In her two-and-a-half hour Archive interview, Rue McClanahan (1934-2010) talks about her acting start on the stage and touchs on some of her feature films from the 1960s. She discusses her first regular role in television, as scheming nurse "Caroline Johnson" on Another World. She recalls how, when her character tries unsuccessfully to poison the mother of the twins she is caring for, she received a fan letter recommending a better poison. She speaks in great detail about her role as "Vivian Cavender," best friend to Bea Arthur on the television sitcom Maude. She describes her character, talks about working with the ensemble cast, and comments on memorable series episodes. McClanahan then talks about her work as series regular "Aunt Fran" on Mama's Family. Finally, she discusses at length the production of the classic 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls and her role as "Blanche Devereaux." She talks about the casting process, working with the series production personnel and the transition of the show into The Golden Palace. Jim Colucci conducted the interview on May 4, 2006 in New York, NY.
