Eddie-Rue McClanahan, born on the 21 February 1934, was an American television and stage actress, famously known for her role in the TV comedy series “The Golden Girls”.
So how much was Rue McClanahan’s net worth? As of early 2016 it was reported by sources to be an estimated $5 million, gained mostly from her long career as an actress.
Rue McClanahan Net Worth $5 Million
McClanahan was born in Healdton, Oklahoma to parents Dreda Rheua-Nell and William Edwin McClanahan. A performer since she was a child, she was offered a dance scholarship upon matriculating from Ardmore High School, but chose to focus on acting, and attended the University of Tulsa where she majored in German and Theater.
After her university years, McClanahan started to make a name for herself by acting in small productions. Her debut performance was at Pennsylvania’s Erie Playhouse, in the play “Inherit the Wind”. She later moved to New York to pursue an acting career on Broadway, where she debuted as Sally Weber in the musical “Jimmy Shine”. Her minor acting roles on Broadway helped in her net worth, but when Norman Lear, a television executive, noticed her talent, he gave her a guest spot in the television show “All in the Family”. Lear once again helped her secure a spot in another television show “Maude”, which from a guest appearance, her role as Vivian Harmon grew into a series regular. McClanahan started to receive praise for her roles on television, and her comedic timing and acting talent received most praise when she was included in the television series “The Golden Girls”.
McClanahan made appearances to various other television shows, including “Trapper John”, “MD”, and “Mama’s Family” which all helped her career and net worth, but when executives from NBC tapped her to join the cast of “Golden Girls”, alongside actresses Bea Arthur, Betty White, and Estelle Getty, her career was catapulted to major success after a long time of acting on stage and television. She played the character of Blanche Devereaux the self-absorbed, man-hungry girl from the south in the hit show which lasted for seven seasons until it ended in 1992. McClanahan reprised her role in the show “The Golden Palace” but which only lasted for one season.
After the “Golden Girls”, McClanahan continued acting in movies and on television. She appeared in the movies “Out to Sea” and “Starship Troopers”, and had guest roles in the television shows “Law & Order”, “Annabelle’s Wish” and “Blue’s Clues”. She also returned to Broadway when she played the role of Madame Morrible in the hit show “Wicked”. All of her work after “The Golden Girls” helped her career and net worth.
During a career spanning over 60 years, Rue was seldom out of work, as evidenced by her involvement in over 30 films and more than 50 TV productions. In 2007, she released her autobiographical book “My First Five Husbands… and the Ones Who Got Away”.
In terms of her personal life, Rue McClanahan was married six times and had one son from her first marriage, Mark Bish. She was an active supporter of animal rights movement including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Alley Cat Allies. After beating breast cancer in 1997 and surviving triple bypass surgery in 2009, McClanahan died in New York in 2010 at the age of 76 from a brain haemorrhage.
