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
- Generation Gap as Kay
- Sordid Lives: The Series as Peggy Ingram
2005
- Back to You & Me as Helen Ludwick
2004
- The Tony Danza Show as Self
- Wonderfalls as Millie Marcus
2003
- Miracle Dogs as Katherine Mannion
- Hope & Faith as Sylvia
- Whoopi as Marian
- The Fighting Temptations as Nancy Stringer
- The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments as Self / Blanche Devereaux
- The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series as Blanche Devereaux (archive footage)
2002
- The Women as Countess DeLage
- 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
- A Saintly Switch as Aunt Fanny
- Safe Harbor as Grandma Loring
- The Lot as Priscilla Tremaine
1998
- Rusty: A Dog's Tale as Edna Callahan
- Love Boat: The Next Wave as Abigail Jordan
- 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
- Annabelle's Wish as Scarlett (voice)
- Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula as Self
- This World, Then the Fireworks as Mom Lakewood
- Out to Sea as Mrs. Ellen Carruthers
1996
- Promised Land as Valerie Carter
- Dear God as Mom Turner
- Innocent Victims as Marylou Hennis
- Remember WENN as Dusty Foxx
1995
- A Holiday to Remember as Miz Leona / Clay's Aunt
1994
- Touched by an Angel as Amelia Bowthorpe Archibald
- Spider-Man as Mrs. Hardy (voice)
- Burke's Law as Jinxy Duke
- Nunsense 2: The Sequel as Rev. Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina
- A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story as Grandma Stephens
1993
- Boy Meets World as Bernice Matthews
- Intimate Portrait as Self
- The John Larroquette Show as Rue McClanahan
- Message from Nam as Beatrice Andrews
- Mother of the Bride as Margaret Becker Hix
- 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
- Modern Love as Mrs. Evelyn Parker
- Night of 100 Stars III as Self
- After the Shock as Sherra Cox
- Children of the Bride as Margaret Becker
- The Dreamer of Oz as Matilda Joslyn Gage
- To My Daughter as Laura Carlson
- The Earth Day Special as Blanche Devereaux
- Rue McClanahan: The Cat Care Video Guide as Herself
1989
- The Man in the Brown Suit as Suzy Blair
- The Wickedest Witch as Avarissa
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1988
- Empty Nest as Blanche Devereaux
- Liberace as Frances Liberace
- Take My Daughters, Please as Lilah Page
- Mickey's 60th Birthday as Self
1987
- The Little Match Girl as Frances Dutton
1986
- Picnic as Flo Owens
1985
- The Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
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!
- Word of Honor as Maggie McNeill
- Darkroom
1980
- Gridlock as Adele Sherman
- Here's Boomer as Thelma
1979
- Trapper John, M.D.
- Topper as Clara Topper
- $weepstake$
1978
- Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force as Mat's Mother
- Rainbow as Ida Koverman
- A Different Approach
- Having Babies III as Gloria Miles
- Grandpa Goes to Washington
- Apple Pie as Ginger-Nell Hollyhock
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
- Some of My Best Friends Are... as Lita Joyce
- They Might Be Giants as Daisy Playfair
- Hogan's Goat as Josey Finn
1970
- The People Next Door as Della
1969
- Where the Heart Is as Margaret Jardin #2
1967
1965
- Angel's Flight as Dolly
1964
- How to Succeed with Girls as Lorena (as Patty Leigh)
- Another World as Caroline Johnson
1963
- Five Minutes to Love as Sally 'Poochie'
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- Five Minutes to Live as Pamela
- Hollywood After Dark as Sandy
- Just Between Us
- The Grass Eater