| Estelle Getty Quick Info |
| Height |
4 ft 10½ in |
| Weight |
58 kg |
| Date of Birth |
July 25, 1923 |
| Zodiac Sign |
Leo |
| Date of Death |
July 22, 2008 |
Estelle Getty was an American actress and comedian whose breakout role was playing Sophia Petrillo on the beloved sitcom, The Golden Girls (1985–1992). Additionally, she also made film appearances in Mask (1985), Mannequin (1987), and Stuart Little (1999).
Born Name
Estelle Scher
Nick Name
Etty, Stella, Ettle, Slats
Estelle Getty as seen at the 41st Annual Emmy Awards in 1989 (Photo by Alan Light / Wikimedia / CC BY 2.0 DEED)
Age
She was born on July 25, 1923.
Died
She passed away on July 22, 2008, from lewy body dementia in Los Angeles. She was 84 years old at that time.
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
New York City, New York, United States
Nationality
Education
She completed her high school education from the Seward Park High School located in New York City.
Occupation
Actress, Comedian
Family
- Father – Charles Scher (Businessman)
- Mother – Sarah Lacher (Homemaker)
- Siblings – Rosilyn ‘Roz’ Scher Howard (Sister), Samuel ‘David’ Scher (Brother)
Net Worth
At the time of her death, Estelle Getty’s net worth was $8 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Build
Slim
Height
4 ft 10½ in or 148.5 cm
Weight
58 kg or 128 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Estelle Getty had dated –
Arthur Gettleman (1947-2004) – She married Arthur Gettleman on December 21, 1947, after meeting him 9 months before at a party. They were blessed with 2 sons named Carl Gettleman and Barry Gettleman. The couple stayed married until Arthur’s death at the age of 85 years on September 10, 2004.
Estelle Getty enters the theater at the 40th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1988 (Photo by Alan Light / Wikimedia / CC BY 2.0 DEED)
Race / Ethnicity
White
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Short height
- Striking smile
Religion
Judaism
Estelle Getty as seen with Brian Hamilton at her home in Los Angeles in 1999 (2BrianH / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED)
Estelle Getty Facts
She was the only actress among the cast of The Golden Girls to feature in a ‘Best Picture’ Oscar-nominated film; in her case it was Tootsie (1982).
She played the mother of Dorothy Zbornak’s character played by Bea Arthur on The Golden Girls. However, in reality Estelle was 14 months younger than her onscreen daughter.
She was given the nickname ‘Slats’ by her co-stars from The Golden Girls due to her light weight and short height.
Estelle essayed the sprightly Sophia Spirelli Petrillo-Weinstock in 5 different television shows: The Golden Girls (1985-1992), Empty Nest (1988-1995), Blossom (1991), The Golden Palace (1992-1993), and Nurses (1993).
For her work on The Golden Girls, she received a Golden Globe Award for ‘Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy’ in 1986. Furthermore, she also won the Primetime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series’ in 1988.
Estelle got a facelift between the ending of season 1 and the start of filming for season 2 of The Golden Girls according to her co-star, Betty White.
Later in life, she developed a strong fear of death and avoided making jokes about death whenever possible, including onscreen.
Estelle worked extensively with people suffering from HIV/AIDS as she had lost close family and friends to the disease, including her own nephew Steven Scher in 1992 and her co-star Court Miller in 1986. Additionally, she even helped open a hospice for AIDS patients called Beacon Place in her nephew’s hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina in 1996.
Featured Image by Photo by Alan Light / Wikimedia / CC BY 2.0 DEED
