Charlotte Rae

Charlotte Rae was an American actress, comedienne, singer and dancer.

After several years as a stage actress, in 1954, Rae began working steadily in television, initially on variety shows such as Armstrong Circle Theatre, Kraft Television Theatre, NBC Television Opera Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse, The Colgate Comedy Hour, The DuPont Show of the Week, and The Phil Silvers Show.

Her first significant success was on the sitcom Car 54, Where Are You?, in which she played Sylvia Schnauzer, the wife of Officer Leo Schnauzer (played by Al Lewis). This was followed by roles in The Defenders, Sesame Street, The Partridge Family, Love, American Style, McMillan & Wife, The Love Boat, Barney Miller, All in the Family, and Good Times.

She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role in the 1975 drama Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (with Charles Durning and Maureen Stapleton).

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 received a 1982 Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role. She also appeared in two The Facts of Life television movies: The Facts of Life Goes to Paris in 1982, and The Facts of Life Reunion in 2001.

After leaving The Facts of Life, Rae continued to work in television, appearing in episodes of St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, 227, Sisters, Diagnosis: Murder, The King of Queens, and ER. She voiced characters in Tom and Jerry: The Movie, and the series The Itsy Bitsy Spider, 101 Dalmatians: The Series, and The Brothers Flub.

Her last credited role was in the 2015 feature film Ricki and the Flash (with Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Rick Springfield).

Rae died August 5, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. She was 92.