Estelle Getty is not doing well - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

RoseNylund · 06-03-2003, 12:06 AM

There is a new article on www.tvguide.com about the new retrospective and an interview with Rue McClanahan. They ask:

TV Guide Online: How sad Estelle Getty — aka sassy granny Sophia Petrillo — couldn't do the special. We hear she's very ill.
Rue: It's really sad that we couldn't have Estelle there. She doesn't know us, or people that she knew. After Betty [White] visited her, Estelle commented, 'That was a nice woman' — as if it was someone she hadn't known.

TVGO: What's her condition?
Rue: Estelle has what Dudley Moore had. [Moore died of complications from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) last year.] It's a nerve deterioration in the brain. At least, that's the diagnosis now. They've misdiagnosed her twice. First, they diagnosed her with Parkinson's, then Alzheimer's; now, they say it's neither.

TVGO: Does the cast still see each other regularly?
Rue: We were not social companions, even while we were doing the show. Everybody had their own set of friends, but we were seeing so much of each other [at work] anyway! I hadn't seen Bea [Arthur] since her one-woman show on Broadway a year ago. We all just got to say hi for this, and it was really nice.

TVGO: Out of 180 Golden Girls episodes, what's your favorite?
Rue: The one where I get the word "lesbian" mixed up with "Lebanese." And the one where Rose dates a midget, and I come out of the kitchen with an hors d'oeuvre tray, and say, 'Shrimp anyone?' I remember shooting it and thinking, 'This isn't that funny a line.' But that's what people remember!

TVGO: We seem to recall the girls having a gay cook. Whatever happened to him?
Rue: Coco (Charles Levin) was only in the pilot. After the show got picked up, I felt bad for the actor. They could either have the cook in the kitchen or the mother [Sophia], but they didn't need both. So they decided to make it four women; they even edited the pilot to cut out scenes, so he was barely in it anymore.

TVGO: Well, 1985 was pre-Will & Grace. Did someone nix Coco because...
Rue: ...Of the fact that he was gay? I don't think that was it. They just decided it would be too cumbersome to have five characters running every week.

TVGO: Maybe you didn't need a cook to serve the cheesecake anyway.
Rue: (Moans) That cheesecake. It was hard to resist. You know what we'd do? I'd move the fork toward my mouth — and just as the camera's cutting to someone else's line, I'd get rid of the cheesecake under the table. Then, they'd cut back to me, pretending to chew. We couldn't have eaten all that cheesecake and not gotten 50 lbs overweight each! The crew ate it after the show.

TVGO: Blanche needed to keep her figure! She bedded many men, for a lady of a certain age.
Rue: I think it's only young people who think that older people don't have sexual lives. This was just true to life. I've heard from Midwestern ladies who say, 'You allowed me to be the sexual person I am and dress the way I want to. Because they loved the way Blanche dressed. They begged me to sell my "A Touch of Rue" clothing line on QVC.

TVGO: You always looked glam.
Rue: (Laughs) The thing I noticed was, we were always crying poor. Dorothy was a part-time school teacher and we were fixing our own plumbing — and yet we never wore the same thing twice! I had five silky costumes in each show

DVDFreaker · 06-03-2003, 12:15 AM

That's sad that Estelle doesn't remember Betty.

*PinkLady* · 06-03-2003, 12:57 PM

That is sad.

She's gone downhill kind of fast.

MonarC · 06-03-2003, 01:58 PM

that is so sad...

Growing old is so hard enought as it is with out illness

Unwanted Angel · 06-03-2003, 02:35 PM

Oh Man

Estelle was my second favorite GG and i'll miss her sooooo much if she dies!

IamGGFan · 06-03-2003, 03:04 PM

I am very sad for her. I know she will die someday, maybe with this disease that she has. It is so sad.

Does it effect the memory too?

I looked it up, but I don't know if it effects the memory like Alzhiemer's or not.

I hope she will die in peace. I like her very much and I am sad for her.

