Los Angeles (AP) Actress Estelle Getty was proud of her role as Sophia on “The Golden Girls.”

Getty died this morning at the age of 84 at her home in Los Angeles.

She told AP Radio in a 1988 interview that she thought Sophia and the show had been an incredible boost to older people. She embraced the fact that people thought of her as “the
quintessential older person,” and she frequently spoke to senior citizen groups about what it was like to have success at her age.

Getty said she also thought Sophia helped older actors break out of stereotypical roles, like the grandmother or the token land lady next door. And now they're cast in significant parts in sitcoms, movies and commercials in ways that they weren't cast before.