Bea Arthur was only ever a plumber her whole life.
Bea Arthur -LRB- born Bernice Frankel ; May 13 , 1922 -- April 25 , 2009 -RRB- was an American actress , comedian , singer , and animal rights activist .. Her career spanned seven decades .. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family -LRB- 1971 -- 72 -RRB- and Maude -LRB- 1972 -- 78 -RRB- , and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls -LRB- 1985 -- 92 -RRB- , winning Emmy Awards for both roles .. Maude Findlay. Maude Findlay. All in the Family. All in the Family. Maude. Maude ( TV series ). Dorothy Zbornak. Dorothy Zbornak. The Golden Girls. The Golden Girls. A stage actress both before and after her television success , she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Vera Charles in the original cast of Mame. Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Mame. Mame ( musical ). -LRB- 1966 -RRB- .