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“Golden Girls” author Stan Zimmerman is reflecting on the ever-eclectic, considerably gifted group of ladies he is labored with in Hollywood, in addition to a number of the intriguing dynamics he witnessed on set of certainly one of America’s most beloved sitcoms.
He writes extensively about his experiences in his ebook, “The Girls: From Golden To Gilmore,” and spoke candidly with Fox News Digital about his notion of actress Betty White.
Writing a number of scripts for the present’s premiere season, Zimmerman questioned the best way White handled co-star Estelle Getty.
BETTY WHITE’S ‘GOLDEN GIRLS’ CASTMATE CALLED HER THE C-WORD, CASTING DIRECTOR CLAIMS
“Golden Girls” ran for seven seasons, premiering in 1985. The collection adopted 4 girls, Rose Nylund (Betty White), Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) and Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan). (Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)
During these early days, Getty was having hassle remembering her strains.
“The thought in the writer’s room was that she was out going to Hollywood parties because here she was, a sudden celebrity,” Zimmerman shared. “That she wasn’t studying hard enough.”
In actuality, he believes Getty was coping with dementia, although she had not been formally identified with the sickness at the time. Getty was identified with Lewy physique dementia a few years later. She died in 2008.
Stan Zimmerman says throughout the first season of “Golden Girls,” Estelle Getty had been coping with early dementia. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content through Getty Images)
“That’s why sometimes [in] scenes, you’ll see Sophia eating raisins. She actually has the lines on her hands,” Zimmerman defined of Getty’s character. “So, when we would break because of a mistake from Estelle, Betty would go walk over to the bleachers and start making jokes. And, at the time, because I was close with Estelle, I felt, ‘Why is she making fun of Estelle?’ I was very protective,” he mentioned.
Zimmerman and Getty had cultivated an in depth friendship whereas he was writing for the present, and he initially thought White was taking a chance to go “off making jokes at the expense of Estelle.”
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Betty White and Estelle Getty painting Rose Nylund and Sophia Petrillo on the set of “Golden Girls.” (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content through Getty Images)
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Reflecting on the scenario many years later, Zimmerman believes White was purposely deflecting away from Getty’s struggles.
“I think Betty was steering the attention away from Estelle, going up to the audience so that people would be looking at her over there and let Estelle have the moment to collect herself, look at the script.”
Zimmerman says White “knew Estelle had panic attacks every time we went to go film. You have to understand, Estelle Getty came from the theater, where you rehearse the same script over and over and over and over. In television, you’re always changing lines, sometimes in between takes.”
WATCH: BETTY WHITE WOULD MAKE JOKES AT ESTELLE GETTY’S ‘EXPENSE’ ON ‘GOLDEN GIRLS’ SET
“Imagine you’re having these feelings. You’re used to being in a career of theater where you’ve memorized lots of lines, and then you’re in front of a huge studio, cameras, multimillions of dollars being spent. You have the network in the studio all there and the lights are on you. So, I think, you know, that’s what got Estelle … very panicked every week. And she started talking about how, you know, she had to go to therapy to help her work through her fear of those tape nights.”
Betty White poses for a photograph with “Golden Girls” co-star Estelle Getty. (Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch through Getty Images)
Zimmerman says adjusting to fast script modifications was “a muscle” the opposite main girls, apart from Getty, had. “Golden Girls” lasted seven seasons and in addition starred actresses Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur.
“I think that was just a life lesson in really putting yourself in everybody’s shoes,” Zimmerman mentioned of his takeaway. “Like, put yourself in Betty’s shoes. What is she supposed to do?
WATCH: ‘GOLDEN GIRLS’ WRITER STAN ZIMMERMAN TALKS PUTTING HIMSELF IN BETTY WHITE’S SHOES
“She has an ideal humorousness. She thinks on her ft. So, you recognize, she goes and takes care of it. You know, however I additionally bear in mind her enjoying Sue Ann Niven on “[The] Mary Tyler Moore [Show].” That was a really bitchy, imply character. So I feel possibly in my head, I’m pondering, ‘Oh, she’s simply being Sue Ann Nivens,” he suggested of White’s off-camera demeanor.
Rumors have swirled over the years that Betty White and Bea Arthur did not like each other on the set of “Golden Girls.” (Desiree Navarro/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
Zimmerman also touched on rumors White and Arthur didn’t get along.
“During our time on set, I by no means felt stress between the 2,” he wrote in the book. “I solely heard tales and not too long ago realized, from producer Marsha Posner Williams on a podcast, that Bea thought Betty was two-faced. Bea favored actual folks. I had the sense that Betty was extra like Sue Ann Nivens, the character she performed on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ than she was like Rose. More conniving than the harmless airhead from St. Olaf.”
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While speaking to Fox News Digital, Zimmerman suggested what may have been the source of friction.
“I’ve since realized they’ve very totally different types. Bea Arthur actually got here from the stage and simply had a distinct ethos of working. Whereas, Betty got here from tv.
“So, it was just different work ethics. I mean, they both got the job done extremely well. But just — just a difference of personalities.”
“Golden Girls” stars Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur on stage at The sixth Annual “TV Land Awards” in 2008. (Chris Polk/FilmMagic)
Zimmerman is credited with writing episodes like “Blanche and the Younger Man,” and “Rose’s Mother” in season 1. In his ebook, he additionally writes about his time engaged on exhibits like “Roseanne” and “Gilmore Girls.” He’s labored with quite a few Hollywood legends, together with Lily Tomlin and Sandra Bernhard.
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