Though Bea Arthur was a television veteran, by the time the 1980s rolled around, the actor may as well have been a television recluse.

Previously, Arthur had starred in the 1983 sitcom, Amanda’s. Originally based on the 1970s British sitcom Fawlty Towers, the series only produced thirteen episodes before it was cancelled. After that experience, Arthur acknowledged that she had strayed from television during an interview with The Times.

“I’d been too much of a recluse, sort of hanging out at home,” said Arthur.

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Of course, in just a short time, Arthur would receive an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up: The Golden Girls. The actor claimed that The Golden Girls script was “the most literate, witty, adult script I’d ever read.”

Even the sheer promise of the pilot was enough to shake Arthur out of her funk and rejoin the industry to play Dorothy Zbornak. The series also reunited Arthur with Rue McClanahan, who she had previously worked on the popular sitcom, Maude, so many years ago. A new co-star and friend, Estelle Getty, revealed that Arthur was far more timid than the characters she played on the screen.

“Bea’s the shyest woman I know,” said Getty. “Not with us, of course, but with strangers.”

The series gave Arthur the opportunity to come out of her shell. Though living in isolation provided a small comfort, working on The Golden Girls gave the actor purpose.

“Finally, I realized that what I was doing wasn’t healthy and that I should get back to work,” said Arthur.