The Richest Golden Girls Star Revealed
Whether you were alive in the '80s or have only been around for reruns, "The Golden Girls" is still just as relatable as ever. Though, it does help that the series stars four loveable ladies. "It was so exciting to be with four people with that chemistry," Betty White reminisced to Us Weekly. "I'll never forget that first read. It was like we had been working together forever. I still get goose bumps thinking about it." Though the series ended nearly four decades ago, it's still just as popular as ever.
The sitcom, named one of the greatest of all time by TV Guide Magazine, was an undeniable highlight for the stars of the show. All of them continued to lead incredible careers — with pretty big paychecks, too. Yet, they didn't all end up at exactly the same spot on the pay scale. Who exactly ended up being the wealthiest star from the show? Read on as we reveal the richest star from "The Golden Girls."
Rue McClanahan no longer had to worry about money after joining The Golden Girls
When Rue McClanahan was first trying to break onto our television screens, there weren't many agents who wanted to represent her. "They said I wasn't photogenic, and that I would never work on television," she later admitted in 1987 while accepting her Emmy — and she was nominated for four of them while starring on "The Golden Girls." Yet, that wasn't the only part of her success story. Over the course of her acting career, McClanahan, who died in 2010, built herself up to be around $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Before she ever became Blanche, the actor started her career on Broadway. Her first recurring role on television didn't come until a show called "Maude" with Bea Arthur — who, crazy enough, later became her co-star once again on "The Golden Girls."
When McClanahan was cast as Blanche, she finally found financial security in her acting career, according to Publisher's Weekly. When the series wrapped up in 1992, "'The Golden Girls' was already in syndication, which is where the producers make the megabucks," the actor explained in her autobiography, "My First Five Husbands ... And the Ones Who Got Away." And we assume the actors saw some of that money too. Still, there was more money to be made. It was then that the spin-off "The Golden Palace" was born. "The new show only had to last three seasons to go into syndication. More megabucks," McClanahan wrote, noting that she hadn't originally wanted to do the show as it was designed. Unfortunately for everyone's wallet, the series only lasted a single season.
Estelle Getty used to work in an office while auditioning to make ends meet
Estelle Getty spent much of her early career acting on stage — but the pay was never that great. In order to keep the lights on, Getty spent her spare time working as a secretary. It was during her lunch breaks that she would sneak off to auditions, and the day she walked in to read for "The Golden Girls" was a day that would forever change her life. "After 50 years in the business, I'm an overnight success," she had told her son at the time, according to The New York Times. After her casting, she built herself up to being worth nearly $8 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Over the course of playing Sophia for seven seasons, Getty, who died in 2008, was nominated for seven Emmys and eventually brought one home in 1988. This Golden Girl also had three Golden Globe nominations to her name, winning in 1986. During her career, she also enjoyed a role alongside Cher in "Mask" and in the children's classic "Stuart Little."
Though she had a wildly successful career of her own, Getty could never help but give a shoutout to her fellow Golden Girls. "Of course, I'm here because the three of them let me be here," she said during her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. "So the four of us are going to share this, but I'm keeping it in my room, because I won it!"
Bea Arthur had success both on television and on Broadway
Though Bea Arthur was already a Tony award-winning Broadway actor, transitioning to television wasn't an easy feat for her. She wasn't used to having celebrity status. "You can spend years, and very successfully, on the stage, but once you hit television, it's like, people who never even knew you feel that you're a member of their family," the actor explained on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." The fame came after her starring role in the sitcom "Maude," but it escalated even further when she made her debut as Dorothy in "The Golden Girls." She was worth around $25 million before she died in 2009, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Over the course of her television career, Arthur was nominated for 11 Emmys, winning two of them, and was even inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Fans obviously loved seeing her on their small screens, but there still seemed to be something missing in Arthur's life. After appearing as Dorothy for seven seasons, she decided it was time to move on from sitcoms. "I've spent most of my adult life in, you know, that little box," she explained on "This Morning." "And I really felt it was time to go back to one's roots — the theater," which is where she spent the last few years of her life.
Betty White was working for free at the start of her acting career
The richest Golden Girl by far is Betty White. Since starring as Rose from "The Golden Girls" for seven seasons, White has made herself a household name. Interestingly enough, she even started out in show business working for free. When she locked in one of her very first acting jobs, her father may have been even more excited than she was. "He was so thrilled that I had a job," she told the Archive of American Television. Noting how she borrowed money from her father to pay for the actors' union, as the money she received from one gig only covered half, she joked, "He said, 'If you don't work too often, we could almost afford it.'" Luckily, she's come a long way since. According to Celebrity Net Worth, White has a net worth of $75 million today.
When the series officially wrapped in 1992, White went on to another recurring sitcom called "Hot in Cleveland" and continued to make many other television appearances (via IMDb). She even won an Emmy for hosting an episode of "Saturday Night Live." "It's incredible you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with you," she joked on "Good Morning America." Yet, even if they didn't, Collider reported that White is still raking in $3 million each and every year from "The Golden Girls" reruns alone (via CheatSheet).