Editing Rue McClanahan

{{Short description|American actress (1934–2010)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox person
|name               = Rue McClanahan
|image              = McClahananWink.jpg
|caption            = McClanahan in a publicity portrait for ''The Joe Franklin Show'', {{circa}} 1972
|birth_name         = Eddi-Rue McClanahan
|birth_date         = {{birth date|1934|2|21}}
|birth_place        = [[Healdton, Oklahoma]], U.S.
|death_date         = {{death date and age|2010|6|3|1934|2|21}}
|death_place        = New York City, U.S.
|education          = [[University of Tulsa]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
|television         = ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]''<br />''[[Mama's Family]]''<br />''[[The Golden Girls]]''<br />''[[The Golden Palace]]''
|occupation         = {{flatlist|
*Actress
*comedienne
*author
*fashion designer}}
|years_active       = 1957–2009
|spouse             = {{Plainlist|
*{{marriage|Tom Bish|1958|1959|end=div}}
*{{marriage|Norman Hartweg|1959|1961|end=div}}
*{{marriage|Peter DeMaio|1964|1971|end=div}}
*{{marriage|Gus Fisher|1976|1981|end=div}}
*{{marriage|Tom Keel|1985|1986|end=div}}
*{{marriage|Morrow Wilson|1997|2009|end=separated}}}}
|children           = 1
|relatives          = [[Amelia Kinkade]] (niece)
}}
'''Eddi-Rue McClanahan''' (February 21, 1934 – June 3, 2010) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles on television sitcoms, including [[Maude (TV series)#Characters|Vivian Cavender Harmon]] on ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'' (1972–78), [[List of Mama's Family characters#Aunt Fran Crowley|Aunt Fran Crowley]] on ''[[Mama's Family]]'' (1983–84), and [[Blanche Devereaux]] on ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' (1985–92), and its spin-off series ''[[The Golden Palace]]'' (1992–93).

McClanahan won an [[Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]] in 1987 for her role in ''The Golden Girls''.

==Early life==
Eddi-Rue McClanahan was born in [[Healdton, Oklahoma]], on February 21, 1934. She was the daughter of Dreda Rheua-Nell (née Medaris), a beautician, and William Edwin "Bill" McClanahan, a building contractor.<ref name=TVguideBio>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/rue-mcclanahan/bio/173246|title=Rue McClanahan: Biography|work=[[TV Guide]]|publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=June 3, 2010}}</ref><ref name="obit">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/arts/04mcclanahan.html|title=Rue McClanahan, 76, Actress and Golden Girl, Dies|last=Martin|first=Douglas|date=June 3, 2010|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 18, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Golden Girl' Rue McClanahan aimed to show 'that when people mature, they add layers'|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/r14/From-the-news-wires/2010/0603/Golden-Girl-Rue-McClanahan-aimed-to-show-that-when-people-mature-they-add-layers/(page)/2|access-date=November 15, 2013|newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|date=June 3, 2010|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]}}</ref><ref name=Palm>{{cite book|last=McClanahan|first=Rue|title=My First Five Husbands.. And the Ones Who Got Away|date=April 10, 2007|publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-7679-2779-6}}</ref> Her name combined her father's middle name of "Edwin", to create Eddi, and her mother's middle name of "Rheua", to create Rue. She stopped using "Eddi" because it was mistaken for a male name, and once led to her accidentally receiving a [[conscription]] notice.<ref name = obit/>

She was raised [[Methodist]] and was of [[Irish American|Irish]] and [[Choctaw]] ancestry.<ref Name=Palm/> Her Choctaw great-grandfather was named Running Hawk, according to her autobiography, ''My First Five Husbands... and the Ones Who Got Away'' (2007). Due to her father's work, her family moved frequently.<ref name = obit/> She graduated from Ardmore High School in [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]],<ref>{{cite news|title=TV star Rue McClanahan in Chicago promoting her new book|url=http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=5313097|access-date=March 18, 2014|newspaper=[[WLS-TV]]|date=May 17, 2007|archive-date=March 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318110722/http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=5313097|url-status=dead}}</ref> where she acted in school plays and won the gold medal in [[Public_speaking|oration]].<ref>Ardmore High School Yearbook, 1950</ref> A [[National Honor Society]] member, McClanahan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, ''[[cum laude]]'', at the [[University of Tulsa]], where she majored in both German and theater and joined the [[Kappa Alpha Theta]] sorority,<ref name=TVguideBio/> serving as vice president.<ref>University of Tulsa Yearbook, 1954</ref>

