Golden Girls Cast & Character Guide: Which Actors Are Still Alive? (2025)

The classic sitcom featured an all-star line-up, and some of the Golden Girls cast had major careers before and after the show was on the air. Debuting in the fall of 1985, the series follows a group of older women who live in Miami and bond over their shared life experiences and complicated love lives. Over its seven-season run on the air, The Golden Girls not only boosted its roster of established stars like Betty White and Bea Arthur, but it also went on to be one of the most progressive TV shows of its time.

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The Golden Girls broke new ground because of its portrayal of independent mature women, and the series was frequently a platform for other issues including race, class, and sexual identity. The series was a critical success, earned 68 Emmy nominations, and it found new life on streaming. The Golden Girls' short-lived sequel, The Golden Palace, kicked off a number of spinoffs, but none were able to capture the magic of the original. While cast members like Betty White were already famous from their years in TV, The Golden Girls turned its big four into bona fide household names.

Bea Arthur As Dorothy Zbornak

Arthur Passed Away In 2009 At The Age Of 2006

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Actor: Already a decades-long veteran of the small screen by the mid-1980s, Bea Arthur had made a big splash as the title character in the All in the Family spinoff Maude. Around the same time, she graced the big screen as Vera Charles in the Hollywood adaptation of the musical Mame and memorably appeared in the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special. Arthur passed away in 2009 at the age of 86.

Movie/TV Show

Role

All In The Family (1971-1972)

Maude Findlay

Maude (1972-1978)

Maude Findlay

Amanda's (1983)

Amanda Cartwright

Mame (1974)

Vera Charles

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Character: Played by Bea Arthur in the cast of The Golden Girls, Dorothy Zbornak is a no-nonsense woman whose quick temper is offset by her acerbic and biting wit. She moved to Florida after her husband, Stanley, divorced her to run off with a stewardess. She then moved in with her mother, Sophia, and her friends Rose and Blanche. Dorothy is always the one who acts as the mature member of the group, but she also likes to pick fights and create arguments for her own amusement.

Betty White As Rose Nylund

White Passed Away In 2021 At The Age Of 99

Actor: Betty White rose to fame in her long-running stint as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. After her time in the cast of The Golden Girls, White also played several notable movie characters, including Bitey White in Toy Story 4 and Grandma Annie in The Proposal. Over her career, she became known as a beloved character actor, albeit often with a filthy mouth. The celebrated actor died in December 2021, just weeks before her 100th birthday.

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Movie/TV Show

Role

The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973-1977)

Sue Ann Nivens

Mama's Family (1983-1986)

Ellen Harper Jackson

Lake Placid (1999)

Mrs. Delores Bickerman

Hot In Cleveland (2010-2015)

Elka Ostrovsky

Character: Perhaps the most well-remembered of Betty White's TV and movie roles, the comedic legend plays Rose Nylund, the ditzy and lovable retiree who often regales her pals with strange stories from her life on the farm in Minnesota. She is a widow whose husband, Charlie, died of a heart attack, and she moved in with Blanche after her apartment kicked her out for having a pet. Of all the women, she is the most supportive and the one person always willing to help someone in need.

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Rue McClanahan As Blanche Devereaux

McClanahan Passed Away In 2010 At The Age Of 76

Actor: Outside of her roles in Hollywood movies like Starship Troopers, where she played a biology teacher, Rue McClanahan's claim to fame came on TV with roles like Fran in the cast of Mama's Family, and she had previously worked with co-star Bea Arthur when she played Vivian on Maude. Rue also returned for the spinoff series The Golden Palace. After that, she spent the rest of her career mostly appearing in made-for-TV movies. McClanahan died in 2010 at the age of 76.

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Movie/TV Show

Role

Maude (1972-1978)

Vivian Cavender Harmon

Mama's Family (1983-1984)

Aunt Fran Crowley

Starship Troopers (1997)

Ruth

The Fighting Temptations (2003)

Nancy Stringer

Character: As part of the main cast of The Golden Girls, Rue McClanahan plays the Southern belle Blanche Devereaux. Though recently widowed, she is often on the lookout for a man and is usually picked on by her friends for her playful promiscuity. She owns the home that all the ladies move into, and they all rent rooms from her. She is the more arrogant of the women and often seems put out when asked to do something for others, but she always shows she has a heart of gold under that facade.

