Surprising Stories from the Set of The Golden Girls

Before The Golden Girls became a hit, Bea Arthur wasn’t immediately convinced it was the right project for her. In fact, she initially resisted the idea of being cast in the series when it was first being developed.

Arthur felt the roles seemed a little too familiar. She and Rue McClanahan had already played similar characters together on Maude, and Betty White appeared to be stepping into a role reminiscent of her character from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Thankfully, she changed her mind—and television history was made.