Rue McClanahan Spouse has been married twice in her life. The first was in 1997 when she married actor and businessman Morris Wilson. The second marriage ended in 2009 when Rue McClanahan kicked him out. Tom McClanahan was Rue’s high school sweetheart. He had married and divorced Gus Fisher before meeting Rue.
Eddi-Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan Spouse was born in 1934. She was the daughter of a building contractor and a beautician. Her ancestry is Irish. She was named Eddi-Rue by her aunt. At the age of four, she made her stage debut. Later, she went to Ardmore High School, where she majored in German and Drama. In addition, she was an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She served as its vice president.
Irish & Choctaw Descent
Rue McClanahan Spouse is of Irish and Choctaw descent. Her Choctaw great-grandfather was known as “Running Hawk.” Rue McClanahan attended high school in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where she was a student of the school’s drama department. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in German from the University of Tulsa. She also joined Kappa Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society.
Rue McClanahan had one child from her first marriage. She later married Tom Bish. In June 1997, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In November 2009, she underwent triple bypass surgery. However, on November 14, she suffered a minor stroke. At the time of her death, she was 76 years old.
Beatrice Arthur
Rue McClanahan Spouse is an actress and a former member of the Golden Girls. She was a member of the cast and starred in the one-woman show “Just Between Friends” on Broadway. Arthur was nominated for a Tony Award for the role. She also starred in a one-woman show, “And Then There’s Bea,” in 2001. In 2003, Arthur reunited with Betty White and Rue McClanahan for the Golden Girls reunion special on Lifetime. Though she was absent from the show due to illness, she still appeared in the special alongside Betty White and Rue.
Rue McClanahan was born on February 21, 1934. She attended the University of Tulsa and majored in German and theater. She was also a member of the National Honor Society. In 1997, McClanahan was diagnosed with breast cancer. She later went on to become an inspirational speaker for cancer support groups. In 2009, she underwent heart bypass surgery.
Beatrice Arthur on Maude
Beatrice Arthur’s character Maude Findlay is an outspoken, middle-class woman who wears liberal politics on her sleeve. She lives in suburban Tuckahoe, New York, with her fourth husband Walter, her divorced daughter Carol, and her adolescent son Phillip. Maude’s friends include Dr. Arthur and Vivian Harmon, her long-time best friends.
Vietnam War
The show’s controversial themes have made it a classic of the women’s liberation movement. The show has addressed a wide range of subjects that were taboo for sitcoms, including the Vietnam War and the Nixon Administration. The series also dealt with topics such as abortion, alcoholism, and drug use. One episode even tackled late-life pregnancy.
The series premiered in 1972 as a spin-off from All in the Family. The show’s episodes often resembled full plays, and Beatrice Arthur played the upper-middle-class liberal Maude brayingly and loudly. She was a towering presence on the small screen, dwarfing her television husband, Walter (Bill Macy), and their daughter, Carol (Adrienne Barby).
Former Actress
Rue McClanahan is a former actress who gained wide recognition for playing Blanche Devereaux in NBC’s Golden Girls. Her role earned her six nominations and four awards. In 1997, she married her sixth husband, Morrow Wilson, and they have one son, Mark Bish. Sadly, Rue McClanahan passed away in 2007 from a stroke.
Brain Hemorrhage
Rue McClanahan Spouse passed away at the age of 76, due to a brain hemorrhage. Her body was cremated and her family held memorial services in New York and Los Angeles. Her survivors include son Morrow Wilson and his wife, Melinda McClanahan.
Rue McClanahan was married five times before she met Tom Bish. The first two marriages lasted four years. Her third and fourth marriages were short-lived. She fourth and fifth marriages ended in divorce, and Rue paid a huge financial settlement. Her second marriage to a former college friend was an attempt to replace a lost love. The two remained friends.
Final Words:
Rue McClanahan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tulsa, where she majored in theater and German. She was also a member of the National Honor Society. After undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 1997, she became a motivational speaker for cancer support groups. In 2009, she underwent heart bypass surgery.
She began her acting career in 1970. Her character in the daytime soap opera Another World proved to be a hit. The series was cancelled after just two episodes. Rue also appeared in the gay drama Some of My Best Friends Are. She is married to actor Michael McClanahan, a long-time friend of Rue.
