Bea Arthur discusses her work on "Maude" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

See the full interview at http://emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/beatrice-arthur

Beatrice Arthur was inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame on December 9, 2008.

Visit http://emmytvlegends.org for links to all online interviews in the Archive of American Television's collection.

In this interview excerpt, she discusses her role in the CBS series "Maude" produced and created by Norman Lear.

Beatrice Arthur was interviewed for two hours plus in Brentwood, CA. In the interview, Arthur talked about the origins of her stage name and how she started out in plays, off and on Broadway. She then talked about her first movie roles and her appearances on The George Gobel Show and Caesars Hour. She described her other early appearances on television in The Seven Lively Arts, Omnibus, and Perry Comos Kraft Music Hall and her role in the play and feature film Mame (with Angela Lansbury and Lucille Ball, respectively). She talked about her appearances on All in the Family as the liberal cousin Maude. She described her role as Maude, her relationships with Jean Stapleton, Carroll OConnor and Norman Lear. She then discussed the controversial issues and topics that the series Maude tackled, (such as alcoholism, abortion, death, infidelity and feminism). Arthur also talked extensively about working with Norman Lear on All in the Family and Maude, watching the show 20 years after it first aired and why she eventually left the show. She then briefly talked about her series Amandas. Arthur talked affectionately about The Golden Girls. The interview was conducted on March 15, 2001.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Bea Arthur
• Beatrice Arthur
• Comedy
• Maude
• Norman Lear
• Hall of Fame

[lirr408]

Rest in Peace Bea. Thank you for all the laughs. I love Maude and Golden Girls.

[bagelboi66]

Thank you Beatrice Arthur, you were beyond fabulous.

[piano1828]

Loved her. You can't do perfect any better. She was into that character!

[uszoninyc]

R.I.P. Ms. Arthur

[Hyprkabbage]

My freind called her a dike and i punched him square in the face. Rest in peace my love <3

[dinamartina]

It is so gorgeous to hear someone that talented actually say - objectively, honestly and without ego - how great something was that they did. She wasn't full of herself and she wasn't oozing false modesty; she was just speaking the TRUTH. Too often, people get criticism for just admitting something they did was really good.

[MrCarl220]

That was a great All In The Family episode! RIP Bea!

[sbergman27]

@cheeriosinabowl Indeed. When I think of Maude, I think of Mrs. Naugatuck's first episode. She mentioned to Maude that she'd found a vase full of old dust lying around, and flushed the dust down the toilet. Maude gave her that deadpan look, and held it for the longest time... before saying... "That was my second husband".

[ClarenceFisher]

5:15 - A comment on her timing - Yes, she had it - she truly was a master of timing. Thank God she liked the Norman Lear script or else someone else would have played Maude and that is just unimaginable.

[1979lincolncoupe]

she's my favorite actress who could easily beat the shit out of me. RIP Beatrice, you will be missed by millions and will always be known to me as Dorothy Zbornik

[Nikolaika77]

WE LOVE YOU BEA!!! RIP!!! AND ESTELLE AND RUE!!! AND LONG LIVE BETTY WHITE!!!<3<3<3

[cheeriosinabowl]

Bea's deadpan expressions always made me laugh.

There was nobody quite like Bea Arthur. Unique.