Picture this: Bea Arthur walks into Estelle Getty’s 75th birthday bash, not with a fancy gift wrapped in bows, but a big ol’ plastic bag. "She went straight to Estelle," recalls Richard Weaver, Getty’s longtime personal assistant, exclusively to Closer. "And with a thud, she dropped this heavy bag right into my arms. Bea just said, 'Happy birthday, Ma. Here’s a [freaking] brisket.' It was an inside joke, you see. Both Jewish, they shared a special bond. And yes, she really did bring a brisket!"
Behind the Scenes: The Golden Girls' Unbreakable Camaraderie
Let me take you back to the set of The Golden Girls. Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Betty White, and Rue McClanahan weren’t just characters on TV; they were a family. Thirty years after the series aired its last episode, three men who knew them best are opening up about the magic that made the show so special in The Golden Girls Insiders Show. Art Harding, a makeup artist who worked on the series for five of its seven seasons, tells Closer, "There were no divas here. Sure, they had their moments, but they were always professional. They knew their lines cold, and when the cameras rolled, they were ready to shine."
The Lunch Table: Where Magic Happened
Most days, Bea, Rue, and Betty would gather around the lunch table, not just to eat, but to rehearse their lines. It was their sacred space, a place where they could perfect their craft. But Estelle? She preferred solitude. "She liked to retreat to her trailer to study her lines," explains Dan Watt, Bea’s personal assistant for the last six years of her life. It was her way of preparing, her own little ritual.
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Bea Arthur: The Quiet Force
Now, Bea Arthur—she had this commanding presence, but behind closed doors, she could be surprisingly shy. "She hated talking about herself," confides Watt. "And let me tell you, she had quirks. Like, she couldn’t stand people chewing gum on set. But when it came to standing up for what was right, Bea was the first one to speak up. One time, a director they all felt was wrong for the show was hired. Bea wasn’t having it. She marched right up and said, 'Shouldn’t a comedy director be funny? I’m going to lunch now.' And guess what? The director was gone by the next day."
Generosity and Friendship
Bea wasn’t just a powerhouse; she was also incredibly generous. Knowing Betty’s deep love for animals, "Bea would arrange for a Seeing Eye dog to be trained in Betty’s name every Christmas," Weaver shares. And when Rue was heartbroken over her divorce, Bea didn’t hesitate. She sent plane tickets and invited Rue to stay with her until she felt better. But Bea’s closest bond on set was with Estelle. "Bea lost her real mother while filming Golden Girls, and Estelle became like a mother to her," Weaver explains. "Estelle cared for her deeply."
In turn, Bea was Estelle’s rock. "Estelle suffered from stage fright and sometimes struggled with her lines," Weaver continues. "Bea would visit her dressing room to calm her nerves. That’s when Bea became the mother figure in their relationship. She was always there for her."
Life Beyond the Set
The personal assistants had their own unique experiences. Dan Watt remembers visiting the L.A. Zoo with Betty at dawn. "We’d go at 5:30 in the morning because Betty wanted to see her 'kids'—that’s what she called the animals," he says. "We’d ride around in a golf cart, and she’d feed them. It was magical." And then there was the time Watt went grocery shopping with Bea and Angela Lansbury. "She didn’t tell me she was meeting Angie," he recalls. "But as I walked behind them, catching up, I thought, 'Oh, please, let them break into song right there in the aisle!'"
Not every moment was fun, though. Weaver recalls escorting Estelle to see Rue perform in The Vagina Monologues. On the way, Estelle fell and broke her arm but insisted on seeing the show before seeking medical attention. "She sat through the entire performance with a broken arm to support Rue," Weaver says. "She wouldn’t leave until she showed her devotion."
A Legacy That Lives On
Today, all four actresses have passed, but their legacy lives on through The Golden Girls. "They picked the best people to bring that show to life," says Harding, who shared stories alongside Watt and Weaver in The Golden Girls Insiders Show, which premiered October 13 at Oscar’s Downtown Palm Springs.
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