Name
Rue McClanahan
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1934-02-21
Deathday
2010-06-03 (76 years old)
Place of Birth
Healdton, Oklahoma, USA
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.
Known For
6.094
The family friendly animal movie Miracle Dogs concerns a boy who befriends a three-legged ...
6.957
After the death of his wife, retired judge Justin Playfair creates a fantasy world for him...
6.083
The Earth Day Special is a television special revolving around Earth Day that aired on ABC...
5.828
Darrin Hill, a slick-talking but down-on- his-luck NYC advertising exec, returns to his ho...
6.346
The story is about a married couple with children on the verge of divorce. Their imminent ...
5.8
Care-free Charlie cons his widower brother-in-law Herb into an expenses-paid luxury cruise...
6.563
After befriending a patient and then losing her to cancer, Dr. Sydney Ludwick decides to t...
- 1997 Starship Troopers as Biology Teacher
- 2021 Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls as Blanche Devereaux
- 1989 The Man in the Brown Suit as Suzy Blair
- 1982 The Day the Bubble Burst as Barbara Arvey
- 1997 This World, Then the Fireworks as Mom Lakewood
- 1961 Five Minutes to Live as Pamela
- 1971 Some of My Best Friends Are... as Lita Joyce
- 1997 Out to Sea as Mrs. Ellen Carruthers
- 2018 Betty White: First Lady of Television as Self (archive Footage)
- 1989 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- 1970 The People Next Door as Della
- 1998 Rusty: A Dog's Tale as Edna Callahan
- 1963 Five Minutes to Love as Sally 'Poochie'
- 1961 Hollywood After Dark as Sandy
- 1995 A Holiday to Remember as Miz Leona / Clay's Aunt
- 1983 The Skin of Our Teeth as Fortune Teller
- 1994 A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story as Grandma Stephens
- 1971 Hogan's Goat as Josey Finn
- 1972 The Rimers of Eldritch as Cora Groves
- 1964 How to Succeed with Girls as Lorena (as Patty Leigh)
- 1978 A Different Approach
- 1997 Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula as Self
- 1965 Angel's Flight as Dolly
- 1979 Topper as Clara Topper
- 1978 Rainbow as Ida Koverman
- 1993 Nunsense as Rev. Mother Mary Regina
- 2001 Nuncrackers as Reverend Mother
- 1994 Nunsense 2: The Sequel as Rev. Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina
- 1998 Nunsense 3: The Jamboree as Mother Superior
- 1993 Mother of the Bride as Margaret Becker Hix
- 1990 Children of the Bride as Margaret Becker
- 2003 The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments as Self / Blanche Devereaux
- 1997 Annabelle's Wish as Scarlett (voice)
- 1993 Message from Nam as Beatrice Andrews
- 1971 They Might Be Giants as Daisy Playfair
- 2002 NBC 75th Anniversary Special as Self
- 2008 Generation Gap as Kay
- 2002 The Women as Countess DeLage
- 1990 Night of 100 Stars III as Self
- 1990 Modern Love as Mrs. Evelyn Parker
- 2021 The Golden Girls: Ageless as Self (archive footage)
- 1978 Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force as Mat's Mother
- 1990 The Dreamer of Oz as Matilda Joslyn Gage
- 2000 The Moving of Sophia Myles as Mary-Margaret
- 1980 Gridlock as Adele Sherman
- 1990 After the Shock as Sherra Cox
- 1981 Word of Honor as Maggie McNeill
- 1996 Dear God as Mom Turner
- 1961 The Grass Eater
- 2005 Back to You & Me as Helen Ludwick
- 2003 The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series as Blanche Devereaux (archive footage)
- 1988 Liberace as Frances Liberace
- 1989 The Wickedest Witch as Avarissa
- 1987 The Little Match Girl as Frances Dutton
- 1988 Mickey's 60th Birthday as Self
- 1973 Blade as Gail
- 2003 Miracle Dogs as Katherine Mannion
- 1990 Rue McClanahan: The Cat Care Video Guide as Herself
- 1991 Baby of the Bride as Margaret Becker Hix
- 2003 The Fighting Temptations as Nancy Stringer
- 1988 Take My Daughters, Please as Lilah Page
- 1978 Having Babies III as Gloria Miles
