Bea Arthur

Beatrice Arthur born Bernice Frankel May 13 1922 April 25 2009 was an American actress and comedian Born and raised in Brooklyn New York City Arthur began her career on stage in 1947 attracting critical acclaim before achieving worldwide recognition for her work on television beginning in the 1970s as Maude Findlay in the popular sitcoms All in the Family 19711972 and Maude 19721978 and later in the 1980s and 1990s as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls 19851992 She won several accolades throughout her career beginning with the 1966 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Vera Charles in Mame She won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1977 for Maude and 1988 for The Golden Girls Arthur has received the third most nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series with nine only Julia LouisDreyfus 11 and Mary Tyler Moore 10 have more She was inducted into the academys Television Hall of Fame in 2008 Her film appearances include Lovers and Other Strangers 1970 and the film version of Mame 1974 In 2002 she starred in the onewoman show Bea Arthur on Broadway Just Between Friends An obituary described Arthur as the tall deepvoiced actress whose razorsharp delivery of comedy lines made her a TV star She served in the US Marine Corps Womens Reserve in World War II Description above from the Wikipedia article Bea Arthur licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia