On screen, the Golden Girls characters were known for being the best of friends who didn't always get along. Their bickering, banter, one-liners, and sarcasm cut through TV screens for a total of seven seasons.

One would think that, with how biting the group was with each other, it came naturally. Maybe offscreen, the four women really did dish out insults instead of compliments.

However, according to a 1989 interview with the Telegram & Gazette, the behind-the-scenes atmosphere on The Golden Girls was far different from the onscreen relationships we saw.

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In real life, compliments were more common than insults, respect was mutual, and the friendship was genuine.

Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White, and Estelle Getty were four actresses who found a genuine friendship during their time working together. In fact, the four women got along so well that it made filming easy, not only for the cast and crew, but even for the guest stars who came to set.

And there were plenty of those. The Golden Girls had a variety of guest stars during its seven seasons, including big names like Burt Reynolds, Bob Hope and Dick Van Dyke, as well as rising stars like George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino and Mario Lopez.

"Everybody who comes on our show as a guest star says the same thing," Estelle Getty, who played Sophia Petrillo, said. "They can't believe how friendly the place is, and they keep asking whether the four of us ever argue or fight. I tell 'em, 'Hell no! We love each other.'"

"Listen, The Golden Girls is a program with great writers, good producers, and a wonderful director in Terry Hughes, and we get outstanding material to work with every week," Getty continued. "We also happen to be four individuals who truly like each other. On top of that, from a theatrical standpoint, our chemistry is terrific. So what more is there to say? I mean, why on earth would any of us do anything to upset that? What the hell is there to complain about?"

The cameras captured the bickering, but behind the scenes, they captured something even better: a real friendship.