Beatrice Arthur Quotations

Lucy-my God, Lucy was a brilliant, brilliant clown, but she was terribly miscast. But we would have never gotten the money for the production if she hadn't wanted to do it.

I can't imagine working without and audience. And we had a great cast in both shows. And the great writers, directors-I was extremely lucky.

I actually talk a lot about how TV has changed.

I said that in the show-that at age 8 I was already 5'8" 1/2 and had a deep voice, but that's not true. I do know I was always taller than anyone, maybe taller than the teacher, I don't remember.

My opening night at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis... has a thrust stage. I thought I was walking into the wings, and I walked right into the pit.

It didn't dawn on me that we were older/elderly women. Later, of course, people felt we were doing so much to further the cause of mature women.

I thought nobody would come just to see me sing. I knew it would have to be an evening of comedy, also.

You knew by looking at what they were wearing what their characters were. Betty always wore some kind of a shirt-dress with little buttons, and Rue, of course, wore these things that were such outlandishly bad taste.

You know, the way I'm accepted, I almost feel like Judy Garland, truly. It makes no sense to me because I don't think that I've been any more outspoken... Or maybe I have, I don't know. But everyone I know supports anything that has to do with raising money or with AIDS.

When something is written for the stage, I think it's wrong to try to make it bigger. Very few things out there make that jump easily.

After I realized that I wasn't going to get any acting work, I thought I would try nightclubs. And I got hired immediately at a very fancy supper club. But three nights later I was let go. The manager told me that I was so tall, so imposing, so obviously in charge that nobody was going to believe me... so he said I should try comedy... and I've been hooked ever since.

After being in the business for such a long time, I've done everything but rodeo and porno.

As part of your legacy to the world, I hope you will consider making a bequest or other planned gift to PETA.

At least I'm not playing other people for a change. It's a very odd place to be... I feel I'm an actress who sings a bit.

It's a very difficult thing to master. I don't think that many people have the light touch that comedy commands.

It's difficult, since Rue lives in New York now, and Estelle is not well at all. It's very sad. Of course, while you're working, you're like family. You swear you'll never lose each other, and then of course you do.

It was like the Beatles had arrived, you know. These four elderly ladies, and they were screaming for us-screaming for us. It was wonderful.

I met Billy Goldenberg, my musical director and composer, who's earned 32 Emmy nominations by the way, in 1981.

I'm using things that happened to me. Recollections of situations and friends.

I'm having so much damned fun. Especially once I heard the audience response.