"She made me laugh harder than anybody": George Clooney recalls Bea Arthur and his time on The Golden Girls in ABC special

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George Clooney talks about Bea Arthur. (Image via Getty)

George Clooney is getting nostalgic about his time on The Golden Girls. The actor appeared as Bobby Hopkins in the sitcom's episode To Catch a Neighbor that aired in 1988.

Speaking of The Golden Girls, in a trailer shared exclusively with PEOPLE for The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship—Special Edition of 20/20, George recalls his time on the show and working with Bea Arthur, saying:

"She made me laugh harder than anybody."

The series, which revolves around four single women living together in Miami and sharing life’s ups and downs, has above eight stars on IMDb. In the series, Bea Arthur played the character of Dorothy Zbornak. The other cast members include Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty.

According to IMDb, Bea's main aim in the series was to:

"find a companion she can relate to while her mother Sophia adds her comical outlook and frequent "Picture This" stories."

George Clooney appreciates Bea Arthur's comedy skills

George Clooney has previously also admired Arthur's comedy skills. During his appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show three years ago, while talking about The Golden Girls, he shared:

"Bea Arthur was the funniest person in the world. They were all hysterically funny, but Bea Arthur really made me laugh. She was filthy, filthy funny. Filthy. But great."

He added:

"They could get away with stuff that if those women were 30, they could’ve never said on network television. But they could do anything they wanted, and they would get away with it. It was so much fun. That was a funny show to work on."

While George Clooney has been very open about liking Bea's comedy skills, he himself also had a lot of fun on the set. In his previous talks to 9Honey during the London Film Festival, he revealed that he wanted to have a job, and when he received the call for The Golden Girls, he was excited for the same. Adding to the same, he added:

"I got to work with Bea Arthur and Betty White. That was the time of my life, it was so much fun."

George Clooney has two upcoming projects lined up, titled Dix Pour Cent and Ocean's 14. Neither project has a confirmed release date as of now.


The special edition of the series is set to premiere on ABC next week. The series will also be available for viewers who miss the premiere on Disney+ and Hulu.

Also read: What role will Meghan Markle play in her return to acting after 7-year break? Duchess joins star-studded cast for new comedy

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Edited by Vatsala Chauhan