Estelle Getty As Sophia Petrillo

Getty Passed Away In 2008 At The Age Of 84

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Actor: Though Estelle Getty was always remembered for her comedic role as Sophia in The Golden Girls, she also had a prolific career in films with dramatic parts like Evelyn in Peter Bogdanovich's Mask. Getty starred as Tutti alongside Sylvester Stallone in the buddy cop movie Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, and she played department store owner Claire Timkin in Mannequin. Getty passed away at the age of 84 in 2008.

Movie/TV Show

Role

Mask (1985)

Evelyn Steinberg

Mannequin (1987)

Mrs. Claire Timkin

Empty Nest (1988-1995)

Sophia Petrillo

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)

Mrs. Tutti Bomowski

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Character: Sophia Petrillo, played by Estelle Getty in The Golden Girls, is Dorothy's mother. Her undeniable charisma and quick wit make her the lovable bane of her daughter's existence. Out of all the women, Sophia is the most outspoken, has no problem telling anyone how she feels, and will give her honest thoughts about any topic, no matter how inappropriate. In some fun trivia, despite playing Dorothy's mother, Getty was actually one year younger than Bea Arthur.

Herb Edelman As Stanley Zbornak

Edelman Passed Away In 1996 At The Age Of 62

Actor: An accomplished supporting actor, Herb Edelman was already a veteran of the big screen by the time he arrived on the sitcom. He is best known for the role of Murray in The Odd Couple. Edelman also played Harry Pepper in the film adaptation of Barefoot in the Park and Bill in the classic drama The Way We Were. He also had a recurring role on the successful hospital drama series St. Elsewhere. In 1996, Herb Edelman died at the age of 62.

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Movie/TV Show

Role

The Good Guys (1968-1970)

Bert Garmus

The Odd Couple (1868)

Murray

St. Elsewhere (1984-1988)

Richard Clarendon

Murder, She Wrote (1984-1995)

Lieutenant Artie Gelber

Character: Herb Edelman played Stanley Zbornak, Dorothy's ex-husband, whom she holds a grudge against throughout the series for his cheating ways. Stanley had left Dorothy and divorced her to run off with a stewardess before the series started, and that is what led her to move to Blanche's with Sophia. However, Stan redeemed himself in The Golden Girls finale when he supported Dorothy on her new marriage and told her that he was glad she found happiness.

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Harold Gould As Miles Webber

Gould Passed Away In 2010 At The Age Of 86

Actor: Before he appeared on Golden Girls, Harold Gould was an Emmy-nominated actor in the TV series Rhoda. Though much of his later career was made up of one-off appearances on shows like L.A. Law and Cold Case, he was mostly known for his movie role as Kid Twist in The Sting. Gould played Grandpa in the 2003 version of Freaky Friday, and he featured in the major role of Arthur Mendelson in Patch Adams. Gould died at the age of 86 in 2010.

Movie/TV Show

Role

The Sting (1973)

Kid Twist

Rhoda (1974-1978)

Martin Morgenstern

Stuart Little (1999)

Grandpa Spencer

Freaky Friday (2003)

Grandpa Alan Coleman

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Character: Appearing in the cast of The Golden Girls from season 5 onward, Harold Gould played Miles Webber, Rose's boyfriend, who is eventually revealed to be in the witness protection program. He first appeared in the fifth season of the show, and he was Rose's first serious relationship since her husband died. He remained on the show until it ended and then had a role in the spinoff series, The Golden Palace, where the two end their relationship.

The Golden Girls Supporting Cast & Characters

Sid Melton as Sal Petrillo - Introduced after The Golden Girls season 1, Sid Melton joined the cast as Sal Petrillo, Sophia's late ex-husband who is only seen in flashbacks and dream sequences. Best known for his role as Ikky Mudd in the series Captain Midnight, Melton also appeared as Joe in the gripping war drama film The Steel Helmet. Melton died in 2011 at the age of 94.

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Schepps is best known for her role in front of the camera as Nancy in The Terminator.

Shawn Schepps as Rebecca Devereaux - Shawn Schepps was the first performer to play the role of Rebecca Devereaux, Blanche's daughter who is a former model. Though she largely works behind the scenes on shows like Weeds, Schepps is best known for her role in front of the camera as Nancy in The Terminator.

