How old were the Golden Girls on the show and in real life?

October 2024 · 6 minute read

The Golden Girls was a hit series in the mid-80s and early 90s. The classic sitcom won two Primetime Emmys and three Golden Globe Awards. The Golden Girls' real ages were never revealed on the show, although fans have been curious about the ages of their favourite characters. How old were the Golden Girls on the show and in real life?

The Golden Girls premiered in 1985 and had seven seasons. One reason the American television sitcom was loved is because of its characters, mainly senior women. These ladies didn't live like the older stereotyped women but had wild adventures. For this reason, the ages of the Golden Girls have remained a mystery both on the show and in real life.

How old were the Golden Girls on the show?

The Golden Girls sitcom attracted fans of all ages. The Golden Girls' ages in the show were never stated. However, several clues were dropped along the way.

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Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan)

Rue McClanahan is a popular actress who portrayed Blanche Devereaux on the show. She was the second character to join the show. Blanche was so adamant about hiding her age that she had it deleted from the government's official records. Rose tried to dig through files at once, only to find that the Authority of the Governor had erased Devereaux's age records.

How old was Rue McClanahan in Golden Girls? The mystery of Rue McClanahan's age on the show became a running joke. However, there was a few clues about how old she was. In Season 2, Episode 1 (End of the Curse), Blanche thinks she might be pregnant and says she will be 65 when the child graduates high school. If the child graduates at 17, then Blanche (Rue McClanahan) was 48 in that episode and 47 at the start of the show.

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However, this assumption was thrown out in Season 3, Episode 25, dubbed Mother's Day. Blanche and her mother are reminiscing over her past dates, and her mother states that she was 17 years old in 1949. With this information, it is safe to say she was 53 in the series.

Betty White (Rose Nylund)

Rose Nylund played Betty White in the classic sitcom. She is a Golden Girl whose age can be calculated easily. In Season 1, Episode 22, dubbed Job Hunting, Betty talks about losing her old job at the grief counselling centre. Dorothy states that Rose is 55 years making her 62 at the season finale.

Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur)

Bea Arthur played Dorothy Zbornack on the Golden Girls. She was a substitute stern teacher with a heart of gold.

How old was Bea Arthur in Golden Girls? Bea Arthur's age was never stated on the show, but a few hints were dropped. In Season 3, Episode 5, dubbed Nothing to Fear but Fear of Himself, Dorothy's mum, Sophia, talked about the night she was conceived in 1931. In Season 4, Episode 10 (Stan Takes a Wife), Dorothy says her zodiac sign is Leo.

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With this information, it is safe to assume that she was born in late July or early August of 1932. This makes her 53 when the series premieres.

Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty)

Sophia Petrillo was portrayed by Estelle Getty in the TV series. Sophia is the oldest when the series premieres. In Season 2, Episode 25 (A Piece of Cake), in a flashback, Sophia celebrated her 50th birthday in 1956. This means she was 79 years old when the show started.

However, Estelle was young in real life, as it took a professional makeup artist to age her for the show. She was one year younger than her onscreen daughter, Bea Arthur and housemate Betty White.

How old were the Golden Girls in real life?

Rue McClanahan was two years younger in real life than the character she played. She was born on 21 February 1934 and was 51 years old. When the show ended seven years later, she was 58 years old. Rue passed on at the age of 76.

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Bea Arthur was 63 at the beginning of the season, as she was born on 13 May 1922. She left the show in 1992 and never returned for the spin-off series The Golden Palace. Bea had lung cancer; in April 2009, she passed on at 86.

In real life, Estelle Getty was 62 years old when the show started, as she was born on 25 July 1923. She was the first character to be cast and returned for the spin-off The Golden Palace. Getty passed away on 22 July 2008 at 84 years old.

In real life, Rose Nylund (Betty White) was much older than her character's age. She was born on 17 January 1922, making her 63 years when the show first aired. Betty White was also the last surviving star, passing away on 31 December 2021, 17 days before her 100th birthday.

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Who was the youngest of the Golden Girls?

Blanche Devereaux was the youngest Golden Girl. She is portrayed by Rue McClanahan on the show.

Who was the oldest Golden Girl?

Sophia Petrillo, played by Estelle Getty, was the oldest Golden Girl on the show. She was 79 years old when the show premiered and was 87 years old in the first episode of The Golden Palace.

How old were the Golden Girls when filming?

During filming (premiere and finale), the Golden Girls' ages were as follows:

How old are the Golden Girls supposed to be?

Supposed the show was still on in 2023, the Golden Girls would be 38 years older than when the show premiered. Below are the ages of the Golden Girls on the show and in real life as of 2023.

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How old were the Golden Girls on the show and in real life? The Golden Girls main characters included 62-year-old Estelle, who played 79-year-old Sophia. Rose Nylund was 63 years old and played 55-year-old Betty White. Dorothy Zbornak was 63 and played 53-year-old Bea Arthur, and 51-year-old Rue McClanahan portrayed 53-year-old Blanche Devereau.

Legit published an article about SpongeBob SquarePants's age. SpongeBob SquarePants is a popular animation show on Nickelodeon. It revolves around the life of SpongeBob, a sea creature living underwater. SpongeBob's age has been a discussion for many years. So, how old is SpongeBob?

SpongeBob SquarePants anime series premiered in 1999 on Nickelodeon. Despite being around for two decades, the main character, SpongeBob, does not seem to age. Many fans have been curious about how old SpongeBob SquarePants is.

Source: Legit.ng

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