Charlotte Rae Biography

Charlotte Rae Lubotsky was an American actress, comedian and singer. Best known for her portrayal of “Edna Garrett” in the TV show ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ and ‘The Facts of Life’, Charlotte started her career as a stand-up comedian in the night clubs of New York during 1940s. Though she liked performing the stand-up acts, her long-term dream had always been to become an actress. Her first break as an actress came when she was offered a role in Broadway musical comedy, ‘Three Wishes for Jamie’ in 1952. She continued working for Broadway musicals and while doing so, she also released her first song album called ‘Songs I Taught My Mother’ which was composed by her husband John Strauss. Soon she started getting offers to appear as guest star on multiple TV shows and in 1961, she landed her first regular TV show, ‘Car 54, Where Are You?’. She made a comeback to the Broadway arena in 1963 and earned a Tony nomination for her performance in ‘Pickwick’. Her biggest break came when she was offered the role of Edna Garret” in the sitcom ‘Diff’rent Strokes’. Her performance resonated with audience at such a level that her character got a show of its own, ‘The Facts of Life’. She played the role of “Edna Garrett” for 7 years and earned Primetime Emmy nomination for it. After leaving ‘The Facts of Life’ Rae appeared as a guest actor on multiple TV shows and gave her voice to Animation projects such as ‘Tom and Jerry: The Movie’ and ‘101 Dalmatians: The Series’. She released her autobiography titled ‘The Facts of My Life’, in 2015.