==Career==
A life member of the [[Actors Studio]],<ref>{{cite book|first=David |last=Garfield|title=A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio|url=https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-02-542650-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/279 279]|chapter=Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980}}</ref> McClanahan made her professional stage début at Pennsylvania's [[Erie Playhouse]] in 1957, in the play ''[[Inherit the Wind (play)|Inherit the Wind]]''.<ref name=TVguideBio/> She began acting off-Broadway in New York City in 1957,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Triggs|first1=Charlotte|last2=Silverman|first2=Stephen M.|title=Golden Girls Star Rue McClanahan Dies at 76|url=https://people.com/celebrity/golden-girls-star-rue-mcclanahan-dies-at-76/|access-date=March 18, 2014|newspaper=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=June 3, 2010}}</ref> but did not make her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] début until 1969, when she portrayed Sally Weber in the original production of [[John Sebastian]] and [[Murray Schisgal]]'s play with music, ''[[Jimmy Shine]]'', with [[Dustin Hoffman]] in the title role.<ref name=obit/>

Her role as Caroline Johnson on the TV show ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' (from July 1970 to September 1971) brought her notice. Once her role on ''Another World'' ended, McClanahan joined the cast of the [[CBS]] soap opera ''[[Where the Heart Is (US TV series)|Where the Heart Is]]'', in which she played Margaret Jardin.[[File: Rue McClanahan Carroll O'Connor Jean Stapleton Vincent Gardenia All In the Family 1972.JPG|thumb|200x200px|''All In the Family''. L-R: McClanahan, [[Carroll O'Connor]], [[Jean Stapleton]] and Gardenia (1972)|left]] 
In the 1972 episode of ''[[All in the Family]]'' "The Bunkers and the Swingers," McClanahan and [[Vincent Gardenia]] play a [[Swinging (sexual practice)|swinging]] couple who meet the unsuspecting Bunkers.<ref>{{cite web |title=All in the Family: The Bunkers and the Swingers (TV) |url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=all&p=52&item=T:14736 |website=www.paleycenter.org |access-date=25 May 2021}}</ref> McClanahan first worked with actress [[Bea Arthur]] on the sitcom ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'' (1972–78). Arthur played  [[Maude (TV series)#Characters|Maude Findlay]], and McClanahan played Maude's best friend [[Maude (TV series)#Characters|Vivian Cavender Harmon]], who eventually married Maude's next-door neighbor Dr. [[Maude (TV series)#Characters|Arthur Harmon]] (played by [[Conrad Bain]]).

After ''Maude'', McClanahan starred in ''[[Apple Pie (TV series)|Apple Pie]]'', a series created for her by [[Norman Lear]], but which aired only two episodes before it was canceled. In an interview, McClanahan said she also did another of the pilot episodes ''[[The Baxters]]'' for Lear but told him she did not want to do the series itself. It is unknown if her appearance was in the actual pilot or an unaired pilot, presumably the latter given she is not credited and the show is not attributed to her anywhere. It is also possible she never actually filmed the episode but was just considering it. Many years later, a script binder entitled ''The Baxters'' was discovered to be a part of her collection.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-10-23|title=Rue McClanahan|url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/rue-mcclanahan|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Television Academy Interviews|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title="The Baxters" Binder with the Annotated Book for Rue's Musical "Oedipus Shmedipus" Inside [SOLD] {{!}} The Estate of Rue|url=http://estateofrue.com/catalog/the-baxters-binder-with-the-annotated-book-for-rues-musical-oedipus-shmedipus-inside-sold/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514175912/http://estateofrue.com/catalog/the-baxters-binder-with-the-annotated-book-for-rues-musical-oedipus-shmedipus-inside-sold/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 14, 2013|access-date=2022-01-25|language=en-US}}</ref>

On ''[[Mama's Family]]'' (1983&ndash;90), McClanahan portrayed [[List of Mama's Family characters#Aunt Fran Crowley|Aunt Fran Crowley]], an uptight spinster sister to Mama Thelma Harper ([[Vicki Lawrence]]). Fran was a journalist for the local paper.  Also in the cast was McClanahan's future ''[[The Golden Girls|Golden Girls]]'' costar [[Betty White]]. McClanahan and White appeared on the first two seasons before the show was canceled by NBC and then retooled for [[first run syndication]].

On ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' (1985–92) and its short-lived spin-off ''[[The Golden Palace]]'' (1992–93), McClanahan portrayed man-crazed [[Southern belle]] [[Blanche Devereaux]], owner of the house she lived in and rented out to her three roommates and best friends: Dorothy Zbornak (Arthur), Rose Nylund (White), and Sophia Petrillo ([[Estelle Getty]]). McClanahan received four [[Emmy Award]] nominations for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]] for her work on the show, winning the award in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rue McClanahan - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/rue-mcclanahan |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |language=en}}</ref>

She appeared as a leader of [[Al-Anon/Alateen|Al-Anon]] in a 1970s informational film called ''Slight Drinking Problem'', in which [[Patty Duke]] played the enabling and eventually self-empowered wife of an alcoholic. In feature films, she appeared in ''[[Five Minutes to Love|The Rotten Apple]]'' (1961) and ''[[Walk the Angry Beach]]'' (1968).  She appeared in the [[Walter Matthau]]-[[Jack Lemmon]] comedy ''[[Out to Sea]]'' (1997).

On television, she appeared as [[Matilda Joslyn Gage]], mother-in-law of [[L. Frank Baum]] in the made-for-TV movie ''[[The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story|The Dreamer of Oz]]'' (1990). She also made guest appearances on TV game shows including ''[[The $10,000 Pyramid]]'', ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'', and ''[[Tattletales]]''. She made guest appearances on ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'', ''[[Charles in Charge]]'' and ''[[Newhart]]''. In the early 1990s, McClanahan appeared as Margaret Becker in a trilogy of made-for-television films: ''[[Children of the Bride]]'', ''[[Baby of the Bride]]'', and ''[[Mother of the Bride (1993 film)|Mother of the Bride]]''. She voice-acted in cartoons, voicing Scarlett in the 1997 Fox Christmas special ''[[Annabelle's Wish]]''. She played the role of Steve's grandmother in the [[Blue's Clues]] video ''Blue's Big Treasure Hunt'' (1999). On ''[[Spider-Man (1994 TV series)|Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]'', she appeared in the 1994 episode "Doctor Octopus: Armed And Dangerous" as Anastasia Hardy. She played a biology teacher in 1997's ''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Starship Troopers |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/starship-troopers/cast/2000093986/ |magazine=TV Guide |language=en}}</ref> She voiced the role of Bunny in a 2007 episode of ''[[King of the Hill]]'', "Hair Today, Gone Today." In 2009, she appeared in an episode of ''[[Law & Order]]'' as a woman who had an affair with [[John F. Kennedy]].

On Broadway, McClanahan appeared in the all-woman cast of ''The Women'' in 2001-2002,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-women-12906#OpeningNightCast | title=The Women – Broadway Play – 2001 Revival &#124; IBDB }}</ref> alongside Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Coolidge, among others. She replaced [[Tammy Grimes]] as "The Visitor from New York" (Hannah Warren) in the [[Neil Simon]] comedy ''[[California Suite]]'' from April 4, 1977, until the show closed on July 2 of that same year.

In 2003, she appeared alongside [[Mark Hamill]] in the [[two-hander]] ''[[Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks]]'' at the [[Coconut Grove Playhouse]] in Miami, Florida.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Kenneth|date=June 27, 2003|title=Rue McClanahan Bows Out of Bway's Six Dance Lessons; Hamill Ready to Dance|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/rue-mcclanahan-bows-out-of-bways-six-dance-lessons-hamill-ready-to-dance-com-114008|access-date=September 29, 2016|newspaper=[[Playbill]]}}</ref>  She chose not to continue with the production and was replaced by [[Polly Bergen]] for the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] performances.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gans|first=Andrew|date=November 21, 2003|title=Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks to Close Nov. 23|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/six-dance-lessons-in-six-weeks-to-close-nov-23-com-116500|access-date=September 29, 2016|newspaper=Playbill}}</ref>  The same year, she appeared in the musical romantic comedy film ''[[The Fighting Temptations]]'' as Nancy Stringer, which costarred [[Cuba Gooding, Jr.]], [[Beyoncé Knowles]], [[Mike Epps]], and [[Steve Harvey]]. On Broadway, she replaced [[Carole Shelley]] as [[Madame Morrible]] in the musical [[Wicked (musical)|''Wicked'']] on May 31, 2005. She played the role for eight months until January 8, 2006. She was replaced by [[Carol Kane]] on January 10, 2006.

