Rue McClanahan on the casting of "The Golden Girls" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

See the complete interview with Rue McClanahan at www.emmytvlegen...

[@jamesriccardo2225]

At 2:34 when she lowers her voice and imitates Bea Arthur being initially skeptical: "Rue, I have no interest in playing Maud and Vivian meet Sue Ann Nivens." So funny!!

[@jinusrafezadeh2494]

Rue was born to be Blanche= rest in peace

[@RRW276]

The chemistry between the 4 "Golden Girls" was not only brilliant and clever, but so original and timeless... something we'll never see the likes of again. TV today is different, sure, and there's good chemistry in other shows. But the chemistry between these characters, I feel, defines what "chemistry between actors/characters" is. For example, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul... another great example of amazing chemistry. In one red carpet interview, Bryan was asked about this great chemistry between Walt and Jesse... he compared it to trying to meet the standards that the 4 from Golden Girls set.

[@vaccumsealed]

Ronnie Williams agreed. You could have a totally different actress put in place of one of these 4, and it wouldnt have worked for as long as it did. Those who casted these women knew what they were doing.

[@Monja1978]

What a wonderful Lady she was !

[@msarzo]

The more I watch of this interview, the more I'm impressed with Rue's knowledge of and passion for the craft of acting. I wish I could have a chance to pick her brain about it.

[@jee7504]

RIP beautiful ❤️

[@mlc2005]

There have been some amazing casts out there, for sure, but there was just something about the four ladies on Golden Girls that elevated them to the very best. Perhaps it was that they were older and at that absolute peak of their talents; it was also that they all had the best chemistry EVER on a comedy sitcom, and they seemed to know their characters to the core. Rue and Betty were PERFECT as Blanche and Rose, and I'm so happy they changed it up.

[@BillyDoll9]

I got to meet them all and hang a bit with them, a nice nite. They were very sweet and Bea bought me a drink too.

[@tigergreg8]

Couldn't be a better interview done about the Golden Girls then what was done in this interview.

[@AlbieGray]

RIP Rue McClanahan and Blanche. I have to admit, I would think in Heaven, Blanche is going after every man in Heaven, until she runs into her beloved George; and she runs into Dorothy (Bea Arthur) and Sophia (Estelle Getty). I can bet the reunion was FANTASTIC!

[@1burnman]

my grandmother loved this show

[@xxcharmed1xx]

Anytime i watch the show and it's one of blanche's scenes i still cannot believe she is dead!

[@sjspeaks3959]

Imagine Betty being Blanche-

[@powrxplor69]

"between the ages of something & something" lol Loved the golden girls....RIP Rue

[@carogirlyaya]

i love the way she says 'white'

[@lulumariemissypu]

Elaine Stritch-loved her in Monster in Law-Wine From A Box! Golden Girls are awesome! Love Rue-love all four!

[@woohooboy]

As talented as Elaine Stritch is, I think her take on Dorothy would have been a tad too harsh. Bea Arthur was the ONLY one who could play that role. As for Rue and Betty, it was great that the show's creative team decided to swap things around because it worked brilliantly. Having Rue play Rose and Betty play Blanche would have been a continuation of what both actresses had done previously on "Maude" & "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" And to cap it off with Estelle, you've got the PERFECT CAST!

[@02chevyguy]

More than once, I've tried to imagine Rue playing Rose. There's NO WAY it could've been done. Now, she did have a few off the wall "Rose moments", but that was about it. :) Bea was DEFINITELY my favorite! Her timing on certain jokes and responses was impeccable.

[@danielstrnad9979]

very good serie, i discovered it later as natif from Communist bloc, as comedies in 80-90s, we had communiste comedies and, after, french comedies at first with French actress Josiane Balasko. This is the same kind of comedie you enjoy!!! Sorry for my english

[@Peptobaptismol]

LOL HERE IMITATION OF BEA OMG IM GONNA PEE MYSELF

[@MrRustyspot]

When you think about it, Betty White is the only one of those actresses who could have played any one of the three roles to absolute perfection.

[@jimmysudar]

the stuff about the casting of the roles is quite interesting, and i always thought of vivian and sue anne nivens as prototypes in a way. it's good to hear it from the horse's mouth.

[@woohooboy]

Dorothy is more level headed and reasonable. Far more calm and collected. Maude could be WAY over the top at times and allow herself to get carried away which was when the other characters on that show would have to give her a much needed reality check......

[@jasongibson3496]

A little bit a trivia, In the second season of The Golden Girls. Blanche was talking about the county back home in Atlanta. She says Mayflower county, but Atlanta, Georgia is in Fulton county. I live in the state of Georgia and a lot of people do have that kind of accent like Blanche has. I do not think there is a county in the state of Georgia called Mayflower.

[@reneesudol9301]

what year was this ?

[@MegaGum1]

Make no mistake the mother and the daughter were definitely two Jewish broads.

[@buffys87]

At least in the beginning ;)

[@DavidKen878]

It's sad she couldn't remember the show was on NBC. :-(

[@roxanneworld11]

*endearingly* narcissistic??..seems so!! ..but, oh, well! as we have loved the actresses, as much as we could have known-them-from-a-fan-distance back then, as well as the characters they played - have for years!..partly because, even at a young age [high school], my best friend and i adored the series, watched it regularly..and somehow, at such an early time in our lives, we had an appreciation for the generations represented in the show combined with the crazy and limited life experience we had as teens..but we realized we were *all* female and we found it fascinating, amazing and hilarious!!..good interview clip!!

[@amusedbygod]

Perfect cast, yes, but that's because it's what were used to. There really is no way of knowing how much more or less successful the show would have been had the cast been different. Another thing: aren't Bea's Dorothy and Maude very similar? :)

[@MrTheWayfarer]

as much as i like bea in the series... she seemed to be quite difficult... she didn't like betty... didn't want to be in the series... :S