Beatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel, May 13 1922), also billed as Bea Arthur, is an Emmy and Tony Award winning American comedian, actor and singer.
She is known for her distinctive deep voice, acid wit and prominent stature, standing almost 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m).
In an ongoing career spanning six decades (beginning in 1947) and encompassing film, television, and theater, Arthur's trademark roles were as the title character on the 1970s sitcom Maude, and as a part of the ensemble on the long-running sitcom The Golden Girls.
Arthur was born in New York City to parents Rebecca (1902-1986) and Philip Frankel. In the 1930s, the family moved to Maryland, where they owned a women's clothing shop. After attending the now-defunct Blackstone College in Blackstone, Virginia, Arthur became a medical technologist before World War II.
Arthur was married twice - first briefly to Robert Alan Arthur, an author, whose surname she kept. Her second marriage (1950-1978) was to director Gene Saks, with...
Created by dipity
on Feb 7, 2008
Last updated: 11/18/09 at 02:26 PM
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