Estelle Getty

American actress

Born: July 25, 1923 · Died: July 22, 2008

Famous Persons

Who was Estelle Getty?

Estelle Gettleman (née Scher; July 25, 1923 – July 22, 2008), known professionally as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedian. Getty was born Estelle Scher in New York City on, to Charles Scher (Yiddish: טשאַרלס שער) and Sarah (née Lacher; Yiddish: שרה לאַכער שער), Jewish immigrants from Poland, at the family's apartment at 257 East 2nd Street on the Lower East Side, which also served as the storefront for the family's glass business. She reprised the role in Empty Nest (1993–1995), The Golden Palace (1992–1993), Blossom (1990–1995), and Nurses (1991–1994). She retired from acting in 2001 due to failing health, and died in 2008 from dementia with Lewy bodies. Estelle Gettleman, known professionally as Estelle Getty, was an American actress and comedian.

Historical significance

She was best known for her portrayal of Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls (1985–1992), for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Notable films in which she appeared include Mask (1985), a semibiographical film in which she played the grandmother of Roy L. Dennis, Mannequin (1987), and Stuart Little (1999).

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Estelle Getty.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/estelle-getty/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

Estelle Getty. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/estelle-getty/

Chicago

“Estelle Getty.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/estelle-getty/.

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