Rue McClanahan (February 21, 1934 – June 3, 2010) was an American actress. She acted in several television sitcoms, most notably The Golden Girls. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.
She also starred in Mama's Family. McClanahan died of a stroke. 

McClanahan was born Eddi-Rue McClanahan. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Tulsa.

She began acting on off-Broadway in New York City in 1957.  Her Broadway début was in 1969.  She was in the musical, Jimmy Shine. Dustin Hoffman was in the title role.

Her autobiography, My First Five Husbands ... and the Ones Who Got Away, was released in 2007.

Nominations and awards
Emmy Award Nominations:
 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: The Golden Girls (1986)
 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: The Golden Girls (1987) (Won)
 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: The Golden Girls (1988)
 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: The Golden Girls (1989)

Golden Globe Nominations:
 Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for: The Golden Girls (1986)
 Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for: The Golden Girls (1987)
 Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for: The Golden Girls (1988)

Obie Awards (off-Broadway):
 Best Actress for Who's Happy Now (1969) (won)

Golden Apple Awards:
 Female Star of the Year for: The Golden Girls (1986) (won)

TV Land Awards:
 Pop Culture Award for: The Golden Girls (2008) (won)
 Quintessential Non-Traditional Family for: The Golden Girls (2003) (won)

Television work
 Another World (cast member from 1970 to 1971)
 Where the Heart Is (1971–1972)
 Hogan's Goat (1971; TV movie)
 All in the Family (TV Series) (1972; 1 episode: "The Bunkers and the Swingers")
 The Rimers of Eldritch (1974; TV movie)
 Maude (1972–1978)
 Apple Pie (1978)
 Lou Grant (1980; Guns)
 Gimme a Break (TV Series) (1981–1987; 2 episodes)
 Newhart (TV Series) (1982; The Way We Thought We Were)
 Alice (TV Series) (1984) 1 episode, played a nursery school teacher, "Mother Goose" aka "Betty Muffet".
 Mama's Family (TV Series) as Aunt Fran (1983–1985).
 Murder, She Wrote (1985; 1 episode: "Murder Takes the Bus")
 The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
 The Little Match Girl (1987; TV Movie)
 Take My Daughters, Please (1988; TV Movie)
 The Man in the Brown Suit (1989; TV movie)
 The Wickedest Witch (1989; TV movie)
 Children of the Bride (1990; TV movie)
 Baby of the Bride (1991; TV movie)
 The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story (TV movie; 1991)
 Dame Edna's Hollywood (May 9, 1992) 1 episode, herself.
 The Golden Palace (1992–1993)
 Mother of the Bride (1993; TV movie)
 Nunsense 1993 TV Special
 Boy Meets World (1993; 1 episode)
 Touched by an Angel (1994; 1 episode)
 Nunsense 2 The Sequel 1994 TV Special
 Columbo (1998; 1 episode: "Ashes to Ashes")
 Nunsense 3 The Jamboree 1998 TV Special cameo as Sister Mary Regina
 A Saintly Switch (1999; TV movie)
 Safe Harbor (1999; 10 episodes)
 Blue's Clues (1999; 1 episode)
 Ladies Man (2000; 2 episodes)
 Touched by an Angel (2001; 2 episodes)
 Wonderfalls (2004: 1 episode)
 Hope & Faith (2005; 1 episode)
 King of the Hill (2007; 1 episode)
 Sordid Lives: The Series (2008; 12 episodes)
 Law & Order (2009; 1 episode)
 Celebrity Ghost Stories (October 17, 2009 episode)
 Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (December 2, 2009 episode)

Filmography
 The Rotten Apple (1961)
 Angel's Flight (1965)
 Walk the Angry Beach (1968)
 Hollywood After Dark (1968)
 The Unholy Choice (1968)
 The People Next Door (1970)
 Some of My Best Friends Are... (1971)
 They Might Be Giants (1971)
 The Skin of Our Teeth (1983)
 Message from Nam (1993)
 A Christmas to Remember (1995)
 Dear God (1996)
 Innocent Victims (TV movie) (1996)
 Annabelle's Wish (1997)
 Out to Sea (1997)
 Starship Troopers (1997)
 The Fighting Temptations (2003)
 Back to You and Me (2005)
 Generation Gap (2008)

References

1934 births
2010 deaths
Actors from Oklahoma
American activists
American autobiographers
American movie actors
American stage actors
American television actors
Deaths from cerebral hemorrhage
Emmy Award winning actors