The Golden Girls could have looked a lot different had things gone according to the original plan. Bea Arthur had actually initially turned down the role and the other actresses were all supposed to play different characters.
According to several insiders, Bea didn’t like how similar all of the characters were to the ones they had played on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Maude.
Bea Hated Cheesecake
The cheesecake was a staple in the show and was eaten countless times when the girls needed to get down and have serious chats. There were many scenes like this, like the time Sophia wanted to move out of the house.
When asked about all the cheesecake scenes in one of the many interviews, Bea actually admitted to hating it. That is some good acting!
Betty Speaks in Tongues…or Norwegian
During one scene, Betty White’s character Rose had to speak Norwegian, which she did pretty well, or so it seemed. But as it turns out, White just dropped some gibberish on everyone, but since no one else spoke Norwegian in the room, it went completely unnoticed!
Somebody who spoke Norwegian probably watched the show at some point and did notice, though.
The Girl’s Loved to Play Together
Seriously! Betty White absolutely adored spending her time playing word and puzzle games, hence her appearance on countless game shows over the years! Betty’s enthusiasm for it all was quite infectious and eventually, Rue also wanted in on the fun.
The two women between filming would play together. We are sure this created quite an interesting bond.
Betty White is a Time Traveler
Betty White’s character, Rose Nylund, was the youngest of the four women in the household. However, Betty was actually senior to the rest of the actresses in real life and has even outlived all of her costars.
Sadly, Betty passed just a few weeks before her 100th birthday in 2021.