Estelle Getty, peppery oldster in TV's 'Golden Girls,' dies in Los Angeles at 84
By BOB THOMAS
Associated Press Writer
                                                                                    
LOS ANGELES July 22, 2008 (AP) - Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.

Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.

"She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."

"The Golden Girls," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.

Three of its stars had already appeared in previous series: Bea Arthur in "Maude," Betty White in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rue McClanahan in "Mama's Family." The last character to be cast was Sophia Petrillo, the feisty 80-something mother of Arthur's character.

"The Golden Girls" was one of the best sitcoms of the late 1980's and for as talented as the cast was, I've always believed Estelle Getty was the real star the show.  I still think of "Sophia" first when the series comes to mind.  

R.I.P Estelle Getty.

I'm with you on it being one of the best of the 80's and I'll go out on a limb and say it's one of the best of ANY decade...it was clever and funny.  I've had friends who never watched it when it was first on and after seeing a couple of shows on DVD got hooked.

I only found out today that she was younger than Bea Arthur.  They did a great job making you believe she was her mom.  Very talented lady indeed.