Debra Engle as Rebecca Devereaux - Debra Engle took over the role of Rebecca Devereaux in season 5 of The Golden Girls and reprised the role in The Golden Palace. Engle had a multitude of one-off roles on TV series like E.R. and Crossing Jordan. She died in 2023 at the age of 69.

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Related

10 Storylines On The Golden Girls That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time

Golden Girls is a beloved comedy centered around the lives of four elderly women. Years later, some of the storylines remain way ahead of their time.

Monte Markham as Clayton Hollingsworth - Starring as one of The Golden Girls' most progressive characters, Monte Markham played Clayton Hollingsworth, Blanche's brother who has a hard time revealing his sexuality to her. Markham had a long-running stint as Captain Thorpe on Baywatch and starred in the indie horror film We Are Still Here as Dave McCabe.

Sheree North as Virginia Hollingsworth Warren - Sheree North appears in the cast of The Golden Girls as Virginia Hollingsworth Warren, Blanche's estranged sister. A perennial genre actor, North starred as Myrna in the prison film Breakout, and as Jewell in Charley Verrick. She died at age 73 in 2005.

Dana is best remembered for his variety show, The Bill Dana Show, but he also starred as Johnathan Seigle in the Get Smart movie, The Nude Bomb.

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Bill Dana as Angelo Grisanti - Playing one of the relatives of The Golden Girls' main characters, Bill Dana appears as Angelo Grisanti, Sophia's brother. Dana is best remembered for his variety show, The Bill Dana Show, but he also starred as Johnathan Seigle in the Get Smart movie, The Nude Bomb. He died in 2017 at the age of 92.

Nancy Walker as Angela Grisanti Vecchio - Also playing one of Sophia's siblings, Nancy Walker appears in the cast of The Golden Girls as Angela Grisanti Vecchio. Walker made a splash in her 40-episode stint as Ida on the sitcom Rhoda, and as Mildred on the series McMillan & Wife and became an advertising icon by appearing in numerous commercials for Bounty paper towels. She died in 1992 at the age of 69.

Related

Back when The Golden Girls was on the air, the sitcom about four older women living in Miami was thought to be ahead of its time. How true is this?

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Doris Belack as Gloria Petrillo-Harker - First played by Doris Belack, Gloria Petrillo-Harker is Dorothy's sister who is married to a wealthy man in California. Belack played Dr. Tomsky in the Bill Murray comedy What About Bob? and also starred as Rita in Tootsie. She died in 2011 at the age of 85.

Dena Dietrich as Gloria Petrillo-Harker - Taking over for Doris Belack, Dena Dietrich also played the role of Gloria Petrillo-Harker on The Golden Girls. Dietrich is best remembered for her turn as Competence in the Mel Brooks comedy History of the World: Part I, and she also appeared in multiple episodes of the series Philly as Judge Armstrong.

She died in 2010 at the age of 91.

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Scott Jacoby as Michael Zbornak - Appearing in the cast of The Golden Girls as Michael Zbornak, Scott Jacoby played Dorothy's son who works as a traveling musician. Jacoby turned heads in the eerie horror film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane when he played Mario, and he also appeared as the title character in the film Baxter!

Lisa Jane Persky as Kate Zbornak - Played first by Lisa Jane Persky, Kate Zbornak is Dorothy's daughter who works as an interior decorator in New York. Persky is mostly remembered for her turn as Alice in When Harry Met Sally, and she also played the role of Frances in The Cotton Club.

Deena Freeman as Kate Zbornak - Deena Freeman joined the cast of The Golden Girls later in the show's run when she took over the role of Kate Zbornak. Freeman appeared in 16 episodes of the sitcom Too Close For Comfort as April Rush, and she played the role of the casting agent in the HBO series Togetherness.

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Golden Girls Cast & Character Guide: Which Actors Are Still Alive? (3)

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The Golden Girls

Sitcom

The Golden Girls follows Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), Rose Nylund (Betty White), Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) as they live together in Miami. Throughout its seven seasons, the beloved series created by Susan Harris won 11 Primetime Emmys and continues to be one of the most beloved sitcoms of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Where to Watch

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Release Date
September 14, 1985

Cast
Betty White

Seasons
7

Showrunner
Susan Harris
Golden Girls Cast & Character Guide: Which Actors Are Still Alive? (2025)
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