Rue McClanahan

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Born

1934-02-21

Place of Birth

Healdton, Oklahoma, USA

Rue McClanahan

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.

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Acting History

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
Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
2021
The Golden Girls: Ageless as Self (archive 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 Priscilla Tremaine
1999
A Saintly Switch as Aunt Fanny
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
1996
Innocent Victims as Marylou Hennis
1996
Remember WENN as Dusty Foxx
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 Wickedest Witch as Avarissa
1989
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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 NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
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
1983
Mama's Family as Frances Marie Crowley
1983
The Skin of Our Teeth as Fortune Teller
1982
Newhart
1982
The Day the Bubble Burst as Barbara Arvey
1982
American Playhouse
1981
Darkroom
1981
Gimme a Break!
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.
1979
$weepstake$
1978
Rainbow as Ida Koverman
1978
Apple Pie as Ginger-Nell Hollyhock
1978
Grandpa Goes to Washington
1978
Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force as Mat's Mother
1978
Having Babies III as Gloria Miles
1978
A Different Approach
1977
The Love Boat as April Dunlevy
1977
The Love Boat as Mary Hubble
1977
The Love Boat as Doris Simpson
1977
Lou Grant
1976
Alice
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
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
1961
Just Between Us
1961
Hollywood After Dark as Sandy