Rue McClanahan
Birth Name:
Eddi-Rue McClanahan
Birth Place:
Healdton, Oklahoma, United States
Profession
Actress, Soundtrack, Producer
Fast Facts
- A longtime animal rights activist, she was one of the first celebrities to endorse PETA when it first came to be in 1980
- Graduated from the University of Tulsa, where she was also a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority
- Is of Native American ancestry, as her great-grandfather was a Choctaw Indian
- Despite successfully beating a breast cancer diagnosis in 1997, she would eventually pass away in 2010 at age 76 following heart surgery and a minor stroke
- Quote: "People always ask me if I'm like Blanche․ And I say, 'Well, Blanche was an oversexed, self-involved, man-crazy, vain Southern Belle from Atlanta -- and I'm not from Atlanta!'"
- After a six-year stint on "Maude", she would once again reunite with co-star Bea Arthur in "The Golden Girls" for another seven years
- Started her career on stage, making her Broadway debut in 1969, before being discovered by Norman Lear who convinced her to try a career in Hollywood
- Kept every article of clothing from her "Golden Girls" wardrobe
Awards
- 1986Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical:Nominated
- 1986Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:Nominated
- 1987Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical:Nominated
- 1987Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:Winner
- 1988Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical:Nominated
- 1988Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:Nominated
- 1989Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:Nominated
- 2003TV Land Award - Quintessential Non-Traditional Family:Winner
- 2008Pop Culture AwardWinner
- 2021OFTA TV Hall of Fame - Character:Winner