Bea Arthur Passes Away

Star of stage and screen Bea Arthur passed away today in Los Angeles, reported the Associated Press. She was 86 years old.

Family spokesman Dan Watt said that she died of cancer, although he declined to give any further details. Watt was also Arthur's personal assistant for six years. He said, "She was a brilliant and witty woman. Bea will always have a special place in my heart."

Arthur was originally a stage actress, performing in off-Broadway and stock company plays. She hit Broadway in 1964 as Yente the Matchmaker in the original cast of Fiddler on the Roof, and her biggest role came in 1966 as Vera Charles in Mame.

Arthur's big television start came in 1972 when she was cast as the lead character in Maude, a spin-off of the hit show, All in the Family. She won an Emmy for the role in 1977.

After Maude, her next big hit was as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls in 1985. This won her another Emmy in 1988.

After The Golden Girls, Arthur made guest appearances on many other shows and had her own Broadway show in 2002. She was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2008.

No funeral services are planned.