Rue McClanahan bio: Life and death of the legendary Golden Girl
Rue McClanahan is not a new name in the Hollywood entertainment industry. She was an American actress and comedian. Rue gained recognition for portraying Blanche Devereaux in The Golden Girls and Aunt Fran Crowley on Mama's Family.
Source: UGC
Rue was one of the best self-made and super-talented actresses in Hollywood. Her ability to nail every character assigned to her made her achieve so much in her career.
Rue McClanahan profile summary
- Full name: Eddi-Rue McClanahan
- Date of birth: 21st February 1934 `
- Place of birth: Healdton, Oklahoma, USA
- Age at death: 76 years
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: White
- Rue McClanahan height: 5 feet 3 inches
- Spouse: Morrow Wilson
- Profession: Actress
- Net worth: $ 5 million
Biography
Rue was born on 21st February 1934 in Healdton, Oklahoma, USA. She was born to the late Dreda Rheaua-Nell (mother) and William Edwin McClanahan. Her mother was a beautician while her father worked as a building contractor.
Rue McClanahan young star was brought up in Ardmore, Oklahoma. She attended Ardmore High School and took part in school plays and even won the gold medal in oration.
She got a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tulsa. Rue joined the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority where she served as the vice-president.
Career
The actress made her professional stage debut in 1957 at Pennsylvania's Erie Playhouse in Inherit the Wind. She caught the attention of producer Norman Lear with her 1972 performance in Tonight in Living Color.
Norman offered her a guest-spot in All in the Family. He was impressed with her work and gave her another role in Maude opposite Bea Arthur.
Between 1992 and 1993, Young Rue McClanahan starred in Golden Palace which was a reprise of Golden Girls. She starred in other numerous movies and TV Shows as follows.
Television shows
Source: UGC
- 1961 - The Aquanauts
- 1964 - Burke's Law
- 1970 to 1971 - Another World
- 1971 - Love of Life
- 1971 to 1972 - Where the Heart Is
- 1971 - Great Performances
- 1972 - All in the Family
- 1972 to 1978 - Maude
- 1972 - Great Performances
- 1973 - The ABC Afternoon Playbreak
- 1974 - Mannix
- 1978 - Apple Pie
- 1978 - Grandpa Goes to Washington
- 1978 to 1984 - The Love Boat
- 1979 - Supertrain
- 1979 - Fantasy Island
- 1980 - Lou Grant
- 1980 - Here's Boomer
- 1981 - Gimme a Break
- 1981 - Darkroom
- 1982 - Trapper John MD
- 1983 - Newhart
- 1983 - American Playhouse
- 1983 - Small and Frye
- 1983 to 1984 - Mama's Family
- 1984 - Alice
- 1984 to 1985 - Charles in Charge
- 1985 - Cover Up
- 1985 - Crazy like a Fox
- 1985 - Murder, She Wrote
- 1985 to 1992 - The Golden Girls
- 1988 - Empty Nest
- 1989 - Nightmare Classics
- 1992 - Nurses
- 1992 to 1993 - The Golden Palace
- 1993 - Boy Meets World
- 1994 - Burke's Law
- 1994 - Touched by an Angel
- 1995 - The Mommies
- 1997 - Promised Land
- 1997 - Murphy Brown
- 1998 - Columbo
- 1998 - Love Boat: The Next Wave
- 1999 - Safe Harbor
- 1999 - Blue's Clues
- 2000 - Ladies Man
- 2002 - Stage on Screen
- 2003 - The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments
- 2004 - Whoopi
- 2004 - Wonderfalls
- 2005 - King of the Hill
- 2008 - Sordid Lives: The Series
- 2009 - Law and Order
- 2009 - Meet the Browns
Movies
Source: UGC
- 1961 - The Grass Eater
- 1961 - Five Minutes to Live
- 1963 - Five Minutes to Love
- 1964 - How to Succeed with Girls
- 1965 - Angel's Flight
- 1968 - Walk the Angry Beach
- 1970 - The People Next Door
- 1971 - The Pursuit of Happiness
- 1971 - They Might Be Giants
- 1971 - Some of My Best Friends Are
- 1973 - Blade
- 1978 - Having Babies III
- 1978 - Sergent Matlovich vs the US Air Force
- 1978 - Rainbow
- 1979 - Topper
- 1980 - The Great American Traffic Jam
- 1981 - World of Honor
- 1982 - The Day the Bubble Burst
- 1986 - Picnic
- 1987 - The Little Match Girl
