Charlotte Rae
Born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1926, Charlotte Rae performed in plays in high school and attended Northwestern University. Although she didn't complete her studies she became friends with a number of future stars including Cloris Leachman, Charlton Heston and Paul Lynde. In 1948, she moved to New York City, where she performed in theater and nightclubs. She was convinced to drop her last name and became Charlotte Rae. Rae appeared on Broadway in "Three Wishes for Jamie" in 1952, and "The Threepenny Opera" in 1954, the same year she made her debut onscreen on the shows "Look Up and Live" (CBS, 1954-59) and "The United States Steel Hour" (ABC, 1945-1949; NBC, 1949-1953) and continued working consistently for the next six decades. Although she first intended to be a dramatic actress, Rae found her niche in comedy and her first substantial part came in a recurring role as Sylvia Schnauzer, wife of Officer Leo Schnauzer on the hit comedy "Car 54, Where Are You?" (NBC, 1961-63). After that show ended in 1963, Rae continued working on screen and on stage and was nominated for Tony Awards in 1966 (Best Featured Actress in "Pickwick") and 1969 (Best Actress in "Morning, Noon and Night"). In 1971, Rae was a recurring character on "Sesame Street" (NET, 1969-1970; PBS, 1970-2016; HBO, 2016-) and in 1974, collaborated for the first time with Norman Lear, appearing in guest roles on "Good Times" (CBS, 1974-79) and "All in the Family" (CBS, 1971-79). Rae was a series regular on "Hot l Baltimore" (ABC, 1975), a short-lived show, also Executive Produced by Lear. In 1978, Rae began playing the role that would define her career. On the first four seasons of the iconic sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" (NBC, 1978-1985; ABC 1985-86), her character Edna Garrett provided back-up and support and comic relief for the Drummond family. After the second season of the show, Rae performed double duty, playing Edna on "Diff'rent Strokes," and on the successful spin off "The Facts of Life" (NBC, 1979-1988). In 1982, she was nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for "The Facts of Life." Rae had a pacemaker implanted in 1982, and, after she left "The Facts of Life" in 1986, continued to work at a slower pace, often lending her voice to children's animated series such as "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (USA, 1994-96), but still making appearances on live action shows like "Sisters" (NBC, 1991-96), and "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009). Her final onscreen performance came in the film "Ricky and the Flash" (2015), starring Meryl Streep. Rae passed away in 2018 at the age of 92.
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Charlotte Rae
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
65% |
|
Ricki and the Flash | Oma (Character) | $26.8M | 2015 |
No Score Yet |
|
Love Sick Love | Edna (Character) | - | 2012 |
No Score Yet |
|
Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage | Vesta (Character) | - | 2008 |
38% |
|
You Don't Mess With the Zohan | Mrs. Greenhouse (Character) | $100.0M | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Facts of Life Reunion | Mrs. Edna Garrett (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Another Woman's Husband | Stella (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Thunder in Paradise | Lola Miller (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Words by Heart | Mary Tom Chism (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Facts of Life Goes to Paris | Edna Garrett (Character) | - | 1982 |
83% |
|
Hair | Lady in Pink (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal | Bessie (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sidewinder 1 | Mrs. Holt (Character) | - | 1977 |
80% |
|
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom | Helen (Character) | - | 1975 |
82% |
|
The Hot Rock | Ma Murch (Character) | - | 1972 |
83% |
|
Bananas | Mrs. Mellish (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet |
|
Hello Down There | Myrtle Ruth (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Journey of the Fifth Horse | Unknown (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | World of Sholom Aleichem | Unknown (Character) | - | 1959 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 84% | Girl Meets World | Gammy Hart (Guest Star) | 2014 |
81% | 81% | Pretty Little Liars | Bead Boutique Owner (Guest Star) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 85% | ER | Roxanne Gaines (Guest Star) | 2008 |
No Score Yet | 80% | The King of Queens | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diagnosis Murder | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
88% | No Score Yet | Michael Hayes | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 101 Dalmatians: The Series | Unknown (Voice) | 1997-1998 |
38% | No Score Yet | Can't Hurry Love | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
0% | No Score Yet | Baby Talk | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 227 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Nettie Harper (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Facts of Life |
Edna Garrett (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
1979-1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diff'rent Strokes |
Mrs. Edna Garrett (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
1978-1980 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Barney Miller | Mrs. Rebecca Sobel (Guest Star) | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hot L Baltimore | Mrs. Bellotti (Character) | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Good Times | Ms. Rogers (Guest Star) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | 85% | All in the Family | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Great Performances | Madame Aigreville (Character) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Paul Lynde Show | Aunt Charlotte (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Partridge Family | Dr. Beecher (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Car 54, Where Are You? |
Sylvia Schnauser (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
1961-1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The United States Steel Hour | Ramona (Character) | 1954 |