Rue McClanahan

Rue McClanahan
McClanahan at a book signing, 2007
Born	Eddi-Rue McClanahan February 21, 1934 (1934-02-21) (age 75) Healdton, Oklahoma, United States
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1957—
Spouse(s)	Morrow Wilson (1997–) Tom Keel (1985-1986) Gus Fisher (1976-1978) Peter DMaior (1964-1971) Norman Hartweg (1959-1961) Tom Bish (1958-1959); 1 child

Rue McClanahan (February 21, 1934) is an American actress, known for her roles as Vivian Cavender Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.

Early life

McClanahan was born Eddi-Rue McClanahan in Healdton, Oklahoma, the daughter of Dreda Rheua-Nell (née Medaris), a beautician, and William Edwin McClanahan, a building contractor.^[1][2] She is of Irish and Choctaw Indian ancestry,^[2] and grew up in Ardmore, Oklahoma; she graduated from Ardmore High School. At the University of Tulsa, she majored in German and theater and was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.

Early career

She began acting on Off-Broadway in New York City in 1957, but did not make her Broadway debut until 1969 when she portrayed Sally Weber in the original production of John Sebastian and Murray Schisgal's musical theatre,musical Jimmy Shine with Dustin Hoffman in the title role. Her breakout role was of maniacal nanny Caroline Johnson on Another World from July 1970 - September 1971. In the show, while taking care of twins Michael and Marianne Randolph, Caroline fell in love with their father, John, and began poisoning their mother, Pat. Due in part to McClanahan's performance, the short-term role was extended to over a year before Caroline was finally brought to justice after kidnapping the twins. McClanahan expected negative fan reaction but was generally popular, even getting one letter advising her on the best poisons with which to kill Pat. Unlike a number of actors who become famous after leaving soaps, McClanahan has always praised daytime drama and the people who work in it. Once her role on Another World ended, Rue joined the cast of the CBS soap Where the Heart Is, where she played not so nice Margaret Jardin.

Primetime Success

The handprints of Rue McClanahan in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.

In Maude, broadcast from 1972 to 1978, McClanahan played Maude's (Bea Arthur) best friend, Vivian Harmon.

The Golden Girls

In The Golden Girls, broadcast from 1985 until 1992 and as The Golden Palace for one year afterwards, McClanahan portrayed man-crazed Southern belle Blanche Devereaux. Devereaux was the owner of a house inhabited by four roommates: herself, Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), Rose Nylund (Betty White), and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty). She received an Emmy Award in 1987 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on The Golden Girls.

Other work

She starred in the early seasons of Mama's Family as "Aunt Fran" Crowley from 1983 to 1985.

She also appeared as a leader of Al-Anon in a 1970s informational video called "Slight Drinking Problem," in which Patty Duke played the enabling and eventually self-empowered wife of an alcoholic.

McClanahan starred in 1961's The Rotten Apple, as well as Walk the Angry Beach in 1968. In 1971 she played a vicious fag hag in the film Some of My Best Friends Are... which was set in a gay bar. On May 31 2005, McClanahan took over the role of Madame Morrible in the hit Broadway musical Wicked, for which she received mixed reviews. She did, however, receive a positive notice from the New York Times:

McClanahan also guest starred on Newhart and was honored at the 2008 TV Land Awards for the cast's role in the Golden Girls, at which she was present.

Later life

A lifelong animal-rights advocate and vegetarian,^[3] McClanahan was one of the first celebrity supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She is also a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party. In December 2003, she wrote a letter informing Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry that his pheasant hunting had cost him her vote, which went to Ralph Nader instead. In 2008, she endorsed then presidential candidate Barack Obama.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 1997. She is also the mother of one child, a son, Mark Bish, from a previous marriage.

In 2003 she appeared in the musical romantic comedy The Fighting Temptations as Nancy Stringer, which co-starred Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce Knowles, Mike Epps and Steve Harvey.

