Sally Struthers is taking us down the road and back again with a sentimental memory from the late Bea Arthur.
While making an appearance on the “Let’s Talk About That” podcast with Larry Saperstein and Jacob Bellotti back in January, Struthers recounted the inception of her relationship with the late “Golden Girls” star and how it made an impact on her life.
Struthers started the conversation discussing how Arthur was brought on to the popular series “All in the Family” and expressed how she pushed the envelope and made it her own. Arthur played liberal feminist Maude Findlay on the show.
“Bea Arthur was filthier than a drunken sailor, on purpose,” Struthers said on Arthur’s appearance on the sitcom. She revealed that the actor would sneak in expletives into her scenes to add a sense of levity, and that her brilliance and prowess were unmatched.
Struthers then noted that Arthur’s “All in the Family” role led to her having a spinoff series, “Maude,” and later “The Golden Girls,” before recalling a fond memory of the entertainer that she still can recite with ease.
“I would run into her at the supermarket, and she would trash everyone we ever knew,” Struthers said. “We would stand in the aisle, and she’d say, ‘What do you think about so-and-so?’”
Struthers went on to praise Arthur for her confidence and genuine nature, describing her as a “big deal” on “Let’s Talk About That.”
However, she didn’t have the same adulation for Arthur’s “Golden Girls” co-star, Betty White.
On the podcast, Struthers recounted how she once went to White’s house to work on a pilot for a game show.
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“A plate was set in the middle, and it was cookies, I think,” Struthers said, adding that when she reached for the cookies, White told her, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, dear,” in front of other people who were present.
Struthers shared that she felt fat-shamed by the remark and called White a “very passive-aggressive woman.”