Estelle Scher-Gettleman (July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008), better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre. She was best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992, which won her an Emmy and a Golden Globe, on The Golden Palace from 1992 to 1993 and on Empty Nest from 1993 to 1995. In her later years, after retiring from acting, she battled Lewy body dementia.
July 25, 1923, New York City, New York, United States
Died
July 22, 2008, Los Angeles, California, United States
Place Of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Height
4' 10½" (1.49 m)
Profession
Actress, Soundtrack
Education
Seward Park Campus
Nationality
American
Spouse
Arthur Gettleman (m. 1947–2004)
Children
Barry Gettleman, Carl Gettleman
Parents
Charles Scher, Sarah Scher
Siblings
David Scher, Rosilyn Scher
Awards
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy, TV Land Quintessential Non-Traditional Family Award, Helen Hayes Awards for outstanding Supporting Performer, Visiting Product...
Nominations
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, TV Land Favorite "Big, Bad Momma" Award
Movies
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Mannequin, Mask, Tootsie, Stuart Little, Fortune Hunters, A Match Made in Heaven, Team Mates, Deadly Force, Barry Manilow: Copacabana, No Man's Land
TV Shows
Ladies Man, Empty Nest, The Golden Palace, The Golden Girls, Fantasy Island, City, Wish Kids
Star Sign
Leo
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Quote
1
The only time you'll see me as a Democrat is when I play Sophia. In the real world I'm a Republican from head to toe.
2
Playing Mother Beckoff for five years on stage was the role of a lifetime and I was really angry when they gave the part to Anne Bancroft [in the film]. She was just too loud and played too hard at being Jewish. EG -- referring to her career-making role in "Torch Song Trilogy".
3
Being tiny has been difficult for me in a business that regarded physicality as the most important part of your life. And I always had to fight against the fact that I could do things even though I was small. And eventually I proved to them I could play mother to six footers".
4
People assume that I'm wiser than I am because I'm somewhat successful. Age does not bring you wisdom, age brings you wrinkles. If you're dumb when you're young, you're going to be dumb when you're old.
5
If there are two things you want to do in life and one of them is acting...do the other.
6
I've played mothers to heroes and mothers to zeroes. I've played Irish mothers, Jewish mothers, Italian mothers, Southern mothers, New England mothers, mothers in plays by Neil Simon and Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams. I've played mother to everyone but Attila the Hun.
7
Too many of you, my friends, are dying. Now it's time for me to do my part and help you. - on launching her fundraising for AIDS research in honor of her gay friends and fans
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Fact
1
Between The Golden Girls (1985), The Golden Palace (1992), and "Empty Nest" (1988)_, she played Sophia Petrillo for ten consecutive seasons.
2
Health has deteriorated considerably - although there is a Golden Girls reunion Program being considered, she is too ill to take part in the show. [July 2003]
3
Although her character of Sophia often made jokes about the Republican party on The Golden Girls (1985) Getty herself was a registered Republican, a fact she recognized in her personal biography.
4
Passed away only three days before her 85th birthday. She was survived by her 2 sons and 2 grandchildren.
5
In 1991, as later reported in Star magazine, Getty helped her 29-year-old nephew Steven Scher, who was suffering from the final stages of AIDS and near death. Because his parents lived in England and his friends were no longer able to care for him in Greensboro, North Carolina, Getty took it upon herself to have him flown to California and admitted to hospice care. He died in January 1992.
6
Was nicknamed "Slats" by her Golden Girls costars because of her short height and light weight.
7
Her nephew Stephen died from AIDS in January 1992 at the age of 29.
8
Her parents, Sarah (Lacher) and Charles Scher, were Polish Jewish immigrants. She had two siblings, a brother, David, and a sister, Rosilyn.
9
She had 2 children with her late husband Arthur Gettleman: sons 'Carl Gettleman' and Barry Gettleman.
Retired in 2000 after revealing she had health issues. In the mid 1990s, she was misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease. By the end of the 1990s, she was misdiagnosed again, this time with Alzheimer's disease. Later, she was correctly diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, which has similar symptoms to both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
14
Getty's career actually began when she was much younger on the 'borscht belt' circuit and Yiddish stage, but she gave it up to raise a family. She returned to acting much later and became a hit on Broadway as Harvey Fierstein's meddling mom in "Torch Song Trilogy". It was the L.A. tour of this show that led to her being cast in The Golden Girls (1985) and at age 62 she became an "overnight" TV star.
15
Getty played mother to Bea Arthur on The Golden Girls (1985), however, Bea is actually 15½ months older than Estelle. Estelle was born on July 25, 1923 and Bea was born on May 13, 1922.
