“The Golden Girls” is one of the most beloved sitcoms, and the cast formed genuine friendships. The leads were Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty, and a throwback video has highlighted the friendship between White and McClanahan, who chatted ahead of McClanahan’s triple bypass surgery in 2009.
Betty White Calls Rue McClanahan While She’s in the Hospital
McClanahan was in the hospital when White called her. “I am having open heart surgery in a couple of hours,” McClanahan tells White. She can be seen wiping away her tears while she tells White, “I know it, I’ve got to get back on my game, back on my mark. Bless your heart.”
McClanahan informs White she didn’t think she had spoken to her since she saw her on “The Proposal.” She continued, “But you stole the movie; you were wonderful.” Then they speak about Ryan Reynolds, who starred in the 2009 film.
Stay Golden TV posted the video on Instagram and shared context in the caption. “Hours before undergoing triple bypass surgery in late 2009, Rue McClanahan took a phone call in her hospital room from her Golden Girls costar Betty White. Even facing serious open-heart surgery, their dynamic was unchanged, with Rue teasing Betty about stealing scenes from Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal. That off-screen friendship between Rue McClanahan and Betty White remained steadfast long after the Golden Girls set went dark. Rue passed away in June 2010, but moments like this capture the quiet warmth and genuine care they shared away from the cameras.”
Fans reacted to the post, with many feeling moved by the heartwarming interaction. “Bless her. I’m sure they are all in heaven laughing together,” a comment reads. “So sad that they all passed on now,” another fan shared.
Other reactions include, “I loved all of those ladies,” “May the all Sleep Well..Thanks for the Great Memories,” and “This is everything.”
Betty White Reflects on Her Time on ‘The Golden Girls’
White loved her time on “The Golden Girls,” which ran for seven seasons between 1985 and 1992. “It was always great fun shooting each episode,” she told “Good Morning America,” ABC News reports. “[I] truly miss everyone involved.”
In a 1987 interview with “Today,” White spoke about her character, Rose Nylund. “Now, Rose isn’t slow-witted; she just marches to a different drum, that’s all,” she said. “Rose believes anything anybody tells her and she takes each word at its surface meaning; she never looks for the overall meaning. And sometimes she backs into unfortunate situations.”
White also touched on the experience of working with her co-stars. “We are having so much fun, there should be a law against it. We work well together, because everybody’s very professional, but off-camera, we adore each other. And it’s a privilege to go to work,” she said. “If the four of us did not get along or support each other, I don’t know how you can be funny. I really don’t.”
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Almost 20 Years Ago Betty White Called Her Former ‘The Golden Girls’ Co-Star Before Her Surgery