5 Stunning Secrets About The Golden Girls That You've Never Heard Before

While the book is currently out of print (but Jim says a revised, expanded second edition will be available in the fall), Jim shared some behind-the-scenes info about the girls during their interviews. Some of the highlights:

*When Jim went to Rue's house in New York City to do the interview, "she answered the door fresh from the shower, in a bathrobe that looked like it was about to fall open!"

*Jim interviewed Betty in her living room, with her golden retriever Pontiac lying on their feet. "Betty is so quick witted, with lots of great stories to share right off the top of her head."

*Interviewing Bea Arthur was a very interesting experience for Colucci. "It was very tough to get her to agree to an interview at all. I practically had to phone stalk her." Although Jim was aware of Bea's gruff personality, he notes that after spending four hours with her, he was able to uncover the real Bea. "It took Bea a while to warm up to my questions because she really didn't remember much about the show—although she was extremely proud of certain moments, of course. But by the end, I felt I had really bonded with her. I packed up my questions and put away my tape recorder, and then we shared a bottle of white wine in her living room, her bare feet up on the coffee table. And then I was on my way, after giving her a hug, which at first surprised her, and then I felt her relax in my arms. It was really a touching moment, and I'll always treasure my day with her!"

Pretty amazing, right?! Which lady would you have most wanted to have late-night cheesecake with?

Video: Archive of American Television

Photos: Everett Collection; Book Cover Image by Glen Hanson, courtesy of Jim Colucci