Bea Arthur (May 13, 1923 - April 25, 2009) was an Emmy Award-winning American actress and comedienne. Her notable television roles included the title role on the popular sitcom Maude in the 1970s, and a starring role on The Golden Girls in the 1980s and 1990s.

On stage, her roles included "Lucy Brown" in the 1954 Off-Broadway premiere of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera, "Yente the Matchmaker" in the 1964 premiere of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, and a 1966 Tony Award-winning portrayal of "Vera Charles" to Angela Lansbury's Mame (she recreated the role on film opposite Lucille Ball in 1974). In 1981, she appeared in Woody Allen's The Floating Lightbulb.

Two decades later she toured the U.S. with a one-woman show in which she made a triumphant return to Broadway in 2002. Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, a collection of stories and songs and based on her life and long career, was nominated for a Tony award for Best Special Theatrical Event. Bea Arthur died on April 25, 2009

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