Rue McClanahan

Rue McClanahan was an actress best known for her role as Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls. McClanahan graduated from the University of Tulsa with a bachelor’s degree in German and Theater. After college, she moved to New York City to pursue acting full time.

McClanahan started her career on the stage, appearing in off-Broadway productions before landing her first television role on Love of Life in 1951. She gained early recognition playing Vivian Harmon on Maude alongside Bea Arthur, which led to more prominent TV roles.

Her biggest breakthrough came in 1985 when she was cast as Blanche on NBC’s The Golden Girls, a role that earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1987. She reprised the role on The Golden Palace and appeared on shows like Mama’s Family, Safe Harbor and Law & Order. Her film credits include Starship Troopers (1997) and Out to Sea (1997).

McClanahan also published her memoir, My First Five Husbands… and the Ones Who Got Away, in 2007.

The actress was married six times, including to Tom Bish, with whom she welcomed son Mark in 1958.

She died on June 3, 2010, at the age of 76 from a brain hemorrhage.