Charlotte Rae
Acting • Born 1926-04-22 – Died 2018-08-05
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.
Filmography
96 credits
Hair
Movie • 1979
Lady in Pink
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Movie • 2008
Mrs. Greenhouse
Rabbit Test
Movie • 1978
Cousin Claire
The Worst Witch
Movie • 1986
Miss Cackle / Agatha
Beane's of Boston
Movie • 1979
Mae Slocombe
Our Town
Movie • 1977
Mrs. Soames
Christmas Cottage
Movie • 2008
Vesta
Hello Down There
Movie • 1969
Myrtle Ruth
Words by Heart
Movie • 1985
Mary Tom Chism
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Movie • 1992
Aunt Figg (voice)
Love Sick Love
Movie • 2012
Edna
Thunder in Paradise
Movie • 1993
Lola Miller
The Love Song of Barney Kempinski
Movie • 1968
Woman in Window
A Different Approach
Movie • 1978
Nowhere
Movie • 1997
Fortune Teller
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
Movie • 2000
Mrs. Caruthers (voice)
The Facts of Life Reunion
Movie • 2001
Mrs. Edna Garrett
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
Movie • 1975
Helen
In Fashion
Movie • 1974
Madame Aigreville
Jenny
Movie • 1970
Bella Star
Bananas
Movie • 1971
Mrs. Ruth Mellish
She's The Best Thing in It
Movie • 2015
Self
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris
Movie • 1982
Edna Garrett
Ricki and the Flash
Movie • 2015
Oma
The Hot Rock
Movie • 1972
Ma Murch
Save the Dog!
Movie • 1988
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal
Movie • 1979
Bessie
Night of 100 Stars II
Movie • 1985
Self
Sidewinder 1
Movie • 1977
Mrs. Holt
Noah's Ark
Movie • 1986
Noah's Wife / Additional Voices (voice)
The Journey of the Fifth Horse
Movie • 1966
Terentievna
Another Woman's Husband
Movie • 2000
Stella
The Huffless, Puffless, Dragon
Movie • 1964
Pinocchio
Movie • 1968
Rosa Whale
The World of Sholom Aleichem
Movie • 1959
The Angel Rochele
Night of 100 Stars
Movie • 1982
Self
101 Dalmatians Christmas
Movie • 1998
Nanny
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa
Movie • 2000
Self
"Waiting for Godot" Intercut with “Krazy Kat”
Movie • 1958
Krazy Kat
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
Movie • 1985
St. Elsewhere
TV • 1982
Proud Mary
Murder, She Wrote
TV • 1984
Nettie Harper
Good Times
TV • 1974
Thunder in Paradise
TV • 1994
The Facts of Life
TV • 1979
Edna Garrett
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Love, American Style
TV • 1969
All in the Family
TV • 1971
Lillian Henderson
227
TV • 1985
101 Dalmatians: The Series
TV • 1997
E! True Hollywood Story
TV • 1996
Barney Miller
TV • 1975
Mrs. Rebecca Sobel
Life
TV • 2007
Mary Ford
Diagnosis: Murder
TV • 1993
Estelle
All's Fair
TV • 1976
The King of Queens
TV • 1998
Betty
The Secret World of Alex Mack
TV • 1994
Sisters
TV • 1991
Strong Medicine
TV • 2000
Maude
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
ER
TV • 1994
Roxanne Gaines
Play of the Week
TV • 1959
Hot l Baltimore
TV • 1975
McMillan & Wife
TV • 1971
Intimate Portrait
TV • 1993
Self
Temperatures Rising
TV • 1972
Mrs. Moscowitz
Baby Talk
TV • 1991
The Defenders
TV • 1961
Mrs. Abeles
The United States Steel Hour
TV • 1953
Family
TV • 1976
The Paul Lynde Show
TV • 1972
Charlotte
The Philco Television Playhouse
TV • 1948
Szysznyk
TV • 1977
Way Out
TV • 1961
The DuPont Show of the Week
TV • 1961
Mona Brinkman
Can't Hurry Love
TV • 1995
Helen
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV • 1997
Flying High
TV • 1978
The Great Debate
TV • 2009
The Rich Little Show
TV • 1976
Appointment with Adventure
TV • 1955
Pretty Little Liars
TV • 2010
Bead boutique owner
The Bob Hope Show
TV • 1950
Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV • 1948
Self
101 Dalmatians: The Series
TV • 1997
Nanny (voice)
Girl Meets World
TV • 2014
Gammy Hart
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Ellen van Bowe
Diff'rent Strokes
TV • 1978
Edna Garrett
The Brothers Flub
TV • 1999
Tarara Boomdeeyay (voice)
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
TV • 1994
Adrienne
Hello, Larry
TV • 1979
Edna Garrett
Great Performances
TV • 1971
Madame Aigreville
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
TV • 1957
Self
Beane's of Boston
TV • 1979
Mae Slocombe
WonderWorks
TV • 1984
Mary Tom Chism
The Partridge Family
TV • 1970
Dr. Beecher