Charlotte Rae
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- April 22, 1926
- Died
- August 5, 2018 (aged 92)
- Birthplace
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Biography
Charlotte Rae Lubotsky (April 22, 1926 – August 5, 2018) was an American actress and singer. On screen, Rae was best known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and its spin-off, The Facts of Life. She was born to Russian Jewish immigrants Esther (née Ottenstein), who was a childhood friend of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, and Meyer Lubotsky, a retail tire business owner. She was one of three sisters, along with Miriam and the late Beverly (December 21, 1921 – June 2, 1998). She graduated from Shorewood High School in 1944. For the first ten years or so of her life, Rae's family lived in Milwaukee, then moved to Shorewood, Wisconsin. She did radio work and was with the Wauwatosa Children's Theatre. At 16, she was an apprentice with the Port Players, a professional theater company that came for the summer to Milwaukee, with several established actors such as Morton DaCosta, who would eventually direct The Music Man on Broadway. Rae attended Northwestern University, although she did not complete her studies, where she met Cloris Leachman, who many years later succeeded Rae on The Facts of Life for the show's last two seasons. At Northwestern she met several unknown stars and producers, including Agnes Nixon, Charlton Heston, Paul Lynde, Gerald Freedman, Claude Akins and songwriter Sheldon Harnick. When a radio personality told her that her last name wouldn't do, she dropped it, to her father's chagrin. She moved to New York City in 1948, where she performed in the theater and nightclubs. During her early years in New York, she worked at the Village Vanguard (alongside up-and-coming talents such as singer Richard Dyer-Bennet) and at the posh Blue Angel, home to budding talents Barbra Streisand, Mike Nichols and Elaine May. She moved to Los Angeles in 1974.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
She's The Best Thing in It
Movie · as Self
Ricki and the Flash
Movie · as Oma
Girl Meets World
TV · as Gammy Hart · 1 ep
Love Sick Love
Movie · as Edna
Pretty Little Liars
TV · as Bead Boutique Owner · 1 ep
The Great Debate
TV · 6 eps
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Movie · as Mrs. Greenhouse
Christmas Cottage
Movie · as Vesta
Life
TV · as Mary Ford · 1 ep
The Facts of Life Reunion
Movie · as Mrs. Edna Garrett
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
Movie · as Mrs. Caruthers (voice)
Another Woman's Husband
Movie · as Stella
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa
Movie · as Self
Strong Medicine
TV · as Maude · 1 ep
The Brothers Flub
TV · as Tarara Boomdeeyay (voice) · 52 eps
101 Dalmatians Christmas
Movie · as Nanny
The King of Queens
TV · as Betty · 1 ep
Nowhere
Movie · as Fortune Teller
101 Dalmatians: The Series
TV · as Nanny (voice) · 105 eps
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV · 1 ep
E! True Hollywood Story
TV · 2 eps
Can't Hurry Love
TV · as Helen · 1 ep
Thunder in Paradise
TV · 1 ep
The Secret World of Alex Mack
TV · 1 ep
ER
TV · as Roxanne Gaines · 4 eps
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
TV · as Adrienne · 13 eps
Thunder in Paradise
Movie · as Lola Miller
Diagnosis: Murder
TV · as Estelle · 1 ep
Intimate Portrait
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Movie · as Aunt Figg (voice)
Sisters
TV · 3 eps
Baby Talk
TV · 1 ep
Save the Dog!
Movie · as Schnitt
The Worst Witch
Movie · as Miss Cackle / Agatha
Noah's Ark
Movie · as Noah's Wife / Additional Voices (voice)
Words by Heart
Movie · as Mary Tom Chism
Night of 100 Stars II
Movie · as Self
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
Movie
227
TV · 1 ep
Murder, She Wrote
TV · as Nettie Harper · 1 ep
WonderWorks
TV · as Mary Tom Chism · 2 eps
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris
Movie · as Edna Garrett
Night of 100 Stars
Movie · as Self
St. Elsewhere
TV · as Proud Mary · 1 ep
Hair
Movie · as Lady in Pink
Beane's of Boston
Movie · as Mae Slocombe
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal
Movie · as Bessie
The Facts of Life
TV · as Edna Garrett · 153 eps
Hello, Larry
TV · as Edna Garrett · 3 eps
Beane's of Boston
TV · as Mae Slocombe · 1 ep
Rabbit Test
Movie · as Cousin Claire
A Different Approach
Movie
Flying High
TV · 1 ep
Diff'rent Strokes
TV · as Edna Garrett · 51 eps
Our Town
Movie · as Mrs. Soames
Sidewinder 1
Movie · as Mrs. Holt
The Love Boat
TV · as Ellen van Bowe · 1 ep
Szysznyk
TV · 1 ep
All's Fair
TV · 1 ep
Family
TV · 1 ep
The Rich Little Show
TV · 15 eps
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
Movie · as Helen
Barney Miller
TV · as Mrs. Rebecca Sobel · 1 ep
Hot l Baltimore
TV · 13 eps
In Fashion
Movie · as Madame Aigreville
Good Times
TV · 1 ep
The Hot Rock
Movie · as Ma Murch
Temperatures Rising
TV · as Mrs. Moscowitz · 1 ep
The Paul Lynde Show
TV · as Charlotte · 2 eps
Bananas
Movie · as Mrs. Ruth Mellish
All in the Family
TV · as Lillian Henderson · 1 ep
McMillan & Wife
TV · 1 ep
Great Performances
TV · as Madame Aigreville · 1 ep
Jenny
Movie · as Bella Star
The Partridge Family
TV · as Dr. Beecher · 1 ep
Hello Down There
Movie · as Myrtle Ruth
Love, American Style
TV · 1 ep
The Love Song of Barney Kempinski
Movie · as Woman in Window
Pinocchio
Movie · as Rosa Whale
The Journey of the Fifth Horse
Movie · as Terentievna
NET Playhouse
TV · as Terentievna · 1 ep
The Huffless, Puffless, Dragon
Movie
The Defenders
TV · as Mrs. Abeles · 1 ep
Way Out
TV · 1 ep
The DuPont Show of the Week
TV · as Mona Brinkman · 1 ep
The World of Sholom Aleichem
Movie · as The Angel Rochele
Play of the Week
TV · 1 ep
"Waiting for Godot" Intercut with “Krazy Kat”
Movie · as Krazy Kat
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Appointment with Adventure
TV · 1 ep
The United States Steel Hour
TV · 1 ep
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV · 1 ep
The Bob Hope Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Philco Television Playhouse
TV · 1 ep
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV · as Self · 4 eps