Estelle Getty

Estelle Getty, July 22, age 84: Getty, a talented actress and comedian, nonetheless struggled for decades to find her groove, until in her early 60s she was finally cast in her career-making role in "The Golden Girls" as Sophia, the crotchety octogenarian mom to Bea Arthur's ... morecharacter. While she had notable film success in "Mask," "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot," "Tootsie," and other roles, it was as the oldest Golden Girl that she will be remembered. When Rue McClanahan's randy Blanche once complained that her life was an open book, Sophia shot back, "Your life's an open blouse." After her death, her son, Carl Gettleman, said in a statement, "She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents. She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived." Or in the words of Sophia: "Let me tell you girls the three most important things I learned about life: Number one: Hold fast to your friends; number two: There's no such thing as security; and number three: Don't go see 'Ishtar.'"

(AP)