Tall, deep-voiced American actress Beatrice Arthur, born Beatrice Frankel, was best known for her television work on the long-running series Maude and The Golden Girls, but she also occasionally appeared in films. Her most famous film is 1973's Mame in which she played Vera Charles, the role she originated on Broadway.
Bea Arthur
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- Attended New York's Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research with Tony Curtis, Harry Belafonte, Marlon Brando, Walter Matthau and Rod Steiger.
- Made TV debut in a 1951 episode of Kraft Television Theatre, which led to steadier work on Caesar's Hour.
- Debuted on Broadway in a 1954 production of The Threepenny Opera.
- She was two months younger than Estelle Getty, who played her sharp-tongued mother, Sophia Petrillo, on Golden Girls.
- Was an avid supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).