Her autobiography, ''My First Five Husbands ... and the Ones Who Got Away'', was released in 2007.<ref name="TVguideBio" /><ref name="Austinist" /> In June 2008, ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' was awarded the Pop Culture award at the Sixth Annual [[TV Land Award]]s; McClanahan accepted the award with co-stars Arthur and White.<ref name="eOnline">{{cite web|date=June 8, 2008|title=TV Land Awards Party Like It's 1979|url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b141707_tv_land_awards_party_like_its_1979.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731105008/http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b141707_tv_land_awards_party_like_its_1979.html|archive-date=July 31, 2008|access-date=June 3, 2010|work=[[E! Online]]}}</ref> McClanahan's final acting role was as Peggy Ingram in the cable series ''[[Sordid Lives: The Series|Sordid Lives]]'' on the [[Logo TV|Logo]] network, which premiered July 23, 2008.

==Activism==
An [[animal rights]] advocate and vegetarian,<ref name="TVguideBio" /><ref name="Austinist">{{cite web|url=http://austinist.com/2007/04/27/austinist_interviews_rue_mcclanahan.php |title=''Austinist'' interviews Rue McClanahan |author=Jooley Ann |work=[[Gothamist|The Austinist]] |date=April 27, 2007 |access-date=June 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204131302/http://austinist.com/2007/04/27/austinist_interviews_rue_mcclanahan.php |archive-date=February 4, 2010}}</ref> McClanahan was one of the first celebrity supporters of [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]].<ref name="TVguideBio" /> She supported [[Alley Cat Allies]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Alley Cat Allies - "I'm an Alley Cat Ally" Campaign|url=http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=739|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120045419/http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=739|archive-date=November 20, 2010|access-date=September 15, 2021|website=Alley Cat Allies}}</ref> a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to transforming communities to protect and improve the lives of cats, and appeared in a [[public service announcement]] for the organization in early 2010.{{cn|date=April 2022}}

McClanahan was a supporter of [[gay rights]], including advocating for [[same-sex marriage]] in the United States. In January 2009, she appeared in the star-studded ''Defying Inequality: The Broadway Concert—A Celebrity Benefit for Equal Rights''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=Prop 8 Musical Will Be Part of Star-Studded Defying Inequality Benefit |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/125604-Prop-8-Musical-Will-Be-Part-of-Star-Studded-Defying-Inequality-Benefit |work=Playbill.com |access-date=January 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326030403/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/125604-Prop-8-Musical-Will-Be-Part-of-Star-Studded-Defying-Inequality-Benefit |archive-date=March 26, 2014}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
McClanahan was married six times, and had a son, Mark Bish, born in 1958, from her first marriage to Tom Bish.<ref name = obit/>Her fourth husband, Gus Fisher, who appeared alongside her on the popular TV game show ''[[Tattletales]]'' in 1976, died on February 22, 2004.<ref>https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/gus-fisher-obituary?id=9092280</ref>

McClanahan lived in the Encino and Studio City neighborhoods of [[Los Angeles]] for several years, before moving to [[New York City]] in 1994. She would live there for the rest of her life.

In June 1997, McClanahan was diagnosed with breast cancer, for which she was treated successfully.<ref name="NYTobit" />

On November 4, 2009, McClanahan underwent triple bypass surgery after being hospitalized for cardiac related symptoms. An event scheduled for November 14, 2009, to honor her lifetime achievements, ''Golden: A Gala Tribute to Rue McClanahan'', at the [[Castro Theatre]] in San Francisco, California,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=2741494|title=Tickets for GOLDEN: A GALA TRIBUTE TO RUE MCCLANAHAN with Television Icon Live In Person!|work=TicketWeb|access-date=August 23, 2016}}</ref> had to be postponed.  On January 14, 2010, ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'' reported that while recovering from surgery, the actress suffered a minor stroke. In March 2010, fellow ''Golden Girls'' cast member Betty White reported on ''[[The Ellen DeGeneres Show]]'' that McClanahan was doing well and that her speech had returned to normal.<ref>{{cite episode|series=[[The Ellen DeGeneres Show]]|date=March 22, 2010}}</ref>

