Estelle Getty began her acting career in 1978 with Team-Mates. She also had short roles in two critically acclaimed classics, Tootsie and Mask. In 1985, Estelle began acting in The Golden Girls, with Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan. The successful show won two Emmys for outstanding television series, and Estelle herself won an Emmy in 1988. Among other things she's done in TV is playing Sophia Petrillo in shows several times, The Golden Palace and Empty Nest among them. Most recently, Estelle has been in the family film Stuart Little and playing Hollywood Squares.
Getty played mother to Bea Arthur on The Golden Girls, however, Bea is actually 2 1/2 months older than Estelle. Estelle being born July 25, 1923 and Bea was born May 13, 1923. Getty's career actually began when she was much younger on the 'borscht belt' circuit and Yiddish stage, but she gave it up to raise a family. She returned to acting much later and became a hit on Broadway as Harvey Fierstein's meddling mom in "Torch Song Trilogy". It was the L.A. tour of this show that led to her being cast in The Golden Girls and at age 62 she became an "overnight" TV star. Retired in 2000 after revealing she had Parkinson's disease. Played the same character, Sophia Spirelli Petrillo-Weinstock, on five different TV series: The Golden Palace, The Golden Girls, Nurses, Empty Nest, and Blossom. Was a strong supporter of Gay rights. During a brief reunion in November 2004 with The Golden Girls's Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Beatrice Arthur, it was reported on TV by the ladies that Estelle was suffering from severe dementia.