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Estelle Getty was considered ''too young'' for the role of Sophia Petrillo
"They would never be specific, but they felt I might be too young."
Estelle Getty was a vivacious actor, full of vigor and life. However, while many casting directors may see such high energy as an asset, there was a seemingly different feeling on the set of The Golden Girls.
During an interview with the Associated Press, Getty revealed that producers were reluctant to cast her in the role of Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls for one reason.
“They felt my energy level might be too high for the role,” said Getty. “They would never be specific, but they felt I might be too young. I never knew whether I had any competition for the role. I never saw anything else.”
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*available in most MeTV marketsOf course, the producers were able to overcome these misgivings, and Getty was cast in the role of a lifetime.
“She gets to say a lot of things people would like to say but are too polite,” said Getty of Sophia. “When I started the role, I thought that part about the stroke was just a theatrical device, but since then I’ve learned that it has happened to people.”
Getty had been a performer from childhood, despite coming from a family with no background in acting.
“No one could figure out why I was what I was,” said the actor. “My talent probably came from my father, who was a great raconteur. He was probably an actor and didn’t know it. Everyone liked to be around my father. He was a very funny man.”
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