- 1988 - Liberace
- 1988 - Take My Daughters, Please
- 1989 - The Man in the Brown Suit
- 1989 - The Wickedest Witch
- 1990 - Modern Love
- 1990 - The Earth Day Special
- 1990 - After the Shock
- 1990 - Children of the Bride
- 1990 - To My Daughter
- 1990 - The Dreamer of OZ: The L. Frank Baum Story
- 1991 - Baby of the Bride
- 1993 - Mother of the Bride
- 1993 - Message from Nam
- 1993 - Nunsense
- 1994 - A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story
- 1994 - Nunsense 2: The Sequel
- 1995 - A Holiday to Remember
- 1996 - Innocent Victims
- 1996 - Dear God
- 1997 - This World, The the Fireworks
- 1997 - Out to Sea
- 1997 - Annabelle's Wish
- 1997 - Starship Troopers
- 1998 - Border to Border
- 1998 - Rusty: A Dog's Tale
- 1998 - Nunsense 3: The Jamboree
- 1999 - A Saintly Switch
- 2000 - The Moving of Sophia Myles
- 2001 - Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical
- 2003 - Miracle Dogs
- 2003 - The Fighting Temptations
- 2005 - Wit's End
- 2005 - Back to You and Me
- 2008 - Generation Gap
Awards and nominations
Source: UGC
Rue was one of the best actresses in Hollywood. Here is the breakdown of her accolades, thanks to her exceptional talent.
Golden Globes, USA
- 1986, 1987 and 1988 - Nominee for the Best Performance by an Actress in a TV series Comedy or Musical in The Golden Girls film.
Primetime Emmy Awards
- 1986 - Nominee for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category in The Golden Girls
- 1987 - Winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category in The Golden Girls
- 1988 - Nominee of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category in The Golden Girls
- 1989 - Nominee for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category in The Golden Girls
Golden Apple Awards
- 1986 - Winner of the Female Star of the Year category
Online Film and Television Association
- 2008 - Winner of the Actors and Actresses
TV Land Awards
- 2003 - Winner of the Quintessential Non-Traditional Family category in The Golden Girls
- 2008 - Winner of the Pop Culture Award category for The Golden Girls
Husband
The actress had a rocky love life which was characterized by 6 marriages and 5 divorces. She tied the knot with Morrow Wilson in 1997 and the couple remained together until 2010 when she passed away. At the time of her death, Rue McClanahan spouse was Morrow Wilson.
Here is an outline of her previous marriages:
- Tosh Bish - Married in 1958 and divorced in 1959
- Norman Hartweg - Married in 1959 and divorced in 1961
- Peter DeMaio - Married in 1964 and divorced in 1871
- Gussie Sam Fisher - Married on 6th November 1976 and divorced on 4th August 1979
- Tom Keel - Married in 1984 and divorced in 1985
Rue McClanahan children
At the time of her death, Rue had only one child from her first marriage to Tom Bish. Her son is called Mark Bish.
Health and death
Rue was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 1997. She went through triple bypass surgery on 4th November 2009. She suffered a minor stroke on 14th November 1997 as she was recovering from surgery.
When did Rue McClanahan death occur? The actress died on 3rd June 2010. What did Rue McClanahan die of? Rue died of a brain hemorrhage. She succumbed to death while undergoing treatment at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Rue McClanahan age at death was 76 years.
Net worth `
Rue was one of the most adored actresses thanks to her unmatched talent. She had earned quite a huge amount of money during her days in the entertainment industry. Rue McClanahan net worth was roughly $5 million.
Rue McClanahan enjoyed a very successful career in Hollywood spanning more than four decades. Her story is a testimony that it is possible to navigate the challenging landscape in the entertainment industry. Even in death, she is still remembered for some of her best performances.
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