“Those two couldn’t warm up to each other.” 30 years after the end of The Golden Girls, the show’s crew returns to the nasty dispute between Betty White and Bea Arthur

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Despite portraying a strong friendship on-screen in “The Golden Girls,” Betty White and Bea Arthur reportedly didn’t get along off-camera. According to accounts from the show’s team, who met at the Pride Live! Hollywood festival, it seems that the actresses were not particularly fond of each other (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter).

Marsha Posner Williams, a co-producer of the sitcom, shared that while the cameras were recording, White and Arthur exhibited true professionalism by setting aside any animosity. However, when the cameras stopped rolling, the dynamics shifted significantly.

While the camera was rolling (during filming) and the red light indicated recording, there were no more skilled individuals present than those women. However, once the red light turned off, those two didn’t seem able to connect with each other even if they had been placed in the same furnace for cremation. [Arthur] frequently phoned me at home and shared, “I bumped into that person you dislike so much at the supermarket. I’m going to write her a letter.” To which I responded, “Bea, for heaven’s sake, get past it already! Move on!

Individuals involved in “The Golden Girls” production, who attended the panel discussion, didn’t all share the same viewpoint regarding the actresses’ disagreement. Williams disclosed that Arthur found White’s manner of speaking to the studio audience during performances to be bothersome.

Betty often deviated from her script during performances, engaging with the live audience instead, a behavior that Bea strongly disliked.

During the discussion on the panel, it was mentioned that The Golden Girls might have had additional seasons beyond the 7 they originally produced. While most of the actresses supported this concept, unfortunately, Bea Arthur declined to renew her contract.

After seven years, the show was set to resume, but when it came time to renew their contracts, the executives approached the cast members. Estelle, Rue, Betty, and the others agreed to continue, except for Bea who refused, thus ending the show’s run.

On movie sets, conflicts among coworkers are not an unusual occurrence. Yet, what makes Betty White and Bea Arthur stand out is their commitment to professionalism. Despite any personal disagreements they may have had, the filming of The Golden Girls was not affected by their discord. Instead, both actresses delivered exceptional performances whenever the cameras were rolling.

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2025-06-20 14:32