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Charlotte Rae

Acting 92 (deceased) years old Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA ★ 1.1
Born: April 22, 1926
Died: August 5, 2018

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

ER
ER Roxanne Gaines 1994
The Love Boat
The Love Boat 1977
The Love Boat
The Love Boat Ellen van Bowe 1977
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars Bead boutique owner 2010
The King of Queens
The King of Queens Betty 1998

Filmography

Acting Credits (96)

Ricki and the Flash
Ricki and the Flash Oma 2015
She's The Best Thing in It
She's The Best Thing in It Self 2015
Girl Meets World
Girl Meets World Gammy Hart 2014
Love Sick Love
Love Sick Love Edna 2012
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars Bead boutique owner 2010
The Great Debate
The Great Debate 2009
Christmas Cottage
Christmas Cottage Vesta 2008
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan Mrs. Greenhouse 2008
Life
Life Mary Ford 2007
The Facts of Life Reunion
The Facts of Life Reunion Mrs. Edna Garrett 2001
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa Self 2000
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas! Mrs. Caruthers (voice) 2000
Strong Medicine
Strong Medicine Maude 2000
Another Woman's Husband
Another Woman's Husband Stella 2000
The Brothers Flub
The Brothers Flub Tarara Boomdeeyay (voice) 1999
101 Dalmatians Christmas
101 Dalmatians Christmas Nanny 1998
The King of Queens
The King of Queens Betty 1998
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Wonderful World of Disney 1997
101 Dalmatians: The Series
101 Dalmatians: The Series 1997
101 Dalmatians: The Series
101 Dalmatians: The Series Nanny (voice) 1997
Nowhere
Nowhere Fortune Teller 1997
E! True Hollywood Story
E! True Hollywood Story 1996
Can't Hurry Love
Can't Hurry Love Helen 1995
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The Itsy Bitsy Spider Adrienne 1994
The Secret World of Alex Mack
The Secret World of Alex Mack 1994
ER
ER Roxanne Gaines 1994
Thunder in Paradise
Thunder in Paradise 1994
Intimate Portrait
Intimate Portrait Self 1993
Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder Estelle 1993
Thunder in Paradise
Thunder in Paradise Lola Miller 1993
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Tom and Jerry: The Movie Aunt Figg (voice) 1992
Sisters
Sisters 1991
Baby Talk
Baby Talk 1991
Save the Dog!
Save the Dog! 1988
The Worst Witch
The Worst Witch Miss Cackle / Agatha 1986
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark Noah's Wife / Additional Voices (voice) 1986
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There 1985
227
227 1985
Night of 100 Stars II
Night of 100 Stars II Self 1985
Words by Heart
Words by Heart Mary Tom Chism 1985
WonderWorks
WonderWorks Mary Tom Chism 1984
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote Nettie Harper 1984
St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere Proud Mary 1982
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris Edna Garrett 1982
Night of 100 Stars
Night of 100 Stars Self 1982
The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life Edna Garrett 1979
Beane's of Boston
Beane's of Boston Mae Slocombe 1979
Beane's of Boston
Beane's of Boston Mae Slocombe 1979
Hair
Hair Lady in Pink 1979
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal Bessie 1979
Hello, Larry
Hello, Larry Edna Garrett 1979
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes Edna Garrett 1978
Flying High
Flying High 1978
Rabbit Test
Rabbit Test Cousin Claire 1978
A Different Approach
A Different Approach 1978
The Love Boat
The Love Boat 1977
The Love Boat
The Love Boat Ellen van Bowe 1977
Sidewinder 1
Sidewinder 1 Mrs. Holt 1977
Szysznyk
Szysznyk 1977
Our Town
Our Town Mrs. Soames 1977
All's Fair
All's Fair 1976
Family
Family 1976
The Rich Little Show
The Rich Little Show 1976
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom Helen 1975
Hot l Baltimore
Hot l Baltimore 1975
Barney Miller
Barney Miller Mrs. Rebecca Sobel 1975
In Fashion
In Fashion Madame Aigreville 1974
Good Times
Good Times 1974
The Paul Lynde Show
The Paul Lynde Show Charlotte 1972
Temperatures Rising
Temperatures Rising Mrs. Moscowitz 1972
The Hot Rock
The Hot Rock Ma Murch 1972
McMillan & Wife
McMillan & Wife 1971
Bananas
Bananas Mrs. Ruth Mellish 1971
Great Performances
Great Performances Madame Aigreville 1971
All in the Family
All in the Family Lillian Henderson 1971
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family Dr. Beecher 1970
Jenny
Jenny Bella Star 1970
Love, American Style
Love, American Style 1969
Hello Down There
Hello Down There Myrtle Ruth 1969
Pinocchio
Pinocchio Rosa Whale 1968
The Love Song of Barney Kempinski
The Love Song of Barney Kempinski Woman in Window 1968
The Journey of the Fifth Horse
The Journey of the Fifth Horse Terentievna 1966
The Huffless, Puffless, Dragon
The Huffless, Puffless, Dragon 1964
The DuPont Show of the Week
The DuPont Show of the Week Mona Brinkman 1961
The Defenders
The Defenders Mrs. Abeles 1961
Way Out
Way Out 1961
The World of Sholom Aleichem
The World of Sholom Aleichem The Angel Rochele 1959
Play of the Week
Play of the Week 1959
"Waiting for Godot" Intercut with “Krazy Kat”
"Waiting for Godot" Intercut with “Krazy Kat” Krazy Kat 1958
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar Self 1957
Appointment with Adventure
Appointment with Adventure 1955
The United States Steel Hour
The United States Steel Hour 1953
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame 1951
The Bob Hope Show
The Bob Hope Show Self 1950
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948

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