Rue McClanahan (born February 21, 1934) is an American actress, known for her roles as Vivian Cavender Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls.
McClanahan was born Eddi-Rue McClanahan in Healdton, Oklahoma, the daughter of Dreda Rheua-Nell (née Medaris), a beautician, and William Edwin McClanahan, a building contractor. She is of Irish and Choctaw Indian ancestry, and grew up in Ardmore, Oklahoma; ...
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Rue McClanahan (born February 21, 1934) is an American actress, known for her roles as Vivian Cavender Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls.
McClanahan was born Eddi-Rue McClanahan in Healdton, Oklahoma, the daughter of Dreda Rheua-Nell (née Medaris), a beautician, and William Edwin McClanahan, a building contractor. She is of Irish and Choctaw Indian ancestry, and grew up in Ardmore, Oklahoma; she graduated from Ardmore High School in 1953. At the University of Tulsa, she majored in German and theater and was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.
She began acting on Off-Broadway in New York City in 1957, but did not make her Broadway debut until 1969 when she portrayed Sally Weber in the original production of John Sebastian and Murray Schisgal's musical theatre,musical Jimmy Shine with Dustin Hoffman in the title role. Her breakout role was of maniacal nanny Caroline Johnson on Another World from July 1970 - September 1971....
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