Estelle Getty Dies At 84

Diminutive actress Estelle Getty, who found fame late in life with her portrayal of a sharp-tongued Sicilian mother on "The Golden Girls," died Tuesday.

The 84-year-old passed away at her Los Angeles home following a long battle with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disease.


Getty, who stood under 5 feet tall, won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Sophia Petrillo, a meddling mom spending her twilight years with her middle-aged daughter and two roommates on "The Golden Girls."

Nearly 45 minutes of makeup were needed to transform Getty - who was actually younger than her screen daughter, Bea Arthur - into the feisty octogenarian, whose wisecracks and Sicilian memories often stole the scene.

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