I will always remember her from TV. She deserves a great big hug. I love her just as well.

for the information.

We can all pray for her. Yes, we can.

The best we can do when she dies is remember her.

jayman75 · 06-03-2003, 07:06 PM

IAmGGFan --

Obviously it affects the memory, if she couldn't remember Betty.
I'm curious, by the way, how old you are.

RoseNylund --

What's the full link to that article? I couldn't find it on tvguide.com...

IamGGFan · 06-03-2003, 07:12 PM

I am 20 why? Yes, that's what I suspected but I wasn't quite sure about that.

BettyRueFan · 06-07-2003, 04:58 PM

That's sad. Very sad. Poor Estelle!

JDS84 · 06-07-2003, 07:58 PM

Oh that is sad

Frasier W. Crane · 06-07-2003, 11:33 PM

Thanks for the medicare
For Blue Cross and Blue Shield
For A Hip that Finally Healed
Remember on Prescriptions, Generics is a steal
We Thank you so much...

Thank You Estelle, Thank You.

Crimson and Clover · 06-08-2003, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DVDFreaker
That's sad that Estelle doesn't remember Betty.

that is sad.

06-03-2003, 12:06 AM	#1
RoseNylund Back in St. Olaf... Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 19, 2003 Posts: 248	Estelle Getty is not doing well There is a new article on www.tvguide.com about the new retrospective and an interview with Rue McClanahan. They ask: TV Guide Online: How sad Estelle Getty — aka sassy granny Sophia Petrillo — couldn't do the special. We hear she's very ill. Rue: It's really sad that we couldn't have Estelle there. She doesn't know us, or people that she knew. After Betty [White] visited her, Estelle commented, 'That was a nice woman' — as if it was someone she hadn't known. TVGO: What's her condition? Rue: Estelle has what Dudley Moore had. [Moore died of complications from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) last year.] It's a nerve deterioration in the brain. At least, that's the diagnosis now. They've misdiagnosed her twice. First, they diagnosed her with Parkinson's, then Alzheimer's; now, they say it's neither. TVGO: Does the cast still see each other regularly? Rue: We were not social companions, even while we were doing the show. Everybody had their own set of friends, but we were seeing so much of each other [at work] anyway! I hadn't seen Bea [Arthur] since her one-woman show on Broadway a year ago. We all just got to say hi for this, and it was really nice. TVGO: Out of 180 Golden Girls episodes, what's your favorite? Rue: The one where I get the word "lesbian" mixed up with "Lebanese." And the one where Rose dates a midget, and I come out of the kitchen with an hors d'oeuvre tray, and say, 'Shrimp anyone?' I remember shooting it and thinking, 'This isn't that funny a line.' But that's what people remember! TVGO: We seem to recall the girls having a gay cook. Whatever happened to him? Rue: Coco (Charles Levin) was only in the pilot. After the show got picked up, I felt bad for the actor. They could either have the cook in the kitchen or the mother [Sophia], but they didn't need both. So they decided to make it four women; they even edited the pilot to cut out scenes, so he was barely in it anymore. TVGO: Well, 1985 was pre-Will & Grace. Did someone nix Coco because... Rue: ...Of the fact that he was gay? I don't think that was it. They just decided it would be too cumbersome to have five characters running every week. TVGO: Maybe you didn't need a cook to serve the cheesecake anyway. Rue: (Moans) That cheesecake. It was hard to resist. You know what we'd do? I'd move the fork toward my mouth — and just as the camera's cutting to someone else's line, I'd get rid of the cheesecake under the table. Then, they'd cut back to me, pretending to chew. We couldn't have eaten all that cheesecake and not gotten 50 lbs overweight each! The crew ate it after the show. TVGO: Blanche needed to keep her figure! She bedded many men, for a lady of a certain age. Rue: I think it's only young people who think that older people don't have sexual lives. This was just true to life. I've heard from Midwestern ladies who say, 'You allowed me to be the sexual person I am and dress the way I want to. Because they loved the way Blanche dressed. They begged me to sell my "A Touch of Rue" clothing line on QVC. TVGO: You always looked glam. Rue: (Laughs) The thing I noticed was, we were always crying poor. Dorothy was a part-time school teacher and we were fixing our own plumbing — and yet we never wore the same thing twice! I had five silky costumes in each show

