tony award

Bea Arthur Passes Away at 86

It is with a heavy heart that we here at Hollywood Dame announce the passing of beloved funny-woman Bea Arthur. Bea passed away Saturday morning at her home is Los Angeles surrounded by her family. She was 86.

If you spend a lot of time here at Hollywood Dame (and you should), then you have no doubt read on my bio page that Bea Arthur is one of my favorite celebrities. She was a comedic genius and one hell of a lady.

Bea’s career as an actress began off Broadway in the 1950’s. It wasn’t until the 1970’s when she earned a guest spot as Edith Bunker’s liberal cousin on the show ‘All in the Family’ that Bea’s television presence became known. She was offered her own show ‘Maude’, which was a spin-off of ‘All in the Family’.

‘Maude’ was a popular show and even earned Bea an Emmy Award in 1977. The show was a comedy, but pushed the envelope with serious and controversial storylines such as Maude’s decision to have an abortion and her husband Walter’s alcoholism.

In the 1980’s Bea joined fellow funny-ladies Rue MacClanahan, Betty White, and the late Estelle Getty on the beloved show ‘The Golden Girls.’ She played substitute teacher, and constantly harassed daughter of Sofia, Dorothy Zbornak. I still remember waiting every Saturday night for “the girls” to come on. It was my favorite show and Bea was by far my favorite character. I still watch ‘The Golden Girls’ religiously today and, though I have seen every episode a dozen or more times, I still manage to laugh at every joke.

When asked once how she felt about being type-cast into roles Bea replied:

“Look — I’m 5-feet-9, I have a deep voice and I have a way with a line. What can I do about it? I can’t stay home waiting for something different. I think it’s a total waste of energy worrying about typecasting.”

That’s why I heart Bea Arthur. She knew who she was and never once attempted to change for anyone.

Jerry Herman, who worked as the composer for Arthur’s Tony Award winning performance in the musical, ‘Mame’, had this to say about Bea via the Associated Press:

“There was no one else like Bea. She would make us laugh during `Mame’ rehearsals with a look or with a word. She didn’t need dialogue. I don’t know if I can say that about any other person I ever worked with.”

That’s simple Jerry: you can’t. No one can. The world is a little less funny today.

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Images Via: IMBD, Wenn

Ron Silver Passes Away

Actor and longtime political activist Ron Silver died Sunday morning, succumbing to a long battle with esophageal cancer after battling the disease for the past two years. He was 62.

Per NY Post:

“Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him this morning,” said Robin Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition, which Silver helped create. “He had been fighting esophageal cancer for two years and his family is making arrangements for a private service.”

The actor started the left-leaning Creative Coalition in 1989 but switched to the GOP following the Sept. 11 attacks, speaking at the 2004 Republican National Convention. His “West Wing” character Bruno Gianelli underwent a similar conversion on that TV show. His early credits included “The Mac Davis Show,” “Rhoda” and “The Stockard Channing Show.” Silver is best known for playing legal scholar Alan Dershowitz in 1990′s “Reversal of Fortune,” a movie about the successful appeal of Claus von Bulow’s conviction for putting his socialite wife into a permanent coma. He had also won a Tony Award as a take-no-prisoners Hollywood producer in David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.”

Ron was married to Lynne Miller from the December 1975 untill July 1997. They have two children, a son named Adam who was born in 1979 and a daughter named Alexandra who was born in 1983.

Very sad news. Our condolences go out to his family.

Image Via Wenn