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Sophia Petrillo

Sophia 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.

Sophia Petrillo was born in April 1906 in Sicily.(in the episode entitled "A Piece of Cake", it is revealed her 50th birthday was in April 1956). She moved to New York, after she annulled her first (arranged) marriage to Guido Spirelli (she was also briefly engaged to a young man from her village, Augustine Bagatelli, as a teenager). Then, she married Salvatore Petrillo (played by Sid Melton) and had three children with him, Dorothy, Phil (an unseen character who sometimes cross-dressed), and Gloria (played by Doris Belack and, later, by Dena Dietrich) who married rich. She was put away in a nursing home called Shady Pines by Dorothy after suffering a stroke (the effects of which are said to be partial explanation for Sophia's uncensored and brazen remarks), and she later comes to live with Dorothy and the girls after the home was damaged in a fire. 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 Shady Pines was re-built as a resort--apparently prior to that it was an average retirement home.

Due to Sophia's Sicilian descent, there are constant 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." 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 had happened to Jimmy Hoffa.

Members of Sophia's family who have appeared on the program: her sister Angela (Nancy Walker), her brother Angelo (Bill Dana), her daughter Gloria, her husband Sal (in flashbacks), and her mother, who also appeared exclusively in flashback, and Dorothy herself at a younger age (played by Lyn Greene). Phil is never seen, but he passes away later on the series. At her son's funeral, Sophia ends the long feud she had with her son's wife Angela (Brenda Vaccaro), whom Sophia nicknamed "Big Sally". The feud had been a mystery to Dorothy and Angela, and both attempted to find the truth. Surprisingly, though, it was Rose, with her grief counseling experience, who solved the problem. Sophia was pained by her son's cross-dressing, and blamed herself for the problem. The girls helped her to realize that Phil was a good man regardless of his habits, which were not her fault. Sophia sobbed when she realized that her only son was gone.

Sophia also married Max Weinstock (Jack Gilford), Sal's long-time business parter, shortly after being reunited by the death of Max's wife. Sophia and Max soon parted ways after realizing their romance would not work out, but remained legally married (as divorce would have gone against her Catholic beliefs).

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. Even though she is smart-mouthed, she is also loving. The other women usually seek Sophia for advice, which Sophia is all too willing to share life's lessons, usually beginning with her trademark phrase, "Picture it...."