McClanahan died on June 3, 2010, at age 76, at [[NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital]] after she suffered a [[Intracerebral hemorrhage|brain hemorrhage]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Douglas|first=Martin|title=Rue McClanahan, Actress and Golden Girl, Dies at 76|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/arts/04mcclanahan.html?_r=0|access-date=November 15, 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|quote=Her manager, Barbara Lawrence, said Ms. McClanahan died of a brain hemorrhage at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She was treated for breast cancer in 1997 and later had heart bypass surgery.|date=June 3, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/galleries/golden_girls_star_rue_mcclanahan_dies_at_age_76/golden_girls_star_rue_mcclanahan_dies_at_age_76.html "''Golden Girls'' star Rue McClanahan dies at age 76"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606173414/http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/galleries/golden_girls_star_rue_mcclanahan_dies_at_age_76/golden_girls_star_rue_mcclanahan_dies_at_age_76.html |date=June 6, 2010 }} ''[[New York Daily News]]'', June 3, 2010.</ref><ref name="NYTobit">{{cite web|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|title=Rue McClanahan, Actress and 'Golden Girls' Star, Has Died|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 3, 2010|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/rue-mcclanahan-actress-and-golden-girls-star-has-died/?hp|access-date = June 4, 2010}}</ref> White told ''Entertainment Tonight'' that McClanahan was a "close and dear friend."<ref>[http://images.etonline.com/news/87876_Celebs_Tweet_Condolences_for_Golden_Girl_Rue_McClanahan/index.html Rue McClanahan death] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425143733/http://images.etonline.com/news/87876_Celebs_Tweet_Condolences_for_Golden_Girl_Rue_McClanahan/index.html |date=April 25, 2012 }}, etonline.com; accessed August 23, 2016.</ref>

McClanahan was survived by her sixth husband, Morrow Wilson (from whom she separated in 2009); her son from her first marriage, Mark Bish (of [[Austin, Texas]]); her sister, Melinda Lou McClanahan (of [[Silver City, New Mexico]]); and other family, including her niece, actress and author [[Amelia Kinkade]].<ref name="LATimesobit">{{cite web|last=Nelson|first=Valerie J.|title='Golden Girl' Rue McClanahan dies|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 4, 2010|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/06/golden-girl-rue-mcclanahan-dies-at-76.html|access-date=June 4, 2010}}</ref><ref name="obit"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59217506/fort-worth-star-telegram/ |title=Horror Flick 'Night of the Demons' claims Fort Worth leading woman |first=Michael H. |last=Price |date=Feb 3, 1989 |work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]] |page=84 |access-date=August 26, 2022}}</ref>

No funeral service was held for McClanahan; her family created an official memorial page on Facebook,<ref name="Facebook">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Official-Rue-McClanahan-Memorial-Page/108959692484208?v=info&ref=ts|title=The Official Rue McClanahan Memorial Page|work=Facebook}}</ref> and [[funeral|memorial service]]s were held during the summer of 2010 in New York and Los Angeles.<ref name="LATimesobit" />{{failed verification|date=September 2020}} On June 10, 2010, her New York apartment went on the market for an asking price of $2.25 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/realestate/13deal2.html|title=Rue McClanahan's Apartment Hits the Market|first=Elizabeth A.|last=Harris|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rue Mcclanahan – Mcclanahan's Apartment Up for Sale|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/mcclanahans-apartment-up-for-sale_1147073|work=contactmusic.com|date=June 13, 2010|access-date=June 13, 2010}}</ref>

In February 2017, a ''Golden Girls–''themed eatery named Rue La Rue Cafe, owned by McClanahan's close friend Michael La Rue (who inherited many of the star's personal belongings and in turn decorated the restaurant with them), opened in the [[Washington Heights, Manhattan|Washington Heights]] section of the New York City borough of [[Manhattan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amny.com/eat-and-drink/golden-girls-cafe-rue-la-rue-has-soft-opening-in-washington-heights-1.13075453|title='Golden Girls' cafe Rue La Rue has soft opening in Washington Heights|date=February 7, 2017}}</ref> However, after less than a year in business, the cafe closed in November 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ny.eater.com/2017/11/20/16681470/golden-girls-cafe-rue-larue-closed|title=Golden Girls Cafe Shutters After Less Than a Year|date=November 20, 2017}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
[[File: Rue McClanahan (handprints in cement).jpg|right|thumb|The handprints of Rue McClanahan in front of [[The Great Movie Ride]] at [[Walt Disney World]]'s [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]] theme park, 2007]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Award
!Nominated work
!Result
|-
|1969
|[[Obie Award]] for Best Actress
|''Who's Happy Now''
|{{won}}
|-
|1986
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy|Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series]]
|rowspan=10|''[[The Golden Girls]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
|1986
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series|Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|1986
|[[Golden Apple Award]] for Female Star of the Year
|{{won}}
|-
|1987
|Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series
|{{nom}}
|-
|1987
|Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
|{{won}}
|-
|1988
|Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series
|{{nom}}
|-
|1988
|Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
|{{nom}}
|-
|1989
|Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
|{{nom}}
|-
|2003
|[[TV Land Award]] for Quintessential Non-traditional Family
|{{won}}
|-
|2008
|TV Land Pop Culture Award
|{{won}}
|}

