Sophia Petrillo

Infobox character


name = Sophia Petrillo
first = "The Engagement"
last = "Remembrance of Clips Past"
cause =
age = 102 (87 at end of series)
born = April 1906
occupation =
family = Uncle Angelo (brother)
Aunt Angela (sister)
Uncle Vito (brother)
Aunt Regina (sister)
Papa Angelo (father; deceased)
Eleanor Angelo (mother; deceased)
Carmine (brother-in-law; via Angela)
Graziella (niece)
spouse = Augustine Bagatelli
Giuseppe Mangiacavallo (broken engagements)
Guido Spirelli (annulled)
Salvatore Petrillo (husband; deceased)
Max Weinstock (separated)
children = Dorothy Zbornak
Phil Petrillo (deceased)
Gloria Petrillo
relatives = Stanley Zbornak, ex son-in-law
Lucas Hollingsworth, son-in-law
Carmine (brother-in-law; deceased)
Kate Zbnornak (granddaughter)
Michael Zbnornak (grandson)
Cecilia (cousin)
Carlo (uncle, deceased)
Renata (aunt)
Mario (uncle, deceased)

Sophia Angelo Spirelli Petrillo Weinstock is a fictional character from the TV series, "The Golden Girls", and its spin-offs "The Golden Palace" and "Empty Nest". She was portrayed by Estelle Getty.

Early History

Sophia Petrillo was born in April 1906 in Sicily to Papa and Eleanor Angelo, with two brothers, Angelo and Vito, and two sisters, Regina and Angela. (In the episode "A Piece of Cake," it is revealed that her 50th birthday was in April 1956). While in Sicily, as a teenager she was briefly engaged to a young man from her village, Augustine Bagatelli. Later, she became engaged to Giuseppe Mangiacavallo, who jilted her at the altar. She moved to New York after she annulled her arranged first marriage to Guido Spirelli when she was fourteen. Then, she married Salvador "Sal" Petrillo (played by Sid Melton), and had three children with him: Dorothy, a divorced substitute teacher; Phil, (an unseen character) a cross-dresser married to a woman named Angela with several children in a trailer park in Newark, New Jersey; and Gloria (played by Doris Belack and Dena Dietrich), who lived in California and married into money and who later lost the fortune that her husband had left her in an investment scam.

1985-1995

In her older years, Sophia suffered a stroke (the effects of which are said to be a partial explanation for Sophia's uncensored and brazen remarks) and was subsequently placed in a Miami-area nursing home called "Shady Pines", by her daughter Dorothy. Sophia's stay at Shady Pines was brief, though. After the nursing home was damaged in a fire, Sophia moved in with Dorothy, who was living in a Miami house with two other roommates: Rose and Blanche. Sophia does not have many good things to say about "Shady Pines", alluding to their poor treatment by the staff many times throughout the series' run, and Dorothy often threatens to send her back there to get Sophia to behave herself. However in "The Golden Palace", "Shady Pines" is revealed as a resort-like facility with exceptional services. It is said that the place was re-built as a resort — apparently prior to that it was an average retirement home.

While living in Miami, Sophia has many suitors but does not date any for a substantial amount of time. She does remarry once more though to Max Weinstock (Jack Gilford). Max is her late husband, Sal's, long-time business partner for whom Sophia had long blamed Sal's business failure. Sophia's grudge ended after meeting up with Max following the death of his wife. Shortly after their marriage begins, Sophia and Max open a pizza-knish stand that burns to the ground the same week it opens. After this drama, the newlyweds realize their romance would not work out, and they part ways as friends. However, both remained legally married, as divorce would have gone against her Catholic beliefs.