Herself - Nominee: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Live with Kelly and Michael
1989
TV Series
Herself
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1989
TV Series
Herself
The Pat Sajak Show
1989
TV Series
Herself
Hour Magazine
1987-1988
TV Series
Herself
The 40th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1988
TV Special
Herself - Winner: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Mickey's 60th Birthday
1988
TV Movie
Herself
The 2nd Annual American Comedy Awards
1988
TV Special
Herself - Presenter
Comic Relief '87
1987
TV Special
Herself
The 32th Annual Thalians Ball
1987
TV Movie
Herself
The 39th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1987
TV Special
Herself - Nominee
The Morning Program
1987
TV Series
Herself
This Is Your Life
1987
TV Special
Herself
The 13th Annual People's Choice Awards
1987
TV Special
Herself - Co-Presenter: Favourite Male Performer in New Television Show
The Late Show
1986
TV Series
Herself
The New Hollywood Squares
1986
TV Series
Herself
The 38th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1986
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Fame, Fortune and Romance
1986
TV Series
Herself
NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration
1986
TV Special documentary
Herself
Comic Relief
1986/I
TV Special
Herself
The 12th Annual People's Choice Awards
1986
TV Special
Herself - Accepting Award for Favourite New Television Comedy Program
The 43rd Annual Golden Globe Awards
1986
TV Special
Herself - Winner: Best Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy / Musical
All-Star Party for 'Dutch' Reagan
1985
TV Special
Herself
The Merv Griffin Show
1985
TV Series
Herself - Actress
Intimate Portrait
2000-2003
TV Series documentary
Herself / Herself - Interviewee
TV Tales
2002
TV Series
Herself
Hollywood Squares
1998
TV Series
Herself
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996-1998
TV Series
Herself
Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game
1997
TV Series
Herself
1996 MTV Movie Awards
1996
TV Special
Herself
The Geraldo Rivera Show
1996
TV Series
Herself
The John Larroquette Show
1996
TV Series
Herself
The Crew
1995
TV Series
Herself
Vicki!
1992
TV Series
Herself
The 44th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1992
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The 6th Annual American Comedy Awards
1992
TV Special
Herself
One on One with John Tesh
1992
TV Series
Herself
The 49th Annual Golden Globe Awards
1992
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
The Making of 'Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot'
1992
Video short
Herself
The 43rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1991
TV Special
Herself - Nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series & Presenter: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
The 48th Annual Golden Globe Awards
1991
TV Special
Herself - Presenter: Best Actress / Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
The 17th Annual People's Choice Awards
1991
TV Special
Herself - Co-Presenter: Favourite New Television Comedy Series
The 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
1990
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series / Presenter: Outstanding Drama / Comedy Special & Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
The Marsha Warfield Show
1990
TV Series
Herself
Night of 100 Stars III
1990
TV Movie
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
CBS This Morning
2014
TV Series
Herself
Inside the Actors Studio
2010
TV Series
Herself
15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
2009
TV Special
Herself - Memorial Tribute
Entertainment Tonight
2008
TV Series
Herself
The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards
2008
TV Special
Herself - In Memoriam
TV's All-Time Funniest: A Paley Center for Media Special
2008
TV Special
Herself
Memòries de la tele
2007
TV Series
Herself / Sophia Petrillo
Las 50 imágenes de nuestra vida
2006
TV Movie
Sophia Petrillo
La imagen de tu vida
2006
TV Series
Sophia Petrillo
TV's Greatest Sidekicks
2004
TV Special
Celebrities Uncensored
2004
TV Series
Herself
Biography
2003
TV Series documentary
Sophia Petrillo on 'The Golden GirIs'
The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments
2003
TV Movie documentary
Sophia Petrillo
Funny Women of Television
1991
TV Movie documentary
Herself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2003
TV Land Award
TV Land Awards
Quintessential Non-Traditional Family
The Golden Girls (1985)
1993
Razzie Award
Razzie Awards
Worst Supporting Actress
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
1992
American Comedy Award
American Comedy Awards, USA
Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series
The Golden Girls (1985)
1991
American Comedy Award
American Comedy Awards, USA
Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series
The Golden Girls (1985)
1988
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Golden Girls (1985)
1986
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
The Golden Girls (1985)
1986
Golden Apple
Golden Apple Awards
Female Star of the Year
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2004
TV Land Award
TV Land Awards
Favorite "Big, Bad Momma"
The Golden Girls (1985)
1992
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Golden Girls (1985)
1992
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Golden Girls (1985)
1991
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Golden Girls (1985)
1990
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Golden Girls (1985)
1989
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
The Golden Girls (1985)
1987
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
$19 Million
