Acting
Charlotte Rae
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.
Filmography
She's The Best Thing in It
Film · 2015
Ricki and the Flash
Film · 2015
Girl Meets World
Series · 2014
Love Sick Love
Film · 2012
Pretty Little Liars
Series · 2010
The Great Debate
Series · 2009
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Film · 2008
Christmas Cottage
Film · 2008
Life
Series · 2007
The Facts of Life Reunion
Film · 2001
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
Film · 2000
Another Woman's Husband
Film · 2000
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa
Film · 2000
Strong Medicine
Series · 2000
The Brothers Flub
Series · 1999
101 Dalmatians Christmas
Film · 1998
The King of Queens
Series · 1998
Nowhere
Film · 1997
101 Dalmatians: The Series
Series · 1997
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1997
101 Dalmatians: The Series
Series · 1997
E! True Hollywood Story
Series · 1996
Can't Hurry Love
Series · 1995
Thunder in Paradise
Series · 1994
The Secret World of Alex Mack
Series · 1994
ER
Series · 1994
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Series · 1994
Thunder in Paradise
Film · 1993
Diagnosis: Murder
Series · 1993
Intimate Portrait
Series · 1993
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Film · 1992
Sisters
Series · 1991
Baby Talk
Series · 1991
Save the Dog!
Film · 1988
The Worst Witch
Film · 1986
Noah's Ark
Film · 1986
Words by Heart
Film · 1985
Night of 100 Stars II
Film · 1985
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
Film · 1985
227
Series · 1985
Murder, She Wrote
Series · 1984
WonderWorks
Series · 1984
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris
Film · 1982
Night of 100 Stars
Film · 1982
St. Elsewhere
Series · 1982
Hair
Film · 1979
Beane's of Boston
Film · 1979
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal
Film · 1979
The Facts of Life
Series · 1979
Hello, Larry
Series · 1979
Beane's of Boston
Series · 1979
Rabbit Test
Film · 1978
A Different Approach
Film · 1978
Flying High
Series · 1978
Diff'rent Strokes
Series · 1978
Our Town
Film · 1977
Sidewinder 1
Film · 1977
The Love Boat
Series · 1977
Szysznyk
Series · 1977
The Love Boat
Series · 1977
All's Fair
Series · 1976
Family
Series · 1976
The Rich Little Show
Series · 1976
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
Film · 1975
Barney Miller
Series · 1975
Hot l Baltimore
Series · 1975
In Fashion
Film · 1974
Good Times
Series · 1974
The Hot Rock
Film · 1972
Temperatures Rising
Series · 1972
The Paul Lynde Show
Series · 1972
Bananas
Film · 1971
All in the Family
Series · 1971
McMillan & Wife
Series · 1971
Great Performances
Series · 1971
Jenny
Film · 1970
The Partridge Family
Series · 1970
Hello Down There
Film · 1969
Love, American Style
Series · 1969
The Love Song of Barney Kempinski
Film · 1968
Pinocchio
Film · 1968
The Journey of the Fifth Horse
Film · 1966
NET Playhouse
Series · 1966
The Huffless, Puffless, Dragon
Film · 1964
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The DuPont Show of the Week
Series · 1961
Way Out
Series · 1961
The World of Sholom Aleichem
Film · 1959
Play of the Week
Series · 1959
"Waiting for Godot" Intercut with “Krazy Kat”
Film · 1958
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Series · 1957
Appointment with Adventure
Series · 1955
The United States Steel Hour
Series · 1953
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Series · 1951
The Bob Hope Show
Series · 1950
The Philco Television Playhouse
Series · 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Series · 1948