More than two years after her marriage to Max fell apart, Sophia learns that her son Phil passed away after suffering a heart attack. At her son's funeral, Sophia continues a long-standing one-sided feud with Phil's wife, also named Angela (and whom Sophia nicknamed "Big Sally" (Brenda Vaccaro). The origin of the feud had been a mystery to both Dorothy and Angela. When all three women sat down to work out Sophia's animosity, it is revealed that Sophia blamed not only herself, but Angela as well, for Phil's cross-dressing habits. At this revelation, Sophia is able to forgive Angela and accept that no one was at fault. Sophia sobs when she realizes that her "baby's gone".

When Dorothy resumes dating her ex-husband Stanley behind her mother's back, Sophia protests her behavior, and when the two decide to remarry, Sophia vehemently forbids it. She even threatened to disown Dorothy if they went through with it, knowing full well that Stan would hurt Dorothy again and wasn't trustworthy. However, on the day of Dorothy's wedding, with some advice from the girls, Sophia finally comes to terms with her daughter's decision, knowing her for having good judgment in her choices. However, she still warns Stan not to try anything stupid. However, Dorothy calls off the wedding when Stan asks her to sign a Pre-nuptial agreement. Sophia then proudly announces to the audience, "She" turned "him" down. Remember that!"

Some time later, one of Sophia's roommates from Shady Pines dies. On her deathbed, she claimed that she and Sophia started the fire that destroyed the facility, as the two were in the bedroom cooking s'mores with an illegally-obtained hot plate, which was presumed lost in the fire. Sophia was charged with negligent arson despite having no memory of her role in the fire. The girls hired an attorney worked frantically to prove Sophia's innocence, but had little evidence to prove her case. Desperate, Sophia actually attempted to flee to Sicily prior to her trial, but was arrested at the airport when she was found with a chef's knife. Fortunately, Rose later discovered that the fire inspector who investigated the fire had laundered money from the home's insurance policy and fled without making a full investigation. At the same time, Sophia finally remembered the true cause of the fire: The heater had caught fire while they were making s'mores, and Sophia fled with both her roommate and the hot plate, which remained in her possession. With this evidence, Sophia was cleared of all charges and set free.

Due to Sophia's Sicilian descent, there are regular hints in the series that she and her family have some mafia connections; she has made reference to several vendettas. It is even hinted that Sophia "herself" has done mob work; she once stated that no one in her family had "ever left a body to be found". In one episode Sophia asks Dorothy the first thing she told her to tell her to any kids if they bothered her the first day of kindergarten, Dorothy answers: "My mother can have you eliminated with one phone call.'" Sophia states that she had lived through "two World Wars, fifteen vendettas, four operations, and two Darrins on "Bewitched". She (almost) revealed in one episode that she knew what happened to Jimmy Hoffa. While in at other times has given two different accounts of being present at the St. Valentines Day Massacre.

Sophia is best known for her wise cracks and brazen remarks, often commenting on Dorothy's lack of love life; Blanche's promiscuity; and Rose's stupidity. However, despite her constant wise-cracking of the other women, she is shown to care for and love them all deeply; she even sees Rose and Blanche as surrogate daughters, loving them virtually as much as she loves Dorothy. The other women usually seek Sophia for advice, which Sophia is all too willing to share, usually beginning with her catchphrase, "Picture it…" That phrase may be a family trait, as both her sister, Angela, and her brother, Angelo, have used the same phrase when telling stories in very similar fashions, and (in a flashback) Sophia's own mother also began to tell a story in this way. Sophia often stretched the truth, or completely fabricated the events of the stories, in order to make her point - something which Dorothy often calls Sophia out on, and Sophia usually either vehemently denies lying, or defends it with lines such as "I'm old, I'm supposed to be colorful".

Members of Sophia's family who have appeared on the program include: her sister, Angela (Nancy Walker); her brother, Angelo and her father (both roles were played by Bill Dana); her daughter, Gloria; her husband, Sal (in flashbacks and in dream sequences); and Sophia's own mother, Eleanor (Bea Arthur in a dual role), who also appeared exclusively in flashbacks; and even Dorothy at a younger age (played by Lyn Greene).