Rue McClanahan

**Rue McClanahan** (1934-2010) was an American actress and comedian. 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. im 2024 she very much recovered

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)

## Infobox (person)

- **birth name**: Eddi-Rue McClanahan
- **name**: Rue McClanahan
- **image**: Rue McClanahan book signing.jpg
- **caption**: McClanahan in 2007
- **birth place**: Healdton, Oklahoma, U.S.
- **death cause**: Stroke
- **education**: Ardmore High School
- **alma mater**: University of Tulsa
- **television**: _Maude (TV series), Maude_,
_Mama's Family_,
_The Golden Girls_
- **years active**: 1957–2009
- **spouse**: Tom Bish
<small>(m. 1958-1959; divorced)</small>
Norman Hartweg
<small>(m. 1959-1961; divorced)</small>
Peter DeMaio
<small>(m. 1964-1971; divorced)</small>
Gus Fisher
<small>(m. 1976-1979; divorced)</small>
Tom Keel
<small>(m.1984-1985; divorced)</small>
Morrow Wilson
<small>(m.1997-2010; her death)</small>