TV star Bea Arthur dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) – “Golden Girls” actress Rue McClanahan is describing her co-star Bea Arthur as a kind and caring person with a no-nonsense edge.

Arthur has died of cancer in her Los Angeles home surrounded by family. She was 86.

McClanahan says Arthur decided to leave the hit sitcom in 1992 because she felt constrained by the show. She says “Bea liked to be the star of the show, she didn’t really like to do that ensemble playing.”

The tall, deep-voiced Arthur’s razor-sharp delivery won her acclaim for her roles on “Maude and “The Golden Girls.” She won a Tony for her role in the musical “Mame.”