Bea Arthur Bea Arthur was an known for her deep voice and sharp delivery of lines who gained fame acting on , in , and in throughout her long career . Born Bernice Frankel in 1922 , Arthur changed her name early in her life and began acting soon after . After graduating from the acting school in , she formed an acting troupe and earned critical praise for performing comic roles , eventually winning a for her role in the " " . A guest appearance on the television " " earned her a show of her own , " " , which ran for six successful seasons . In 1978 , Arthur was invited to appear on " The Star Wars Holiday Special " , a - themed set in the " Star Wars " universe that was attempting to capitalize off of the success of the wildly popular film of the previous year , " " . Arthur portrayed Ackmena , a gruff bartender at the Mos Eisley Cantina whose rowdy patrons refused to obey a planet - wide curfew imposed by the Galactic Empire . Ackmena resorted to singing the song " Goodnight , But Not Goodbye , " which caused them to waltz out the door . Arthur found further success on television when she played the pragmatic on the 1980s sitcom " " , a very popular show throughout its seven year run . In the 1990s and 2000s , she guest - starred on several television shows and put together a that she brought to Broadway . After falling ill from , Arthur passed away in her home in 2009 . She was remembered fondly by friends , family , and the Broadway community . Biography . Early life . Bernice Frankel was born on May 13 , 1922 , to parents Phillip and Rebecca Frankel in , . When she was four years old , her family moved to . They were one of few families living in the seaside town , and Frankel encountered a large number of boys in her neighborhood named Burnice , which prompted her to change her name to Beatrice Arthur . Arthur was shy among her classmates , and was often teased about her tall stature and Jewish heritage . She found an escape through performing in school plays , but was cast mainly in male parts due to her height . Arthur dreamed of becoming a singing and dancing starlet and won the title of " wittiest girl " in high school after developing an impression of . At her high school , she once performed in a . After graduating , Arthur put her acting dreams aside in order to leave Cambridge , and attended the in , . After one year of studying , she became a fully - licensed , but quickly bored of the profession and began dreaming once again of becoming a star . Leaving her summer internship , Arthur moved back to New York City and auditioned for the city ' s famed acting school , . Arthur was accepted into the school and began studying under the , alongside other future stars such as , , , , , and . Arthur ' s height , large breasts , and deep voice prompted Piscator to cast her in many classical roles , in such plays as " " and " " . She was unable to find professional work in classical theatre , however , and decided to attempt a career in singing . During her time at Dramatic Workshop , Arthur married the young , but the two soon divorced . Comedic breakthrough . Arthur was hired at a nightclub , but found that her attempts to sing serious songs from her heart often made audiences laugh . Her employer dismissed her , suggesting that her tall , imposing personality might be better suited for . Taking his advice , she formed an theatre company with some of her classmates from Dramatic Workshop in 1947 . She married her classmate in 1950 , and throughout the early 1950s , was cast in several touring . Her occurred in 1953 when she played the role of Lucy Brown in the " " , which garnered excellent reviews ; critics praised Arthur ' s " skillfully devastating satire " and claimed that she " oozed comic command . " Arthur ' s stage career took off , and in 1956 , she understudied the former goddess in a production of . During the show ' s run , Bankhead told Arthur that she had talent but lacked the bone structure to be a star . Unhindered by Bankhead ' s sooth , Arthur pressed on , and her comedic talent was recognized by various critics . She was soon called on to play minor roles alongside famous such as , , and . In 1959 , the television writer invited her to become a regular cast member on the popular show . Arthur accepted the role , but the program was canceled after she had done less than five episodes . She struck up a close friendship with Lear , however , and remained in contact with him as she stepped away from the spotlight in order to focus on family matters . Her husband had become a Broadway director , allowing her to remain at home and raise their two sons , Matthew and Dillon , born respectively in 1961 and 1963 . When Saks contracted in 1964 , Arthur took a role as Yente the Matchmaker in a Broadway production of " " in order to supply an income for her family . Two years later , Saks had recovered enough to resume working , and was hired to direct the musical " " . The young actress was cast as the titular character , while Arthur took the supporting role of Mame ' s best friend , Vera Charles . Her role as Charles won her a for that year . After one year on Broadway , Arthur returned home to continue raising her children , but had made another life - long friend in Lansbury . A show of her own . Over the next several years , Norman Lear continually attempted to persuade Arthur to guest - star on his popular television series " " , but she repeatedly declined , citing a lack of interest in doing television and no desire to leave New York . Arthur visited Saks in the summer of 1971 while he was directing a show in , , and finally accepted Lear ' s offer . She appeared on " All in the Family " as , the outspoken , cousin of the principal character . Findlay was presented as the antithesis of Edith Bunker ' s bigoted , husband , and was created by Lear to be the first person to ever talk back to Archie and put him in his place . Viewers and executives responded so favorably to the character that the decision was immediately made to create a television show around her . Arthur ' s family moved