Betty White lived 99 years and people still understand that she died too soon. A massive comedic career and a passion for taking care of animals are her enduring legacy. From her hilarious Super Bowl commercial to her iconic roles in Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Betty White has been making people laugh for decades.
While the hit show Golden Girls was rebooted into a single-season show titled The Golden Palace, it just wasn't the same without Bea Arthur. It's hard to match the flair of the original. Along with the key cast members of Golden Girls, many other celebrities made guest appearances that viewers may have missed.
10 Alex Trebek Is Notorious For Starring As Himself In TV Shows
The late Alex Trebek was the host of one of the most popular quiz shows in tv history, Jeopardy! Trebek is also notorious for guest-starring as himself in several films and TV shows. His earliest appearance of this kind was in 1987 for the sitcom Mama's Family. Trebek also stars as himself in shows like The Simpsons, Seinfeld, The X-Files and many more.
Trebek also appears on the Golden Girls episode "Questions and Answers" as himself. In the episode, Dorothy discovers that Jeopardy! is hosting auditions in Miami. She has a dream about a rather unusual game of Jeopardy! alongside Rose and her neighbor, Charlie Dietz.
9 The Golden Girls Get Mistaken For Prostitutes In Burt Reynolds' Guest Episode
Burt Reynolds rose to stardom for his role as Quint Asper in the Western television series Gunsmoke. His fame in the film industry began with his performance as Lewis Medlock in the 1972 film Deliverance. Reynolds also guest-stars as himself in the episode "Ladies of the Evening" during the second season of Golden Girls. Dorothy, Rose and Blanche win tickets to a Burt Reynolds post-premiere movie party, but trouble ensues when they are mistaken for prostitutes at a hotel bar and end up arrested.
8 Rose Believes Bob Hope Is Her Biological Father
Bob Hope had an eventful career that spanned over eight decades in over 70 short and feature-length films. Hope was praised for his rapid-fire delivery of jokes and known for his role in comedies like My Favorite Brunette and the Road films with Bing Crosby. He appears on the episode "You Gotta Have Hope" during the fourth season of Golden Girls. Rose believes that Bob Hope is her biological father and hopes to employ him at her hospital charity show after many talent acts cancel on her.
7 Debbie Reynolds Almost Had A Major Role On The Show
Debbie Reynolds is critically acclaimed for her many film appearances across her seven-decade career. However, her breakthrough role occurred in Singin' in the Rain. She's also well-known by younger viewers for her performance as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown film series.
Reynolds tragically passed away just one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher's, death. Reynolds guest-stars as Truby in the episode "There Goes the Bride: Part II" in the sixth season of Golden Girls. Ironically, Reynolds almost joined the main cast when Bea Arthur announced she would leave the show.
6 George Clooney Is Unrecognizable In His Early Guest Star Role
George Clooney started his career in the acting industry, but didn't become well-known until his role as Dr. Doug Ross in the 90s NBC medical drama ER. Before his breakthrough role, Clooney guest-starred as Detective Bobby Hopkins in the 1987 Golden Girls episode "To Catch a Neighbor."
"I mean when you're a young actor you just want a job. I got a call that they said, 'Do you want to do The Golden Girls?' and I was like, 'Are you kidding?' I got to work with Bea Arthur and Betty White. That was the time of my life, it was so much fun," said Clooney in an interview with Pink Villa.
5 13-Year-Old Mario Lopez Guest Starred As Dorothy's Student
Mario Lopez is widely recognized for his performance as A.C. Slater in the NBC teen sitcom Saved by the Bell and its spin-off series. Before stealing the hearts of young girls at Bayside High, Lopez appeared as Mario Sanchez on the 1985 episode of Golden Girls titled "Dorothy's Prized Pupil." Mario played a student of Dorothy's who won an essay contest. However, he turned out to be an undocumented immigrant in danger of deportation. Lopez was only 13 years old at the time and didn't quite comprehend the storyline's significance yet.
4 Sonny Bono Appeared As Himself In Blanche's Dream
Sonny Bono is known for his musical success alongside his wife, Cher, in the famous duo called Sonny & Cher. Along with being the mayor of Palm Springs, CA from 1988 to 1992 and a member of the US House of Representatives, he starred as a guest performer on shows like Fantasy Island and Charlie's Angels. Bono also guest-starred as himself on the Golden Girls episode titled "Mrs. George Devereaux." Bono appeared as himself in Blanche's dream where her late husband was still alive. Bono was pursuing Dorothy in this dream, but not without competition from Lyle Waggoner.
3 Mickey Rooney Had A 90-Year Acting Career
Throughout Mickey Rooney's nine-decade career, he appeared in over 300 films and was one of the last survivors from Hollywood's silent film era until his death in 2014. Rooney began his career in vaudeville at age seven and even entertained troops on stage and on radio for two years during World War II. Rooney also guest-starred in various TV shows like Full House and The Twilight Zone. In addition, he made a cameo as Rocco, Sophia's new boyfriend, in the Golden Girls episode titled "Larceny and Old Lace."
2 Blink And You Might Miss Quentin Tarantino's Cameo In Golden Girls
Quentin Tarantino is a critically acclaimed director who had his breakthrough as an independent filmmaker with the 1992 crime thriller film Reservoir Dogs. Ironically, he was partly named after Gunsmoke character Quint Asper, who was played by fellow Golden Girls guest-star, Burt Reynolds.
"Before I did Reservoir Dogs, I had a very unsuccessful acting career. However, one of the few jobs I did get…and not because I did a wonderful audition, but simply because they sent my picture in and they said, ‘He’s got it!’ was for an Elvis impersonator on The Golden Girls,"said Tarantino in an interview with Jimmy Fallon.
1 Dick Van Dyke Appeared As A Lawyer Who Wanted To Be A Clown
Other than his atrocious Cockey accent in Mary Poppins, which he has since apologized for, Dick Van Dyke is known for his film appearances in movies like Bye Bye Birdie and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and of course his seminal sitcom, The Dick Van Dyke Show. Van Dyke also guest-starred in the episode "Love Under the Big Top" during the fifth season of Golden Girls. He appeared as Dorothy's new boyfriend, a lawyer named Ken Whittingham. However, Ken had a weird obsession with becoming a circus clown instead of sticking with his successful career as an attorney. The relationship with Dorothy ended quickly, but not before he defended the girls in a clown costume.