Rue McClanahan
Born: 1934-02-21 in Healdton, Oklahoma, USA
Died: 2010-06-03
Known For: Acting
Biography
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.
Filmography
2025
- The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship as Self / Blanche Devereaux (archive footage)
2022
- Golden Girls 3033 as Blanche Devereaux (voice) (archive sound)
2021
- The Golden Girls: Ageless as Self (archive footage)
- Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
2018
- Betty White: First Lady of Television as Self (archive Footage)
2010
- Gaze as Self (archive footage)
2009
- Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
2008
- Sordid Lives: The Series as Peggy Ingram
- Generation Gap as Kay
2005
- Back to You & Me as Helen Ludwick
2004
- The Tony Danza Show as Self
- Wonderfalls as Millie Marcus
2003
- Hope & Faith as Sylvia
- Whoopi as Marian
- The Fighting Temptations as Nancy Stringer
- The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series as Blanche Devereaux (archive footage)
- Miracle Dogs as Katherine Mannion
- The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments as Self / Blanche Devereaux
2002
- NBC 75th Anniversary Special as Self
- The Women as Countess DeLage
2001
- Nuncrackers as Reverend Mother
2000
- The Moving of Sophia Myles as Mary-Margaret
1999
- Ladies Man as Aunt Lou
- The Lot as Priscilla Tremaine
- Safe Harbor as Grandma Loring
- A Saintly Switch as Aunt Fanny
1998
- Love Boat: The Next Wave as Abigail Jordan
- Rusty: A Dog's Tale as Edna Callahan
- Border to Border as Mrs. Kirby
- Nunsense 3: The Jamboree as Mother Superior
1997
- King of the Hill as Bunny (voice)
- The View as Self
- Starship Troopers as Biology Teacher
- Out to Sea as Mrs. Ellen Carruthers
- This World, Then the Fireworks as Mom Lakewood
- Annabelle's Wish as Scarlett (voice)
- Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula as Self
1996
- Promised Land as Valerie Carter
- Remember WENN as Dusty Foxx
- Dear God as Mom Turner
- Innocent Victims as Marylou Hennis
1995
- A Holiday to Remember as Miz Leona / Clay's Aunt
1994
- Touched by an Angel as Amelia Archibald
- Spider-Man as Mrs. Hardy (voice)
- Burke's Law as Jinxy Duke
- A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story as Grandma Stephens
- Nunsense 2: The Sequel as Rev. Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina
1993
- Boy Meets World as Bernice Matthews
- Intimate Portrait as Self
- The John Larroquette Show as Rue McClanahan
- Mother of the Bride as Margaret Becker Hix
- Message from Nam as Beatrice Andrews
- Nunsense as Rev. Mother Mary Regina
1992
- The Golden Palace as Blanche Devereaux
1991
- Nurses as Blanche Devereaux
- Baby of the Bride as Margaret Becker Hix
1990
- Law & Order as Lois McIntyre
- The Earth Day Special as Blanche Devereaux
- Night of 100 Stars III as Self
- To My Daughter as Laura Carlson
- The Dreamer of Oz as Matilda Joslyn Gage
- Children of the Bride as Margaret Becker
- After the Shock as Sherra Cox
- Modern Love as Mrs. Evelyn Parker
- Rue McClanahan: The Cat Care Video Guide as Herself
- Help Save Planet Earth as Self
1989
- The Man in the Brown Suit as Suzy Blair
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- The Wickedest Witch as Avarissa
1988
- Empty Nest as Blanche Devereaux
- Mickey's 60th Birthday as Self
- Take My Daughters, Please as Lilah Page
- Liberace as Frances Liberace
1987
- The Little Match Girl as Frances Dutton
1986
- Picnic as Flo Owens
1985
- The Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
- The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Miriam Radford
- Charles in Charge as Irene Pembroke
- Crazy like a Fox as Angie
- Cover Up
1983
- Mama's Family as Frances Marie Crowley
- The Skin of Our Teeth as Fortune Teller
1982
- Newhart
- American Playhouse
- The Day the Bubble Burst as Barbara Arvey
1981
- Gimme a Break!
- Here's Boomer as Thelma
- Darkroom
- Word of Honor as Maggie McNeill
1980
- Gridlock as Adele Sherman
1979
- Trapper John, M.D.
- Supertrain as Ms. Rick
- $weepstake$
- Topper as Clara Topper
1978
- Fantasy Island as Gertie Lawton
- Grandpa Goes to Washington
- Apple Pie as Ginger-Nell Hollyhock
- Having Babies III as Gloria Miles
- Rainbow as Ida Koverman
- Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force as Mat's Mother
- A Different Approach
1977
- The Love Boat as April Dunlevy
- Lou Grant
1976
1973
- Blade as Gail
1972
- Maude as Vivian Harmon
- The Rimers of Eldritch as Cora Groves
1971
- Columbo as Verity Chandler
- Great Performances as Josey Finn
- All in the Family as Ruth Rempley
- They Might Be Giants as Daisy Playfair
- Hogan's Goat as Josey Finn
- Some of My Best Friends Are... as Lita Joyce
1970
- The People Next Door as Della
1969
- Where the Heart Is as Margaret Jardin #2
1967
1965
- Angel's Flight as Dolly
1964
- Another World as Caroline Johnson
- How to Succeed with Girls as Lorena (as Patty Leigh)
1963
- Five Minutes to Love as Sally 'Poochie'
1962
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- Five Minutes to Live as Pamela
- Just Between Us
- The Grass Eater
- Hollywood After Dark as Sandy