to Los Angeles , and " " premiered on CBS in the fall of 1972 . Throughout its six - year run , it dealt with such controversial issues as , , and . It was Findlay herself who decided to have an abortion while in the midst of a late - life pregnancy . The episode in which her decision occurred drew scores of hate mail directed at CBS , but also became a rallying cry for activists . The show became very popular among both male and female viewers , and quickly moved into the top ten of the . Arthur ' s character was admired for her ability to tell off her husband and say what she really felt , but those close to Arthur asserted that in reality , she contrasted sharply with her character . While Findlay was loud - spoken and assertive , Arthur was soft - spoken , tender , and very kind to her husband . Arthur ' s ability to play a character very different than herself won her an for in 1977 , which was her fourth time being nominated . During " Maude " run , she reprised her role as Vera Charles in the 1974 of " Mame " , which her husband directed . Although the movie bombed , Arthur ' s role was praised , and her career was left intact . Saks ' s , however , plummeted , and the two began struggling to save their marriage . " The Star Wars Holiday Special " . As the Emmy - winning lead of one of television ' s most popular shows , Arthur was a star . In 1978 , she was invited by Ken and Mitzie Welch , the composers of a song called " Goodnight , But Not Goodbye , " to sing it on a television program called " The Star Wars Holiday Special " . " " had been a wildly successful film released the previous year , and a - themed variety show was being produced to capitalize off of its success . Arthur played the role of Ackmena , a gruff and assertive bartender working the night shift at the Mos Eisley Cantina , who was forced to close down the bar after the Galactic Empire imposed a planet - wide curfew . When the patrons refused to leave , she resorted to singing " Goodnight , But Not Goodbye , " which prompted everyone present to waltz out the door . Arthur ' s scene proved to be a lengthy shoot , spanning twenty - four hours , but she nevertheless enjoyed working on the special , even though she was unaware that it was part of the larger " Star Wars " franchise . Years later , she would recall singing to a group of people with funny heads , as the various cantina patrons had been aliens from throughout the " Star Wars " galaxy . The special itself was almost universally panned , but Arthur ' s musical performance has been cited as one of its high points , despite being considered just as bizarre as the rest of the production . Arthur ' s role led to scores of letters and requests for autographed photos from " Star Wars " fans throughout the proceeding years . " Golden " years . 1978 also saw the end of " Maude " . Although the show remained very successful and popular , and network executives wanted to continue its production , Arthur decided that the show should end on a high note . Her fame , however , coupled with Saks ' s struggling career , led to their divorce in 1979 . In the early 1980s , Arthur made guest appearances on a number of sitcoms and variety shows , and hosted " The Bea Arthur Special " in 1980 . The musical comedy revue paired her with such comedians as and . 1983 saw her make a brief return to Broadway and star in the short - lived sitcom " " , but it was in 1985 that she rediscovered the success she had found with " Maude " . A new sitcom called " " was being cast , and its four main characters were all older women living in a . The producers were seeking four actresses who could pull off the show ' s racy humor , and wrote the character of as " a Bea Arthur type . " Arthur initially declined offers to audition for the role , but agreed to read the script on the advice of , who had starred opposite her in " Maude " and had already been cast as in " The Golden Girls " . Arthur liked the script and took the role as the pragmatic Dorothy Zbornak , joining McClanahan , , and . She was so impressed by the script that she failed to even realize that the show starred four elderly women . " The Golden Girls " was a hit , and throughout its seven - year run , all four stars took home Emmys ; Arthur won her second Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award in 1988 . Her portrayal of Zbornak as the sharp - tongued leader of the women drew a loyal fanbase , and the show remained popular right up until its final season in 1992 , placing in the top ten of the Nielsen Ratings for its first five years . Once again , however , Arthur wanted to finish on a high note , and left the show after its seventh season . Later days . Arthur enjoyed semi - retirement during the 1990s , limiting her work to a few plays , television guest spots , and films , including 1995 ' s " " . In 1996 , she appeared on the television show " " as a witness for a defendant who was involved in , an animal - rights organization . The 2000s saw her guest - star on the television shows " " and " " , the former of which earned her her eleventh Emmy nomination . She also provided a guest voice on the " " , which marked her first time doing voice acting . Arthur had always dreamed of singing in front of an , and in 2001 made her dream come true by putting together the " And Then There ' s Bea " and touring it around the . She returned to Broadway in 2002 with " Bea Arthur on Broadway : Just Between Friends " , a collection of songs and stories from her life . Arthur retired to a ranch in California and performed charitable work throughout the decade , appearing in television ads for PETA and chairing the non - profit performing arts scholarship " Art Attack Foundation " . After becoming ill from , she passed away at her home on April 25 , 2009 , and her body was . Arthur was remembered fondly by many of her friends and co - stars , including Angela Lansbury , Betty White , and , and the Broadway community paid tribute to her life by dimming the of New York City ' s Broadway theatre district for one minute on April 28 , 2009 .