Rue McClanahan
Acting
1934-02-21 · Healdton, Oklahoma, USA
A veteran television actress and Broadway star of the 50s, Rue McClanahan was an actress noticed by television executive, Norman Lear. Lear cast her in a number of television shows, including "All in the Family" (1971) with 'Carroll OConnor' and "Maude" (1972) with Bea Arthur. McClanahan next co-starred with Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Betty White and Carol Burnett in "Mama's Family" (1983) for three years, and after it was canceled by NBC, McClanahan was probably best known for her role as the saucy, sharp southern belle, Blanche, in "The Golden Girls" (1985). She once again worked with Bea Arthur and Betty White, and with relative newcomer Estelle Getty. All four of the women won Emmy Awards for their roles. After Bea Arthur left the show after eight seasons, McClanahan, White and Getty returned for a brief spin-off in "The Golden Palace" (1992). In the mid-nineties, McClanahan was diagnosed with cancer, but was able to fight it successfully. In addition to lending her talents to a number of made for TV films, McClanahan has also appeared on the big screen in recent years co-starring with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in the comedy Out to Sea (1997) and with Casper Van Dien in Starship Troopers (1997). McClanahan also spends her time joining and helping organizations against cancer, AIDS, and cruelty against animals.
Filmography
The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship - A Special Edition of 20/20
2025 · Movie
Golden Girls 3033
2022 · Series
Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls
2021 · Movie
The Golden Girls: Ageless
2021 · Movie
Betty White: First Lady of Television
2018 · Movie
Gaze
2010 · Movie
Celebrity Ghost Stories
2009 · Series
Generation Gap
2008 · Movie
Sordid Lives: The Series
2008 · Series
Back to You & Me
2005 · Movie
The Tony Danza Show
2004 · Series
Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock
2004 · Movie
Wonderfalls
2004 · Series
Hope & Faith
2003 · Series
The Fighting Temptations
2003 · Movie
Whoopi
2003 · Series
Miracle Dogs
2003 · Movie
The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments
2003 · Movie
The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series
2003 · Movie
The Women
2002 · Movie
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
2002 · Movie
Nuncrackers
2001 · Movie
The Moving of Sophia Myles
2000 · Movie
Ladies Man
1999 · Series
Safe Harbor
1999 · Series
The Lot
1999 · Series
A Saintly Switch
1999 · Movie
Rusty: A Dog's Tale
1998 · Movie
Border to Border
1998 · Movie
Love Boat: The Next Wave
1998 · Series
Nunsense 3: The Jamboree
1998 · Movie
Starship Troopers
1997 · Movie
Annabelle's Wish
1997 · Movie
The View
1997 · Series
This World, Then the Fireworks
1997 · Movie
Out to Sea
1997 · Movie
Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula
1997 · Movie
King of the Hill
1997 · Series
Dear God
1996 · Movie
Promised Land
1996 · Series
Innocent Victims
1996 · Movie
Remember WENN
1996 · Series
A Holiday to Remember
1995 · Movie
Spider-Man
1994 · Series
Touched by an Angel
1994 · Series
A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story
1994 · Movie
Burke's Law
1994 · Series
Nunsense 2: The Sequel
1994 · Movie
Intimate Portrait
1993 · Series
Message from Nam
1993 · Movie
Boy Meets World
1993 · Series
The John Larroquette Show
1993 · Series
Nunsense
1993 · Movie
Mother of the Bride
1993 · Movie
The Golden Palace
1992 · Series
Baby of the Bride
1991 · Movie
Nurses
1991 · Series
The Dreamer of Oz
1990 · Movie
To My Daughter
1990 · Movie
Children of the Bride
1990 · Movie
Law & Order
1990 · Series
After the Shock
1990 · Movie
Night of 100 Stars III
1990 · Movie
The Earth Day Special
1990 · Movie
Modern Love
1990 · Movie
Rue McClanahan: The Cat Care Video Guide
1990 · Movie
The Wickedest Witch
1989 · Movie
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1989 · Movie
The Man in the Brown Suit
1989 · Movie
Take My Daughters, Please
1988 · Movie
Mickey's 60th Birthday
1988 · Movie
Empty Nest
1988 · Series
Liberace
1988 · Movie
The Little Match Girl
1987 · Movie
Picnic
1986 · Movie
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
1985 · Movie
The Golden Girls
1985 · Series
Crazy like a Fox
1984 · Series
Charles in Charge
1984 · Series
Murder, She Wrote
1984 · Series
Cover Up
1984 · Series
Mama's Family
1983 · Series
The Skin of Our Teeth
1983 · Movie
Newhart
1982 · Series
The Day the Bubble Burst
1982 · Movie
American Playhouse
1982 · Series
Darkroom
1981 · Series
Gimme a Break!
1981 · Series
Here's Boomer
1981 · Series
Word of Honor
1981 · Movie
Gridlock
1980 · Movie
Topper
1979 · Movie
Trapper John, M.D.
1979 · Series
Supertrain
1979 · Series
$weepstake$
1979 · Series
Rainbow
1978 · Movie
Apple Pie
1978 · Series
Grandpa Goes to Washington
1978 · Series
Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force
1978 · Movie
Having Babies III
1978 · Movie
Fantasy Island
1978 · Series
A Different Approach
1978 · Movie
The Love Boat
1977 · Series
Lou Grant
1977 · Series
Alice
1976 · Series
Blade
1973 · Movie
The Rimers of Eldritch
1972 · Movie
Maude
1972 · Series
Some of My Best Friends Are...
1971 · Movie
Hogan's Goat
1971 · Movie
Columbo
1971 · Series
They Might Be Giants
1971 · Movie
Great Performances
1971 · Series
All in the Family
1971 · Series
The People Next Door
1970 · Movie
Where the Heart Is
1969 · Series
Mannix
1967 · Series
Angel's Flight
1965 · Movie
How to Succeed with Girls
1964 · Movie
Another World
1964 · Series
Five Minutes to Love
1963 · Movie
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Series
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Series
Five Minutes to Live
1961 · Movie
The Grass Eater
1961 · Movie
Just Between Us
1961 · Movie
Hollywood After Dark
1961 · Movie