Golden Girls' Showrunner Fought With NBC Over One Major Character's Casting
In the early '80s, Susan Harris had just the stars in mind for the cast of Golden Girls. The only problem? One NBC executive wasn't convinced at all.
The late Bea Arthur was the undeniable choice for Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls, according to showrunner Susan Harris. However, NBC Entertainment head Brandon Tartikoff did not share this sentiment. Tartikoff reportedly disliked Arthur due to her low Q scores, prompting him to urge Harris to cast an alternative actress. Harris, a longtime collaborator with Arthur on Maude, was adamant about her choice, leading to tension among the team.
Joel Thurm, the casting director, was caught in the middle of this dispute. He suggested Elaine Stritch as a potential replacement, but even he knew it was a futile endeavor. Stritch's audition was met with disdain by those involved, and she ultimately walked out of the audition believing it was destined for failure. With Stritch's own account of the audition, it was clear that there was no harmony or success in the casting process.
Written by urgent.news from TVLine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