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1961 || ''The Grass Eater'' || Loraina || 
|-
| 1961 || ''[[Five Minutes to Live]]'' || Pamela || Uncredited
|-
| 1963 || ''[[Five Minutes to Love]]'' || Sally "Poochie" || Alternate titles: ''The Rotten Apple'' / ''It Only Takes Five Minutes''
|-
| 1964 || ''How to Succeed with Girls'' || Lorena ||
|-
| 1965 || ''Angel's Flight'' || Dolly || Alternate title: ''Shock Hill''
|-
| 1968 || ''[[Walk the Angry Beach]]'' || Sandy || Alternate titles: ''Hollywood After Dark'' / ''The Unholy Choice''
|-
| 1970 || ''[[The People Next Door (1970 film)|The People Next Door]]'' || Della ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1971 || ''[[The Pursuit of Happiness (1971 film)|The Pursuit of Happiness]]'' || Mrs. O'Mara ||
|-
| ''[[They Might Be Giants (film)|They Might Be Giants]]'' || Daisy ||
|-
| ''[[Some of My Best Friends Are...]]'' || Lita Joyce ||
|-
| 1973 || ''[[Blade (1973 film)|Blade]]'' || Gail ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1978 || ''[[Julie Farr, M.D.|Having Babies III]]'' || Gloria Miles || TV movie
|-
| ''Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force'' || Mat's Mother || TV movie
|-
| ''[[Rainbow (1978 film)|Rainbow]]'' ||[[Ida Koverman]]|| TV movie
|-
| 1979 || ''Topper'' || Clara Topper || TV movie
|-
| 1980 || ''[[The Great American Traffic Jam]]'' || Adele Sherman || TV movie
|-
| 1981 || ''[[Word of Honor (1981 film)|World of Honor]]'' || Maggie McNeill || TV movie
|-
| 1982 || ''The Day the Bubble Burst'' || Barbara Arvey || TV movie
|-
| 1986 || ''[[Picnic (1955 film)#Remakes|Picnic]]'' || Flo Owens || TV movie
|-
| 1987 || ''[[The Little Match Girl (1987 television film)|Little Match Girl]]'' || Frances Dutton || TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1988 || ''Liberace'' || Frances Liberace || TV movie
|-
| ''Take My Daughters, Please'' || Lilah Page || TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1989 || ''[[The Man in the Brown Suit#The Man in the Brown Suit (1988)|The Man in the Brown Suit]]'' || Suzy Blair || TV movie
|-
| ''The Wickedest Witch'' || Avarissa || TV special
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1990 || ''[[Modern Love (1990 film)|Modern Love]]'' || Mrs. Evelyn Parker ||
|-
| ''[[The Earth Day Special]]'' || [[Blanche Devereaux]] || TV special
|-
| ''[[After the Shock]]'' || Sherra Cox || TV movie
|-
| ''[[Children of the Bride]]'' || Margret Becker || TV movie
|-
| ''To My Daughter'' || Laura Carlson || TV movie
|-
| ''[[The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story]]'' || [[Matilda Joslyn Gage|Matilda Electa Joslyn Gage]] || TV movie
|-
| 1991 || ''[[Baby of the Bride]]'' || rowspan="2" | Margret Becker-Hix || rowspan="2" | TV movie
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1993 || ''[[Mother of the Bride (1993 film)|Mother of the Bride]]'' 
|-
| ''[[Message from Nam]]'' || Beatrice Andrews || TV miniseries
|-
| ''[[Nunsense]]'' || Reverend Mother Regina || TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1994 || ''[[A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story]]'' || [[Annie Fitzgerald Stephens|Grandma Stephens]] || TV movie
|-
| ''Nunsense 2: The Sequel'' || Reverend Mother Regina || TV movie
|-
| 1995 || ''[[A Holiday to Remember]]'' || Miz Leona || TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1996 || ''Innocent Victims'' || Marylou Hennis || TV miniseries
|-
| ''[[Dear God (film)|Dear God]]'' || Mom Rue Turner ||
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1997 || ''[[This World, Then the Fireworks]]'' || Mrs. Tessa Lakewood ||
|-
| ''[[Out to Sea]]'' || Ellen Carruthers ||
|-
| ''[[Annabelle's Wish]]'' || Scarlett (voice) || TV movie
|-
| ''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]'' || Ruth the Biology Teacher ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1998 || ''Border to Border'' || Mrs. Eda Kirby ||
|-
| ''[[Rusty: A Dog's Tale]] '' || Edna Callahan || Alternate title: ''Rusty: The Great Rescue''
|-
| ''Nunsense 3: The Jamboree'' || Reverend Mother Regina || TV movie
|-
| 1999 || ''[[A Saintly Switch]]'' || Aunt Fanny || TV movie
|-
| 2000 || ''The Moving of Sophia Myles'' || Mary-Margaret || TV movie
|-
