Bea Arthur Dies at 86
Bea Arthur, best known for her role as Dorothy Zbornak on the sitcom The Golden Girls, has died.
She was 86.
Dan Watt, her spokesman and former assistant, told the Associated Press the actress passed away at her home early Saturday after a battle with cancer. He declined to give further details.
“She was a brilliant and witty woman,” said Watt. “Bea will always have a special place in my heart.”
The actress — whose Golden Girls costar Estelle Getty died last year — won a Tony Award in 1966 for the musical Mame.
She also picked up Emmy Awards for Maude and The Golden Girls.
Her domineering on Maude was much like her role on The Golden Girls — but Arthur said she never worried about typecasting.
“Look – I’m 5-feet-9, I have a deep voice and I have a way with a line,” she once said. “What can I do about it? I can’t stay home waiting for something different. I think it’s a total waste of energy worrying about typecasting.”
