God'll Get You

[filkertom]

Sadness. Actress Bea Arthur, known best for her Emmy-award-winning roles as Dorothy Zbornak on Golden Girls and as the titular character on Maude, and who also won a Tony on Broadway for her role as Vera Charles in Mame, has passed away at the age of 86.

Of course, we all love her for bringing the tiniest dollop of class to the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Comments

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

I have such admiration for this woman. Maude is an incredible character even by today's standards, let alone in her own time period. And like everyone else of my generation, I grew up with Dorothy and the rest of the girls. And following her theatre, her appearances...just an amazing lady. I'm very sad to hear of this loss.

I don't know how one can pass peacefully from cancer, but if it's possible, I hope she did.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear this. I always liked Bea Arthur, and I remember my mother adored her as both Maude and Dorothy. Ironically I watched GOLDEN GIRLS a few nights ago for the first time in years.

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

(sigh) Damn it.

Well, let me add to this. One of my favorite moments is one of her shorter roles, a cameo appearance as an unemployment clerk in ancient Rome opposite Mel Brooks in his classic, History of the World: Part I where she (rightly?) equates the profession "stand-up philosopher" with "bullshit artist."

"Did you bullshit this week? Did you TRY to bullshit this week?"

In a movie full of memorable moments, her lines stand out in my mind to this day.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

yes.
Just Yes.

I never watched Golden Girls. I wasn't allowed to watch Maude. I saw Bea mostly on variety shows and as a guest star.

I adored her. Tall, with a deep voice, and totally unashamed of it.

She will be missed

[mimiheart.livejournal.com]

There are very few shows that the entire family can sit down and actually enjoy together. Not just shows that are "safe" for kids to watch, or shows that parents can tolerate, but shows that everyone in the family can actually enjoy.

I remember watching Golden Girls growing up. I still watch it today. My husband watches it... my son watches it. The things I find funny today are probably different than what I liked about it when I was little, but it's timeless.

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

*sniff*

Yisgadal v'yiskadash sh'mei rabah...............

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

May she rest in peace.

[baphnedia.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll pass on the news. Are any of the Golden Girls still alive and kicking?

[alfiechat.livejournal.com]

Rue and Betty are the only ones left right now. I think Estelle Getty died sometime last year.

[kilbia.livejournal.com]

When my friend and troupe-mate Helen camped out in line for Star Wars Ep 3 tickets (it was a serious production, fund-raiser sort of event, don't recall the details), she actually cosplayed as Bea Arthur's character in the Holiday Special. I lent her stuff from my closet to put that costume together. =)

[90scartoonman.livejournal.com]

That is pretty awesome.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Well, crap. She was teh awesome as an actress, and I'm told she was a good person as well.

Requiescat

[kshandra]

As shaysdays put it in her post on the same subject, the world is a little less ballsy today.

Edited for the relevant icon

[aulayan.livejournal.com]

We say goodbye to the World's Sexiest Woman.

In all seriousness, She had a long and full life. fuller than many. She got to do what she loved and make a living doing it. And she'll be remembered for longer than most will.

Congratulations Bea, you won at life.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, yes. Ballsy and wonderful, yes. But Susan Sarandon is the World's Sexiest Woman.

[metafrantic.livejournal.com]

Ah that's terrible. I loved the Girls, and as was mentioned, her cameo in History of the World, Part I stole the show.

I'll add to her list of great work the voicework she did for the Futurama episode Amazon Women In the Mood (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0584431/). The woman had impeccable comic timing, and a broad sense of humor.

Man, this year is shaping up to be as hard as 2008 in terms of great losses.

[pagawne.livejournal.com]

May she rest in peace.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Bea Arthur's Maude made television history when she got an abortion. (Try to get away with showing that as the best possible option for a woman in these Knocked Up / Juno days...)

Believe she also played Yenta the Matchmaker in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof -- can still hear that brassy voice "The way she sees and the way he looks, it's a perfect match!"

Damn it, I thought Bea Arthur was incapable of dying.