- 2010 Gaze as Self (archive footage)
- 1986 Picnic as Flo Owens
- 1990 To My Daughter as Laura Carlson
- 1998 Border to Border as Mrs. Kirby
- 1961 Just Between Us
- 1990 The Earth Day Special as Blanche Devereaux
- 1996 Innocent Victims as Marylou Hennis
- 1999 A Saintly Switch as Aunt Fanny
- 2025 The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship - A Special Edition of 20/20 as Self / Blanche Devereaux (archive footage)
- 1985 The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
- 1990 Help Save Planet Earth as Self
- 1977 Lou Grant ( 1 episode )
- 1976 Alice ( 1 episode )
- 1993 The John Larroquette Show ( 1 episode ) as Rue McClanahan
- 1994 Spider-Man ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Hardy (voice)
- 2004 The Tony Danza Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1984 Charles in Charge ( 2 episodes ) as Irene Pembroke
- 1979 Trapper John, M.D. ( 1 episode )
- 2003 Whoopi ( 1 episode ) as Marian
- 2003 Hope & Faith ( 1 episode ) as Sylvia
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 2 episodes ) as April Dunlevy
- 1985 The Golden Girls ( 180 episodes ) as Blanche Devereaux
- 1994 Touched by an Angel ( 1 episode ) as Amelia Archibald
- 1997 King of the Hill ( 1 episode ) as Bunny (voice)
- 1971 All in the Family ( 1 episode ) as Ruth Rempley
- 1993 Boy Meets World ( 1 episode ) as Bernice Matthews
- 1972 Maude ( 119 episodes ) as Vivian Harmon
- 2004 Wonderfalls ( 1 episode ) as Millie Marcus
- 1997 The View ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1967 Mannix ( 1 episode )
- 1988 Empty Nest ( 1 episode ) as Blanche Devereaux
- 1982 Newhart ( 1 episode )
- 1992 The Golden Palace ( 24 episodes ) as Blanche Devereaux
- 1991 Nurses ( 1 episode ) as Blanche Devereaux
- 1981 Gimme a Break! ( 1 episode )
- 1964 Another World ( 1547 episodes ) as Caroline Johnson
- 2008 Sordid Lives: The Series ( 12 episodes ) as Peggy Ingram
- 1984 Cover Up ( 1 episode )
- 1984 Crazy like a Fox ( 1 episode ) as Angie
- 1998 Love Boat: The Next Wave ( 1 episode ) as Abigail Jordan
- 1969 Where the Heart Is ( 213 episodes ) as Margaret Jardin #2
- 1996 Promised Land ( 1 episode ) as Valerie Carter
- 1981 Here's Boomer ( 1 episode ) as Thelma
- 1990 Law & Order ( 1 episode ) as Lois McIntyre
- 1978 Grandpa Goes to Washington ( 1 episode )
- 1999 Safe Harbor ( 10 episodes ) as Grandma Loring
- 1994 Touched by an Angel ( 2 episodes ) as Lila Winslow
- 1983 Mama's Family ( 35 episodes ) as Frances Marie Crowley
- 1999 Ladies Man ( 2 episodes ) as Aunt Lou
- 2022 Golden Girls 3033 ( 1 episode ) as Blanche Devereaux (voice) (archive sound)
- 1993 Intimate Portrait ( 4 episodes ) as Self
- 1994 Burke's Law ( 1 episode ) as Jinxy Duke
- 2009 Celebrity Ghost Stories ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1978 Apple Pie ( 2 episodes ) as Ginger-Nell Hollyhock
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 1 episode ) as Mary Hubble
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 1 episode ) as Doris Simpson
- 1971 Columbo ( 1 episode ) as Verity Chandler
- 1971 Great Performances ( 1 episode ) as Josey Finn
- 1971 Great Performances ( 1 episode ) as Cora
- 1971 Great Performances ( 1 episode ) as Faye Precious
- 1984 Murder, She Wrote ( 1 episode ) as Miriam Radford
- 1961 The Mike Douglas Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1996 Remember WENN ( 1 episode ) as Dusty Foxx
- 1999 The Lot ( 1 episode ) as Priscilla Tremaine
- 1979 $weepstake$ ( 1 episode )
- 1977 The Love Boat ( 1 episode ) as Laura Thornton Hayes
- 1978 Fantasy Island ( 1 episode ) as Gertie Lawton
- 1962 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1979 Supertrain ( 1 episode ) as Ms. Rick
- 1972 Maude ( 1 episode )
- 1978 Fantasy Island ( 1 episode ) as Margaret Fielding
- 1981 Darkroom ( 1 episode ) as Mrs. Louise Michaelson
- 1982 American Playhouse ( 1 episode ) as Fortune Teller
