How Old Were the Cast During the Show's Run?

The main characters in The Golden Girls were meant to be women of a certain age, but many people don’t know the ages of the actors in the TV show. Centering on four single women living in the same house in Miami, The Golden Girls is known for its cast. It follows Blanche (Rue McClanahan), who opens her home to other lonely single ladies.

In response, widows Rose (Betty White) and Sophia (Estelle Getty), and divorcee Dorothy (Bea Arthur) come to live with her. The sitcom ran successfully for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992, with several spinoffs and series set in the Golden Girls universe. Every season of The Golden Girls is worth watching.

A major aspect of The Golden Girls is the older age of the lead cast and their status as widows. While the show has a fairly wide age range, it is interesting to see the diversity of ages. More important than that is how the ages of The Golden Girls’ characters can be compared to the ages of their respective actors.

How Old Every Main Character Was In The Golden Girls

Though their ages are not exactly confirmed on the show, the main characters in The Golden Girls, including Dorothy, Sophia, Rose, and Blanche, are between their 40s and late 80s. Other characters, such as Stan and Blanche’s siblings, are presumably also in this age range. Dorothy’s son, Michael, and her daughter Kate were likely in their 20s or 30s during the show.

All three women were older actresses at the time, ranging in age from 53 to 63, and despite most shows having younger stars, the show became an instant hit. The series let the women be individuals, never willing to act their age, while saying and doing things that shocked audiences. Every actress won a Primetime Emmy Award during the show’s seven-season run.

Character Name	Character Age in Season 1
Dorothy	55
Rose	55
Blanche	53
Sophia	79
Stan	57
Clayton Hollingsworth	45
Angelo Grisanti	82
Angela Grisanti Vecchio	84
Michael	23-29

Rue McClanahan’s Blanche Devereaux Was The Youngest In The Golden Girls

Rue McClanahan Was 53

Rue McClanahan smiling in front of a pink background as Blanche in The Golden Girls

Blanche Devereaux was approximately 53 years old at the start of The Golden Girls, making her the youngest of the main characters. McClanahan’s character, Blanche, was a promiscuous widow who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She is portrayed as a Southern Belle with a flirtatious attitude. Blanche owns the house and is 60 at the end of the series.

Rue McClanahan was actually a few years younger, 51 years old, at the start of the series. McClanahan was also the youngest actor in the main cast. She starred on Maude as Vivian Harmon and then in Mama’s Family as Aunt Fran Crowley before joining The Golden Girls. McClanahan died in 2010 at 76.

Bea Arthur’s Dorothy Zbornak Was In Her 50s When The Golden Girls Started

Bea Arthur Was 63

Bea Arthur smirking as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls

Dorothy Zbornak is portrayed to be around 53-55 at the start of The Golden Girls and 60-62 by the end. Dorothy is the only Golden Girl who isn’t a widow in the series. She has a deadbeat ex-husband, Stan, whom she was married to for 38 years before he cheated. Dorothy is sarcastic, and part of why Golden Girls was ahead of its time.

Surprisingly, Dorothy’s actor, Bea Arthur, was a decade older, 63. In fact, Arthur was tied with Betty White for the oldest lead actor. Bea Arthur’s vastly different age from her character is the biggest surprise among The Golden Girls cast. She was the lead in the All in the Family spinoff, Maude, as Maude Findlay. Bear Arthur died in 1990 at 86.

Betty White’s Rose Nylund Was Older Than Blanche & Dorothy

Betty White Was 63

A closeup of Betty White smiling as Rose Nyland in a promotional picture for Golden Girls

One of the few Golden Girls with a confirmed age is Rose Nylund. It’s confirmed that Rose is 55 years old in season 1, making her 62 by the finale. Rose is known for her sweet attitude and perceived lack of intelligence. She begins a romantic relationship with a college professor, Miles Webber. Rose is also famous for telling stories about her upbringing in Minnesota.

Similar to Bea Arthur, Betty White was 63 at the start of The Golden Girls, making her almost a full decade older than her character. White was in The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Sue Ann Nivens, moving on to The Golden Girls eight years later. She also starred in Mama’s Family alongside Rue McClanahan. White died in 2012, just before her 100th birthday.

Estelle Getty’s Sophia Petrillo Was The Oldest In The Golden Girls

Estelle Getty Was 62

Sophia Petrillo holds a bag in front of flowers in a promotional image for The Golden Girls — Sophia Petrillo Holds a Bag in The Golden Girls

Of the four Golden Girls, Sophia Petrillo is the oldest, written to be 79 at the start of the series and 86 by its end. Sophia is Dorothy’s widowed mother in The Golden Girls. She was born in Sicily and escaped an arranged marriage. She is witty, blunt, and depicted as a great cook. Sophia’s wisecracking makes her a fan-favorite in The Golden Girls.

Surprisingly, Estelle Getty was only 62 in season 1. This not only made her much younger than her character, but even a year younger than Arthur, who plays her daughter. The Golden Girls was Getty’s first major television role. However, she took full advantage of it, playing the same character in Empty Nest, The Golden Palace, Blossom, and Nurses. Getty died in 2008 at 84.

How Old Were The Golden Girls’ Other Cast Members

Rose (Betty White) and Miles (Harold Gould) embrace in The Golden Girls

Of course, audiences had the most fun watching the four central women living in the house, but there were plenty of supporting characters who captured our attention as well. Stan, Dorothy’s ex-husband, was a recurring character played by Herb Edelman. He was 52 at the beginning of the show, and it can be assumed that he was supposed to be around the same age as Dorothy.

Other romantic interests include Miles, played by Harold Gould, who would have been 62 when the series premiered in 1985. However, romance wasn’t the only important part of The Golden Girls, as Michael and Deena, Dorothy’s kids, are seen throughout the show. They were played by Scott Jacoby and Lisa Jane Persky, who would have been 29 and 30 in 1985.

Why The Golden Girls Remains Relevant More Than 30 Years Later

The Golden Girls cast sat chatting on a couch in Golden Girls

There are many reasons why The Golden Girls is still considered a ground-breaking sitcom, appealing to audiences old and young to this day. It’s notable because it opened the door for older women to be viewed as compelling, complex protagonists that viewers can root for. Additionally, The Golden Girls never shied away from being on the cutting edge of relevant social conversations, including LGBTQ+ rights.

The series has also inspired many new additions to the genre, like The Golden Girls replacement show, Mid-Century Modern. However, there’s little question that The Golden Girls will go down in history as a one-of-a-kind project, as the show is as easy to watch today as it was in 1985, thanks to the sharp performances and timeless writing.