Ten years ago today, Bernice Frankel a.k.a. Beatrice “Bea” Arthur succumbed to cancer at her home in Brentwood at the age of 86. Despite the fact that public appearances were very rare in the final decade of her life, she was so deeply embedded in popular culture by the time of her death that millions who only knew her through her iconic television roles felt like they had lost a close friend when they heard the news of her passing.
Maude
Few actors have the unique combination of talent and luck to create one truly iconic television character throughout the course of their career. Only a handful can say they created two. Bea Arthur is on that very, very short list.
She first took up residence in America’s living rooms when Maude premiered on CBS in the fall of 1972. A spin-off of the long-running and controversial hit sitcom All in the Family, the series chronicled the adventures of Edith Bunker’s cousin Maude Findlay. Maude was an anomaly on television at the time — she was a thrice divorced, politically active, outspoken feminist. During the show’s run, Maude got plastic surgery, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, cared for her out-of-wedlock grandchild, advocated for humane drug laws, and dealt with her husband’s alcoholism, bankruptcy, and heart attack. And most notably, she had an abortion during the show’s first…
