
Still as well-loved as ever, what did Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty get up to after the show ended?
Can you believe it's been over 40 years since one of the most beloved series, The Golden Girls, ended?
Delving into the world of four iconic older women living together in Miami, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan explore life after becoming divorcees and widows. The iconic foursome carried the show from 1985 to 1992, with 68 Emmy nominations in total over its ever-so-popular seven seasons.
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Even after four decades since it premiered, fans still adore the timeless sitcom and the cast that brought the characters to life. We take a look back at the Golden Girls and what they did following the show:
Bea Arthur - Dorothy Zbornak
Bea Arthur played the straight-talking, no-nonsense Dorothy Zbornak. Arguably, the most grounded of the foursome.
Even before joining the cast of The Golden Girls, Bea was a Tony and Emmy winner after starring in hit shows Mame and Maude.
After the sitcom ended in 1992, Bea did not sign on to star in the spin-off The Golden Palace. Although, she did appear in two episodes of the first season to help the story transition. Instead, Bea decided to focus on live theatre and toured her one-woman stage shows, including her self-titled Bea Arthur on Broadway - Just Between Friends.
On screen, she made guest appearances on shows such as Futurama and Malcolm in the Middle. The star had 11 Emmy nominations in total, and was inducted into The Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2008, making her one of the most Emmy-recognised actresses in comedy history.
Bea died of lung cancer in 2009, aged 86, survived by her two children.
Betty White - Rose Nylund
The kind-hearted, ditzy Rose was played by Betty White.
Starting her career in radio, Betty was the co-host of the show Hollywood on Television, and later hosted her own self-titled show, The Betty White Show. However, Betty was always destined for TV, and by the late 1970s she had already bagged two Emmys for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Following The Golden Girls ending, Betty remained working on television, even winning two more Emmys for appearing on The John Larroquette Show and hosting the iconic Saturday Night Live. In 2009, the actress also landed a role alongside Sandra Bullock in The Proposal, then dabbled in voice acting in Toy Story 4 and The Lorax.
Betty White died in 2021, aged 99 – just weeks before her 100th birthday.
Rue McClanahan - Blanche Devereaux
Four-time Emmy-nominated Rue McClanahan played the promiscuous and confident Blanche Devereaux.
Rue began her acting career on stage in the late 1950s, making her Broadway debut in 1969. However, she moved on to television and film, starring in All in the Family, and then alongside Bea Arthur in Maude.
The actress stayed busy after The Golden Girls ended; she returned to Broadway in 2001, starring in The Woman alongside Jennifer Coolidge and Cynthia Nixon. Then in 2005, she starred as Madame Morrible in the hit Broadway show Wicked. After writing a book in 2007 titled My First Five Husbands ... and the Ones Who Got Away, Rue penned details about her six marriages and having one son.
Rue died in 2010, aged 76.
Estelle Getty - Sophia Petrillo
Estelle Getty played the unfiltered Sophia Petrillo, the mother of Dorothy. Although she was a year younger in real life, the production team played with heavy makeup, clothing and wigs to morph her into the Sicilian mother.
The role in the sitcom landed her an Emmy in 1988 for Supporting Actress, although she was nominated for seven awards in total for her role.
Following the original series and the spin-off The Golden Palace, Estelle joined her three girls who reprised their roles as guest stars on the spin-off Empty Nest in 1988. Away from The Golden Girls, the actress starred in films such as Mask (1985) and Stuart Little (1999). Her final roles were in Mad About You and The Nanny before she retired.
Estelle died in 2008, aged 84, four years after her husband Arthur Gettleman, whom she was married to for 57 years and had two children.
