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Actress Estelle Getty Remembered

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

And one more note this hour: Actress Estelle Getty died today at the age of 84. She began her career early as a teen doing stand up in the Catskills. But she found her fame late, in her 60s, playing Sophia Petrillo on the television series "The Golden Girls."

(Soundbite of TV show, "The Golden Girls")

Ms. ESTELLE GETTY (Actor): (as Sophia Petrillo) I'm perfectly capable of managing by myself. I don't need help. I'm totally independent person.

Ms. BEA ARTHUR (Actor): (as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak) I know. I know.

Ms. GETTY: (as Sophia Petrillo) I need $67 for the cab.

(Soundbite of laughter)

BLOCK: Sophia's trademark was the cutting one-liner aimed at the women she lived with.

(Soundbite of TV show, "The Golden Girls")

Ms. BETTY WHITE (Actor): (as Rose Nylund) Sit down, Sophia. You must be exhausted.

Ms. GETTY: (as Sophia Petrillo) Why? I rode in the cab. I didn't push it.

(Soundbite of laughter)

BLOCK: That's actress Estelle Getty on "The Golden Girls." Getty suffered from advanced dementia, and she died today, three days before her 85th birthday. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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