Rue McClanahan
A veteran television actress and Broadway star of the 50s, Rue McClanahan was an actress noticed by television executive, Norman Lear. Lear cast her in a number of television shows, including "All in the Family" (1971) with 'Carroll OConnor' and "Maude" (1972) with Bea Arthur. McClanahan next co-starred with Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Betty White and Carol Burnett in "Mama's Family" (1983) for three years, and after it was canceled by NBC, McClanahan was probably best known for her role as the saucy, sharp southern belle, Blanche, in "The Golden Girls" (1985). She once again worked with Bea Arthur and Betty White, and with relative newcomer Estelle Getty. All four of the women won Emmy Awards for their roles. After Bea Arthur left the show after eight seasons, McClanahan, White and Getty returned for a brief spin-off in "The Golden Palace" (1992). In the mid-nineties, McClanahan was diagnosed with cancer, but was able to fight it successfully. In addition to lending her talents to a number of made for TV films, McClanahan has also appeared on the big screen in recent years co-starring with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in the comedy Out to Sea (1997) and with Casper Van Dien in Starship Troopers (1997). McClanahan also spends her time joining and helping organizations against cancer, AIDS, and cruelty against animals.
Known For
Credits
- 2022 · Golden Girls 3033 as Blanche Devereaux (voice) (archive sound)
- 2022 · Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
- 2021 · Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
- 2021 · The Golden Girls: Ageless as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 · Spaceship Earth as Herself (Archival footage)
- 2018 · Betty White: First Lady of Television as Self (archive Footage)
- 2010 · Gaze as Self (archive footage)
- 2009 · Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- 2008 · Generation Gap as Kay
- 2008 · Sordid Lives: The Series as Peggy Ingram
- 2005 · Back to You & Me as Helen Ludwick
- 2004 · The Tony Danza Show as Self
- 2004 · Wonderfalls as Millie Marcus
- 2003 · Hope & Faith as Sylvia
- 2003 · The Fighting Temptations as Nancy Stringer
- 2003 · Whoopi as Marian
- 2003 · Miracle Dogs as Katherine Mannion
- 2003 · The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments as Self / Blanche Devereaux
- 2003 · The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series as Blanche Devereaux (archive footage)
- 2002 · The Women as Countess DeLage
- 2002 · NBC 75th Anniversary Special as Self
- 2001 · Nuncrackers as Reverend Mother
- 2000 · The Moving of Sophia Myles as Mary-Margaret
- 1999 · Ladies Man as Aunt Lou
- 1999 · Safe Harbor as Grandma Loring
- 1999 · The Lot as
- 1998 · Ashes to Ashes as Verity Chandler
- 1998 · Rusty: A Dog's Tale as Edna Callahan
- 1998 · Border to Border as Mrs. Kirby
- 1998 · Love Boat: The Next Wave as Abigail Jordan
- 1998 · Nunsense 3: The Jamboree as Mother Superior
- 1997 · Starship Troopers as Biology Teacher
- 1997 · Annabelle's Wish as Scarlett (voice)
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · This World, Then the Fireworks as Mom Lakewood
- 1997 · Out to Sea as Mrs. Ellen Carruthers
- 1997 · Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula as Self
- 1997 · King of the Hill as Bunny (voice)
- 1996 · Dear God as Mom Turner
- 1996 · Promised Land as Valerie Carter
- 1995 · A Holiday to Remember as Miz Leona / Clay's Aunt
- 1994 · Spider-Man as Mrs. Hardy (voice)
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Amelia Bowthorpe Archibald
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Lila Winslow
- 1994 · A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story as Grandma Stephens
- 1994 · Burke's Law as Jinxy Duke
- 1994 · Nunsense 2: The Sequel as Rev. Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina
- 1993 · Intimate Portrait as Self
- 1993 · Message from Nam as Beatrice Andrews
- 1993 · Boy Meets World as Bernice Matthews
- 1993 · The John Larroquette Show as Rue McClanahan
- 1993 · Nunsense as Rev. Mother Mary Regina
- 1993 · Mother of the Bride as Margaret Becker Hix
- 1992 · The Golden Palace as Blanche Devereaux
- 1991 · Baby of the Bride as Margaret Becker Hix
- 1991 · Nurses as Blanche Devereaux
- 1990 · The Dreamer of Oz as Matilda Joslyn Gage
- 1990 · To My Daughter as Laura Carlson
- 1990 · Children of the Bride as Margaret Becker
- 1990 · Law & Order as Lois McIntyre
- 1990 · After the Shock as Sherra Cox
- 1990 · Night of 100 Stars III as Self
- 1990 · The Earth Day Special as Blanche Devereaux
- 1990 · Modern Love as Mrs. Evelyn Parker
- 1990 · Rue McClanahan: The Cat Care Video Guide as Herself
- 1989 · The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as
- 1989 · The Wickedest Witch as Avarissa
- 1989 · The Man in the Brown Suit as Suzy Blair
- 1988 · Take My Daughters, Please as Lilah Page
- 1988 · Mickey's 60th Birthday as Self
- 1988 · Empty Nest as Blanche Devereaux
- 1988 · Liberace as Frances Liberace
- 1987 · The Little Match Girl as Frances Dutton
- 1986 · Picnic as Flo Owens
- 1985 · The Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
- 1984 · Crazy like a Fox as Angie
- 1984 · Charles in Charge as Irene Pembroke
- 1984 · Murder, She Wrote as Miriam Radford
- 1984 · Cover Up as
- 1983 · Mama's Family as Frances Marie Crowley
- 1983 · The Skin of Our Teeth as Fortune Teller
- 1982 · Newhart as
- 1982 · The Day the Bubble Burst as Barbara Arvey
- 1982 · American Playhouse as
- 1981 · Darkroom as
- 1981 · Gimme a Break! as
- 1981 · Word of Honor as Maggie McNeill
- 1980 · Gridlock as Adele Sherman
- 1980 · Here's Boomer as Thelma
- 1979 · Topper as Clara Topper
- 1979 · Trapper John, M.D. as
- 1979 · Sweepstakes as
- 1978 · Rainbow as Ida Koverman
- 1978 · Apple Pie as Ginger-Nell Hollyhock
- 1978 · Grandpa Goes to Washington as
- 1978 · Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force as Mat's Mother
- 1978 · Having Babies III as Gloria Miles
- 1978 · A Different Approach as
- 1977 · The Love Boat as April Dunlevy
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Mary Hubble
- 1977 · The Love Boat as Doris Simpson
- 1977 · Lou Grant as
- 1976 · Alice as
- 1973 · Blade as Gail
- 1972 · The Rimers of Eldritch as Cora Groves
- 1972 · Maude as Vivian Harmon
- 1971 · Some of My Best Friends Are... as Lita Joyce
- 1971 · Hogan's Goat as Josey Finn
- 1971 · Columbo as Verity Chandler
- 1971 · They Might Be Giants as Daisy Playfair
- 1971 · Great Performances as Josey Finn
- 1971 · Great Performances as Cora
- 1971 · Great Performances as Faye Precious
- 1971 · All in the Family as Ruth Rempley
- 1970 · The People Next Door as Della
- 1969 · Where the Heart Is as Margaret Jardin #2
- 1967 · Mannix as
- 1965 · Angel's Flight as Dolly
- 1964 · How to Succeed with Girls as Lorena (as Patty Leigh)
- 1964 · Another World as Caroline Johnson
- 1963 · Five Minutes to Love as Sally 'Poochie'
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- 1961 · Five Minutes to Live as Pamela
- 1961 · The Grass Eater as
- 1961 · Just Between Us as
- 1961 · Hollywood After Dark as Sandy