Bea Arthur, Actress, 86

Bea Arthur

Actress Bea Arthur, famous for her roles in the television sitcoms “Maude” and “The Golden Girls,” has died.

Arthur died Saturday in her Los Angeles home, reportedly from cancer. She was 86.

Arthur, born Bernice Frankel in New York, played Yenta the matchmaker in the original Broadway version of “Fiddler on the Roof.” She won a Tony Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Vera Charles in “Mame.”

She received Emmy Awards for her title role in the sitcom “Maude” and for “The Golden Girls,” in which she played Dorothy Zbornak, a divorced substitute teacher living in Miami with three women, including her mother.

Arthur was married briefly to playwright Robert Alan Arthur. She and director Gene Saks were married for more than 20 years beginning in 1950 before divorcing.

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