Remembering Rue McClanahan on what would have been her 84th birthday.

Today, a legend was born. Rue McClanahan was born in Oklahoma on February 21, 1934 and made a name for herself as a TV actress and Broadway star in the 1950s. In the 1970s, she caught the attention of Norman Lear, who cast her in a few of his hit shows: All in the Family and Maude. In the 1980s, she joined the cast of Mama's Family and dazzled TV viewers for 3 years.



In the mid-1980s, she was cast in her most pivotal role yet: the saucy Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls. She reunited with former co-stars Betty White and Bea Arthur (and newcomer Estelle Getty), and the 4 women entertained viewers for many seasons. Bea Arthur left the show after 7 seasons and White, Getty, and McClanahan joined the spinoff The Golden Palace in 1992.

In the mid-1990s, McClanahan was diagnosed with cancer, but fought it successfully. She continued to act on and off until her death in 2010.

Let's remember this amazing woman in some of her best scenes from The Golden Girls:​

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