Bea Arthur

Beatrice "Bea" Arthur (May 13, 1922 - April 25, 2009) was an American actress, comedian, and singer, best known for her roles in Maude and The Golden Girls. She was Jewish.^[1]

Beatrice Arthur
Arthur in 2005
Born	Bernice Frankel (1922-05-13)May 13, 1922 New York City
Died	(2009-04-25)April 25, 2009 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Cancer of unknown primary origin
Occupations	Actress singer comedienne
Years active	1947 – 2008
Notable work	Vera Charles, Mame Maude Findlay, Maude Dorothy Zbornak, The Golden Girls
Spouse(s)	Robert Alan Arthur (1948; divorced), Gene Saks (1950 – 1980; divorced)
Children	Adopted: Daniel Arthur Matthew Arthur
Awards	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 1977 Maude 1988 The Golden Girls Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical 1966 Mame

Early life

Arthur was born in Brooklyn, New York City on May 13, 1922. Her parents were Philip and Rebecca Frankelin. She grew up in Cambridge, Maryland. After high school and the junior college, she did an apprenticeship as a Medical Laboratory Technician and she was as a volunteer for the United States Marine Corps.

Career

Theater

In 1946, she moved back to New York and studied acting with Erwin Piscator.

She was cast in the original Broadway production of "Fiddler on the Roof." ^[2]

Personal life

In the 1940s, she was married to author and producer Robert Alan Arthur.

In 1950, she married Gene Saks.