Charlotte Rae

Charlotte Rae was born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in 1926, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the middle daughter of three sisters, between Beverly and Mimi. Her parents, Esther (nee Ottenstein) and Meyer Lubotsky, were Russian Jewish immigrants. Her father owned an automobile tire business. Her mother had been a childhood friend of Milwaukee-reared Golda Meir, future Prime Minister of Israel. Rae wanted to be a dramatic actress, but eventually wound up being a comedienne, all because of her stand-up comedy routines.

Her family moved to the village of Shorewood, Wisconsin (Milwaukee County) in 1936. After graduating from Shorewood High School, she attended Northwestern University, where she met future actress Cloris Leachman; the two would be lifelong friends.

Met Norman Lear on an episode of Abbott & Costello Christmas Show (1950).

Released her only album in 1955 that was reissued in 2006, called "Songs I Taught My Mother.".

She co-starred with Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis in Car 54, Where Are You? (1961).

She dropped out of college and moved to New York City, and began a career as a stage actress, performing in such plays as "Pickwick", for which she was nominated in 1966 for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and, in 1969, for Best Actress in a Play for "Morning, Noon and Night".

Used to be a spokesperson for Mr. Muscle oven cleaner and Charmin toilet paper in the 1970s.

After guest-starring on numerous shows, including Norman Lear's All in the Family (1971) and Good Times (1974), Lear hired her old friend to co-star on Diff'rent Strokes (1978) as Gary Coleman's housekeeper, "Edna Garrett".

Attended the 40th Anniversary Reunion of The Waltons (1972).

She would live there until 1974 when she moved to Southern California.

She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role in Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975).

Rae divorced her husband, composer John Strauss, before starting Diff'rent Strokes (1978). Her youngest son, Larry Strauss, is a South Central Los Angeles school teacher and a writer. He helped write her memoir, "The Facts of My Life" (2015), revealing the reason her marriage ended in divorce was because her husband came out as bisexual and wanted to have an open marriage. She didn't want that kind of marriage but remained friends with him and his partner, artist Lionel Friedman, until both men died.

Within a year, she gained popularity with her character, which eventually led her to having her own series, The Facts of Life (1979). Between Norman Lear and NBC, they gave her the green-light to star in her own show, which focused primarily on the housekeeper of an all-girls school. The spinoff series featured newcomers including Kim Fields as "Tootie" and Lisa Whelchel as rich spoiled brat "Blair Warner". Before then, she approached young Mindy Cohn at Westlake School in Los Angeles, and suggested that she take the role of smart "Natalie Green", a character Rae created for her and named after one of her best friends from high school. Cohn stayed on the show for eight seasons.

She reportedly created the role of "Beverly" for her old friend, Cloris Leachman, to play on The Facts of Life (1979) after she left the show. She returned to the stage.

A pancreatic cancer survivor, Rae continued to act while making guest appearances everywhere, especially TV Land, where her show, The Facts of Life (1979), won the 2011 award for Pop Culture Icon.

Attended the funeral of her lifelong friend and old classmate Paul Lynde, when the actor/comedian passed away in 1982. Rae also guest-starred with Lynde on both shows: The Paul Lynde Show (1972) and The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) (1965).

Rae left the show in 1986 reportedly owing to a health issue.

Was a fan of both shows: Law & Order (1990) and Masterpiece Classic (1971).

In 1992, she was the voice of "Aunt Christine Figg" in Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) and appeared in "The Vagina Monologues" in New York.

Rae's older sister, Beverly, died from pancreatic cancer in 1998, while Rae's ex-husband of 35 years, John Strauss, died in 2011, following a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

In 2000, she starred as "Berthe" in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of "Pippin".

In 2007, she appeared in a cabaret show at the Plush Room in San Francisco for several performances.

In the 2008 movie, You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), she played a mature woman who has a fling with Adam Sandler's character.

On February 18, 2009, she appeared in a small role as "Mrs. Ford" on the "I Heart Mom" episode.

Celebrated her 85th birthday in 2011, with the rest of her The Facts of Life (1979) cast at the TV Land Awards. On that day, both of her former co-stars, Nancy McKeon and Kim Fields, gave speeches respectively, in honor of her birthday.

With the death of Conrad Bain in 2013, Rae, Todd Bridges and Mary Jo Catlett were the only surviving regular cast members of Diff'rent Strokes (1978) still alive. Danny Cooksey and Shavar Ross, who had recurring roles are also alive. Coincidentally, Rae, Bain, and Catlett all appeared in the Woody Allen film, Bananas (1971).