| 2001 || ''Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical'' || Reverend Mother Regina || Direct-to-video
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2003 || ''Miracle Dogs'' || Katherine Mannion || TV movie
|-
| ''[[The Fighting Temptations]]'' || Nancy Stringer ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2005 || ''Wit's End'' || Dean Madison ||
|-
| ''Back to You and Me'' || Helen Ludwick || TV movie
|-
| 2008 || ''Generation Gap'' || Kay || TV movie
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1961 || ''[[The Aquanauts]]'' || {{n/a}} || Episode: "The Double Adventure"
|-
| 1964 || ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'' || Waitress || Episode: "Who Killed April?"
|-
| 1970–71 || ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' || Caroline Johnson || Unknown episodes
|-
| 1971 || ''[[Love of Life]]'' || Mrs. Baylee || Unknown episodes
|-
| 1971–72 || ''[[Where the Heart Is (US TV series)|Where the Heart Is]]'' || Margaret Jardin #2 || Unknown episodes
|-
| 1971 || ''[[Great Performances]]'' || Josef Finn || Episode: "Hogan's Goat"
|-
| 1972 || ''[[All in the Family]]'' || Ruth Rempley || Episode: "The Bunkers and the Swingers"
|-
| 1972–78 || ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'' || [[Maude (TV series)#Characters|Vivian Cavender Harmon]] || 101 episodes
|-
| 1972 || ''[[Great Performances]]'' || Cora || Episode: "The Rimers of Eldrich"
|-
| 1973 || ''[[The ABC Afternoon Playbreak]]'' || Carol Babcock || Episode: "My Secret Mother"
|-
| 1974 || ''[[Mannix]]'' || Gloria || Episode: "Game Plan"
|-
| 1975 || ''[[Great Performances]]'' || Faye Precious || Episode: "Who's Happy Now"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1978 || ''[[Apple Pie (TV series)|Apple Pie]]'' || Ginger-Nell Hollyhock || 8 episodes
|-
| ''[[Grandpa Goes to Washington]]'' || Grace || Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| 1978–84 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Various Characters || 6 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1979 || ''[[Sweepstakes (TV series)|$weepstake$]]'' || || Episode: "Vince, Pete and Patsy, Jessica and Rodney"
|-
| ''[[Supertrain]]'' || Janet || Episode: "Where Have You Been Billy Boy"
|-
| ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' || Margaret Fielding || Episode: "Bowling/Command Performance"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1980 || ''[[Lou Grant (TV series)|Lou Grant]]'' || Maggie McKenna || Episode: "Guns"
|-
| ''[[Here's Boomer]]'' || Thelma || Episode: "Private Eye"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1981 || ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'' || Marian || Episode: "The Second Time Around"
|-
| ''[[Darkroom (TV series)|Darkroom]]'' || Mrs. Louise Michaelson || Episode: "Daisies"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1982 || ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' || Mary Renquist || Episode: "John's Other Life"
|-
| ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' || Gertie || Episode: "Dancing Lady/The Final Round"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1983 || ''[[Newhart]]'' || Eleanor Smathers || Episode: "The Way We Thought We Were"
|-
| ''[[American Playhouse]]'' || Fortune Teller || Episode: "The Skin of Our Teeth"
|-
| ''[[Small & Frye]]'' || Miss Parsifal || Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| 1983–84 || ''[[Mama's Family]]'' || [[List of Mama's Family characters#Aunt Fran Crowley|Aunt Fran Crowley]] || 24 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1984 || ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'' || Katrina || Episode: "Grandpa's Secret Life"
|-
| ''[[Alice (American TV series)|Alice]]'' || Mother Goose || Episode: "Big Bad Mel"
|-
| 1984–85 || ''[[Charles in Charge]]'' || Irene Pembroke || 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1985 || ''[[Cover Up (TV series)|Cover Up]]'' || Mattie Bernstein || Episode: "Murder in Malibu"
|-
| ''[[Crazy Like a Fox (TV series)|Crazy Like a Fox]]'' || Angie || Episode: "Turn Off the Century Fox"
|-
| ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' || Miriam Redford || Episode: "Murder Takes the Bus"
|-
| 1985–92 || ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' || [[Blanche Devereaux]] || 180 episodes
|-