She replaced Carole Shelley as Madame Morrible in the musical Wicked on May 31, 2005. She played the role for eight months and departed the cast on January 8, 2006. She was replaced by Carol Kane on January 10, 2006.

Her autobiography, My First Five Husbands, was released nationwide in the spring of 2007.

In June 2008, The Golden Girls was awarded the 'Pop Culture' award at the Sixth Annual TV Land Awards. Rue accepted the award with co-stars Bea Arthur and Betty White.^[4] McClanahan is the aunt of author Amelia Kinkade and inventor Sean Kinkade.

McClanahan is currently acting in the series Sordid Lives on the Logo network, which premiered July 23rd, 2008. She plays Peggy Ingram, the older sister of Sissy Hickey and mother of Latrelle, LaVonda and Earl "Brother Boy".

On November 14th, 2009 she will be honored for her lifetime achievements at an event "Golden: A Gala Tribute To Rue McClanahan" at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, California.^[5] - Event has been post-poned to an unknown date due to McClanahan being hospitalized for heart problems November 4th.

McClanahan is currently about to embark on a U.S tour of her one woman show, based on her book, which will head for Broadway in 2010.

Awards

Emmy Awards:

• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls" (1986)
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls" (1987) (won)
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls" (1988)
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls" (1989)

Golden Globe Awards:

• Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical for: "The Golden Girls" (1986)
• Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical for: "The Golden Girls" (1987)
• Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical for: "The Golden Girls" (1988)

Obie Awards (Broadway):

• Best Actress for "Who's Happy Now" (1969) (won)

Golden Apple Awards:

• Female Star of the Year for: "The Golden Girls" (1986) (won)

TV Land Awards:

• Pop Culture Award for: "The Golden Girls" (2008) (won)
• Quintessential Non-Traditional Family for: "The Golden Girls" (2003) (won)

TV Work

• Another World (cast member from 1970 – 1971)
• Where the Heart Is (cast member from 1971 – 1972)
• Hogan's Goat (1971)
• All in the Family (1972 - "The Bunkers and the Swingers")
• The Rimers of Eldritch (1974)
• Maude (1974 – 1978)
• Gimme A Break (2 episodes) (1981-1987)
• Mama's Family as Fran (cast member from 1983 – 1985)
• Murder, She Wrote (episode: Murder Takes the Bus) (1985)
• The Golden Girls (1985 – 1992)
• The Man in the Brown Suit (1989)
• Children of the Bride (1990)
• Baby of the Bride (1991)
• The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story (1991)
• The Golden Palace (1992-1993)
• Mother of the Bride (1993)
• Boy Meets World (1 episode) 1993
• Dads TV Pilot (1997)
• A Saintly Switch (1999)
• Safe Harbor (11 episodes) (1999)
• Ladies Man (2 episodes) (2000)
• Hope & Faith brief 2005 appearance
• King of the Hill brief 2007 appearance
• Generation Gap (2008)
• Sordid Lives: The Series 12 episodes (2008)
• Law & Order guest appearance in 2009
• Celebrity Ghost Stories (October 17th, 2009)

Filmography

• The Rotten Apple (1961)
• Angel's Flight (1965)
• Walk the Angry Beach (1968)
• Hollywood After Dark (1968)
• The Unholy Choice (1968)
• Some of My Best Friends Are... (1971)
• They Might Be Giants (1971)
• The Wickedest Witch (1989)
• Message from Nam (1993)
• Dear God (1996)
• Innocent Victims (TV movie) (1996)
• Annabelle's Wish (1997)
• Out to Sea (1997)
• Starship Troopers (1997)
• The Fighting Temptations (2003)
• Back to You and Me (2005)

References

External links

• Rue McClanahan at the Internet Movie Database
• Rue McClanahan at the Internet Broadway Database
• Rue McClanahan at the Internet off-Broadway Database
• Rue McClanahan Archive of American Television Interview