There’s no denying that you’ve heard about the mega-hit program.
The Golden Girls. The performance ran from 1985 to 1992 and captivated people all around the world.
People are still discussing a show that no one anticipated would last more than one season over 30 years later!
Newsner recently spoke with Stan Zimmerman, staff writer for Season 1 of The Golden Girls, to learn about some of the behind-the-scenes stories! Continue reading to discover little-known facts about everyone’s favorite program.
Estelle Getty’s performance as Sophia Petrillo in The Golden Girls is unforgettable. While audiences remember her for her classic one-liners and searing put-downs, Stan Zimmerman recalls her for something quite different: her tenderness.
Zimmerman, a teenage writer at the time, remembers the first time Getty came over to speak with him:
“I was extremely delighted that she was coming over to speak with me and my writing partner.
Jim. And she’s like, Really little. During her stopover, she walked in and said, “Come, come here.”
He continues: “She pulls us to the back of the set, and we’re like, ‘Just follow her.'”
She’s Estelle Getty! And she remarked to us, “Your secret is safe with me.”
And I thought we were Jewish. In reality, we are gay.
She had met some LGBT individuals through the performance of the Torch Song Trilogy.
He described how his management informed him that he should keep his identity a secret on-site. He explained, “People find it difficult to believe.
However, we were unable to express our true selves at work. And this was 1985. Our agents instructed you to keep the information confidential. She was willing to do this for us. I found her willingness to assist us to be both lovely and extremely charming.
Estelle Getty’s lesser-known side…
Zimmerman revealed that, while her character delivered zingers on camera, she possessed a motherly charm in real life. He recalled: “She had a very motherly quality.”
And even years later, when I wasn’t writing Golden Girls, we’d chat on the phone. She would constantly inquire about who I was dating and where I was working. I’m not shy about offering advice on any of those matters.
Estelle was the oldest Golden Girl, yet she was younger than both Bea Arthur and Betty White! Consequently, the makeup team had to apply cosmetics to make Estelle appear older.
Stan shared a humorous tale about this: “She had to put on old-age makeup.
Between seasons one and two, or two and three, she underwent a facelift.
And then [the makeup crew] said, “Estelle, now we need to do your makeup.”
Why do you appear better? However, I believe she was simply ecstatic about being in Hollywood.
Can you imagine spending your entire life striving for something and never achieving it? Have you ever considered giving up on it multiple times? he continues.
Regrettably, Zimmerman also remembers witnessing his friend’s decline. They were unaware of her situation at the moment. The author recalled: “We had no idea she was suffering from early-onset dementia. And I believe that the fear she had about performing in front of a live studio audience, as well as the fact that she was beginning to miss lines, really bothered her.”
He reminisces about the filming nights: “So, the Friday night tapings caused her anxiety.”
And I know she fought extremely hard to get through it, but all three of the ladies were really protective to make sure she was in the greatest mental position to do so.”
Because she was close to Zimmerman, she told him she went to therapy many times a week, something few others on set were aware of. He stated, “In the writer’s room, people assumed she was out going to Hollywood parties every night. That’s why she wasn’t at home practicing her lines.”
He detailed the stringent measures they implemented. “I remember them calling her managers, who we had gotten to know, along with the executive producers, and instructing them to monitor her closely.” Make certain she learns the lines.
At the time, Getty was not suffering from dementia; she was experiencing difficulties at work.
Stan says, “But when you have dementia, all the studying you can do—if your brain can’t retain those lines—is very scary.” ��
He discusses the steps they took to aid Estelle with her lines. The reason she eats raisins while watching TV is because we scribbled sentences on her hands and glued them to the furniture. In subsequent years, I believe they had some cue cards to assist her.”
Despite her troubles, Estelle consistently delivered. Stan continues, “But even with all of that, her lines were always home runs. It was fantastic to see her. We always relied on her for the concluding jokes, confident that she would deliver them flawlessly each time.
There was something wrong with Betty White.
Meanwhile, Zimmerman’s first impression of Betty White was not very pleasant.
He revealed to Newsner that during the tapings, Estelle Getty could mispronounce her lines.
White would frequently address the studio audience, making jokes about Getty.
Zimmerman stated, “She would walk up to the stands with the audience watching the taping and make jokes.” And I felt that was quite harsh of her.”
However, as he has grown older, Stan has developed a distinct perspective on the matter.
He elaborates: “And it was until recently that I thought, oh, maybe she was going over there to draw the attention of the audience and give Estelle moments to collect herself and remember the lines.”
He also remembered some murmurs of tension between Bea and Betty, sharing:
I’ve heard Bea and Betty had personality clashes, but I didn’t notice them when we were there.” They had various working styles.
Given that Bea was a stage actor, it’s important to maintain character integrity.
So for her to see Betty just sort of become Betty and get up and chat in the middle of a scene, even though we were on a break, I believe Bea didn’t enjoy that.”
The Golden Girls are unparalleled in this regard.
Stan also mentioned that the four female stars of The Golden Girls did something unusual for Hollywood actors: they thanked and credited the writers during interviews. Stan expressed his gratitude to the four female stars of The Golden Girls for their unprecedented act of thanking and recognizing the writers on nearly every talk show.
They always praised us as authors. You don’t normally see that. And I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
And, contrary to common opinion, the actresses never performed ad-libs on the show!
Stan clarifies that many fans mistakenly think that the women spontaneously came up with ideas during some improvised moments.
Stan recalls: “In Season One, they uttered every word, comma, and period. They said exactly what we wrote.
Zimmerman talked about his captivating encounters with the Golden Girls and more in his book, The Girls:
From Golden to Gilmore. Within its pages, he discusses his encounters with some of television’s most prominent ladies, including the four Golden Girls, Roseanne, Lauren Graham, Lily Tomlin, and others!
He is now touring with his play ‘Right Before I Go’, a moving narrative inspired by the suicide of a close friend 13 years ago.
Share this with other Golden Girls fans who might be interested in learning about these little-known facts!