| 1988 || ''[[Empty Nest]]'' || [[Blanche Devereaux]] || Episode: "Fatal Attraction"
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Nightmare Classics]]'' || Madam || Episode: "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Nurses (American TV series)|Nurses]]'' || [[Blanche Devereaux]] || Episode: "Moon Over Miami"
|-
| 1992–93 || ''[[The Golden Palace]]'' || [[Blanche Devereaux]] || 24 episodes
|-
| 1993 || ''[[Boy Meets World]]'' || Bernice Matthews || Episode: "Grandma Was a Rolling Stone"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1994 || ''[[Burke's Law (1994 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'' || Jinxy Duke || Episode: "Who Killed the Host at the Roast?"
|-
| ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' || Amelia Bowthorpe Archinald || Episode: "Manny"
|-
| '' [[Spider-Man (1994 TV series)|Spider-Man]] ''
|| Mrs. Hardy ||
Episode: "Dr. Octopus: Armed and Dangerous"
|-
| 1995 || ''[[The Mommies (TV series)|The Mommies]]'' || Amanda Kellogg || Episode: "The Mother of All In-Laws"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997 || ''[[Promised Land (1996 TV series)|Promised Land]]'' || Valerie Carter || Episode: "Intolerance"
|-
| ''[[Murphy Brown]]'' || Virginia Redfeld || Episode: "Mama Miller"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1998 || ''[[Columbo]]'' || Verity Chandler || Episode: "Ashes to Ashes"
|-
| ''[[Love Boat: The Next Wave]]'' || Abigail Jordan || Episode: "Captains Courageous"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1999 || ''[[Safe Harbor (1999 TV series)|Safe Harbor]]'' || Grandma Loring || 11 episodes
|-
| ''[[Blue's Clues]]'' || Steve's Grandma || Episode: "Blue's Big Treasure Hunt"
|-
| ''[[The Lot (TV series)|The Lot]]'' || Priscilla Tremaine || 1 episode 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000 || ''[[Ladies Man (1999 TV series)|Ladies Man]]'' || Aunt Lou || 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[Intimate Portrait]]'' || Herself || Episode: "Rue McClanahan"
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' || Lila Winslow || Episode: "Shallow Water" (Parts 1 & 2)
|-
| 2002 || ''[[Stage on Screen]]'' || Countess de Lage || Episode: "The Women"
|-
| 2003 || ''[[The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments]]'' || Herself (co-host) || TV special
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2004 || ''[[Whoopi (TV series)|Whoopi]]'' || Marion || Episode: "American Woman"
|-
| ''[[Wonderfalls]]'' || Millie Marcus || Episode: "Barrel Bear"
|-
| 2005 || ''[[Hope & Faith]]'' || Sylvia || Episode: "O, Sister, Where Art Thou?"
|-
| 2007 || ''[[King of the Hill]]'' || Bunny || Episode: "Hair Today, Gone Today"
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Sordid Lives: The Series]]'' || [[Sordid Lives: The Series#Cast and characters|Peggy Ingram]] || 13 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2009 || ''[[Law & Order]]'' || Lois McIntyre || Episode: "Illegitimate"
|-
| ''[[Meet the Browns (TV series)|Meet the Browns]]'' || Lorraine || Episode: "Meet Mr. Wrong"
|}

==Book==
* McClanahan, Rue. (2007) ''My First Five Husbands..And the Ones Who Got Away''.  New York: Crown Archetype.  {{ISBN|0-7679-2676-5}}  

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0001516}}
* {{IBDB name|52140}}
* {{IOBDB name|6485}}
* {{Playbill person|rue-mcclanahan-vault-0000110385}}
* {{TCMDb name|126362{{!}}136355}}
* {{EmmyTVLegends name|rue-mcclanahan}}
* {{YouTube|9STINWDaIsw|Rue McClanahan advocating for the Humane Society in the early 1990s}}
* {{YouTube|rUbVfznRm9c|''Golden Girls''' Rue McClanahan Dies of a Stroke, Associated Press (June 3, 2010)}}
* [https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Official-Rue-McClanahan-Memorial-Page/108959692484208?v=info&ref=ts The Official Rue McClanahan Memorial Page on Facebook]
* [https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=MC008 McCLANAHAN, EDDI RUE (1934–2010)] in the [[Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture]]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Rue McClanahan
|list =
{{Disney Legends Awards 2000s}}
{{EmmyAward ComedyLeadActress 1976-2000}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcclanahan, Rue}}
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