You Can Own Bea Arthur’s California Estate For $16 Million [Video]
For $16 million, you can own a piece of American television history. Bea Arthur’s estate has put her Brentwood, California, home on the market, looking for a clean sell. Arthur lived in the home from 1975 until her death in 2009.
A 'Golden' Opportunity: Bea Arthur's Estate Hits the Market for the First Time in Decades http://t.co/QbpfW1vXxB
— Real Estate Mondo (@RealEstateMondo) June 18, 2015
Bea Arthur played Dorothy in the hit series The Golden Girls, which still shows in reruns on cable networks. Prior to her role in The Golden Girls, Arthur starred in the hit comedy, Maude. The Golden Girls received critical acclaim throughout most of its run and won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series twice.
Arthur, a self-proclaimed liberal democrat, once said “I’ve been a Democrat my whole life. That’s what makes Maude and Dorothy so believable, we have the same viewpoints on how our country should be handled.” When asked about whether she watches the show, Bea said in a 1998 interview that she doesn’t really watch the show, but will if certain episodes are on. “I love a lot of the stuff that I did with Stanley—the dumb things.”
Bea herself won two Emmy Awards, and was nominated multiple times, and a Tony Award for her works on stage and television. A little known fact about Arthur is that she served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II.
The Brentwood home was listed for sale by her estate on June 16. The Spanish-style, 7,000 square foot home is situated on almost four acres, and was designed by Cliff May, who some consider the father of the California ranch home. According to her estate, it was built in 1924, and initially wasn’t as large as it is now, although Bea expanded it after her purchase. It reportedly has all the latest amenities, according to Canyon News.
Arthur’s resort-like abode includes five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a media room, a “gourmet kitchen” for the budding chef in your family, a library, and a gym, among other living spaces. You’ll also get a pool, spa, tennis court, hiking trails, and waterfalls, boasts the MLS listing her estate created.
Bea purchased the home in 1978 after she divorced her husband, Broadway director Gene Saks. Arthur said frequently in interviews that she loved the home, and reportedly said, in a 1998 interview, “I tend to be lazy and I don’t have to put shoes on, or do anything here. I can walk around without anything on and nobody cares, and it’s just lovely,” according to L.A. Curbed.
Bea lived there until her death in 2009. Since then, Bea Arthur’s estate leased out the home for the bargain price of $60,000, but decided to officially list it for sale Tuesday.
[Image Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images]