06-03-2003, 03:04 PM	#6
IamGGFan Huge FH & GG Fan!!!! Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 10, 2003 Location: West Virginia Posts: 526	Poor Estelle I am very sad for her. I know she will die someday, maybe with this disease that she has. It is so sad. Does it effect the memory too? I looked it up, but I don't know if it effects the memory like Alzhiemer's or not. I hope she will die in peace. I like her very much and I am sad for her. I will always remember her from TV. She deserves a great big hug. I love her just as well. for the information. We can all pray for her. Yes, we can. The best we can do when she dies is remember her.
	__________________ Lindsay Take care and God Bless

06-03-2003, 07:06 PM	#7
jayman75 I Love the 80s! Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 27, 2000 Location: THE GREAT UNITED STATES Posts: 3,809	IAmGGFan -- Obviously it affects the memory, if she couldn't remember Betty. I'm curious, by the way, how old you are. RoseNylund -- What's the full link to that article? I couldn't find it on tvguide.com...
	__________________ A fan of quality, classic television comedies and holiday specials... The Wonder Years,The Golden Girls,Burns and Allen, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Are You Being Served?, Family Guy, South Park, Designing Women, Dallas, The Facts of Life, Roseanne, Will and Grace, The Twilight Zone, Original Scooby-Doo, Murphy Brown, The Big Bang Theory... Talk to me about one of these shows, and I'm all yours...

06-07-2003, 07:58 PM	#10
JDS84 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 11, 2001 Location: My Old Kentucky Home Posts: 3,377	Oh that is sad
	__________________ Jessica

06-07-2003, 11:33 PM	#11
Frasier W. Crane Farewell, Frasier Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 22, 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 782	Thanks for the medicare For Blue Cross and Blue Shield For A Hip that Finally Healed Remember on Prescriptions, Generics is a steal We Thank you so much... Thank You Estelle, Thank You.
	__________________ George W. Bush: "We Keep Our Word." Almost 3 Million Jobs Lost No Child Left Behind Act Underfunded by $9 Billion 3.8 Million More Americans Lost Health Insurance Small Deficit? Annual Deficit To Exceed $400 Billion in the Next 10 Years 200,000 Veterans Cut From Health System Raids Entire $2.6 Trillion Social Security Trust Fund We need a President who means what he says, and keeps his word. John Kerry is the President that can do that. Sen. John F. Kerry for United States President. HE WILL keep his word. Visit www.johnkerry.com to get more information about the Senator that will turn our country around. https://contribute.johnkerry.com/ind..._code=00014509

06-03-2003, 12:15 AM	#2
DVDFreaker Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 23, 2002 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 699	That's sad that Estelle doesn't remember Betty.

06-03-2003, 12:57 PM	#3
PinkLady Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 04, 2002 Posts: 7,457	That is sad. She's gone downhill kind of fast.

06-03-2003, 01:58 PM	#4
MonarC The truth will set you free Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 05, 2002 Location: 3rd Stone From The Sun Posts: 9,525	that is so sad... Growing old is so hard enought as it is with out illness

06-03-2003, 02:35 PM	#5
Unwanted Angel Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Posts: 12,658	Oh Man Estelle was my second favorite GG and i'll miss her sooooo much if she dies!

06-03-2003, 07:12 PM	#8
IamGGFan Huge FH & GG Fan!!!! Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 10, 2003 Location: West Virginia Posts: 526	I am 20 why? Yes, that's what I suspected but I wasn't quite sure about that.

06-07-2003, 04:58 PM	#9
BettyRueFan I Love Betty White! Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 07, 2003 Location: Berlin/Germany Posts: 10	That's sad. Very sad. Poor Estelle!