5.8
Ricki and the Flash
2015
Charlotte Rae
Acting
Born April 22, 1926Died August 5, 2018Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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.
Movies
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1.0
She's The Best Thing in It
2015
5.5
Love Sick Love
2012
6.3
Christmas Cottage
2008
5.7
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
2008
7.0
The Facts of Life Reunion
2001
8.0
Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa
2000
6.7
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
2000
4.0
Another Woman's Husband
2000
6.0
101 Dalmatians Christmas
1998
6.7
Nowhere
1997
5.8
Thunder in Paradise
1993
6.3
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
1992
5.0
Save the Dog!
1988
6.1
The Worst Witch
1986
7.3
Noah's Ark
1986
0.0
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
1985
6.8
Night of 100 Stars II
1985
7.0
Words by Heart
1985
6.4
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris
1982
5.8
Night of 100 Stars
1982
0.0
Beane's of Boston
1979
7.3
Hair
1979
7.2
The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal
1979
4.5
Rabbit Test
1978
6.0
A Different Approach
1978
10.0
Sidewinder 1
1977
9.5
Our Town
1977
6.3
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
1975
0.0
In Fashion
1974
6.5
The Hot Rock
1972
6.7
Bananas
1971
4.9
Jenny
1970
5.9
Hello Down There
1969
0.0
Pinocchio
1968
0.0
The Love Song of Barney Kempinski
1968
7.0
The Journey of the Fifth Horse
1966
9.0
The Huffless, Puffless, Dragon
1964
9.0
The World of Sholom Aleichem
1959
0.0
"Waiting for Godot" Intercut with “Krazy Kat”
1958
TV Shows
See All
8.3
Girl Meets World
8.0
Pretty Little Liars
The Great Debate
0.0
The Great Debate
7.6
Life
7.4
Strong Medicine
8.5
The Brothers Flub
7.2
The King of Queens
6.9
The Wonderful World of Disney
6.6
101 Dalmatians: The Series
6.6
101 Dalmatians: The Series
8.1
E! True Hollywood Story
6.5
Can't Hurry Love
9.7
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
7.8
The Secret World of Alex Mack
7.8
ER
6.4
Thunder in Paradise
4.5
Intimate Portrait
7.1
Diagnosis: Murder
7.2
Sisters
7.0
Baby Talk
6.9
227
0.0
WonderWorks
7.5
Murder, She Wrote
5.7
St. Elsewhere
7.1
The Facts of Life
Beane's of Boston
10.0
Beane's of Boston
5.7
Hello, Larry
7.1
Diff'rent Strokes
6.3
Flying High
6.2
The Love Boat
6.2
The Love Boat
Szysznyk
7.0
Szysznyk
7.7
All's Fair
7.2
Family
The Rich Little Show
7.0
The Rich Little Show
5.2
Hot l Baltimore
7.4
Barney Miller
8.0
Good Times
5.2
The Paul Lynde Show
7.5
Temperatures Rising
6.9
McMillan & Wife
6.1
Great Performances
7.8
All in the Family
6.8
The Partridge Family
6.2
Love, American Style
7.3
NET Playhouse
7.0
The DuPont Show of the Week
6.3
The Defenders
7.0
Way Out
8.0
Play of the Week
7.5
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Appointment with Adventure
7.7
Appointment with Adventure
6.3
The United States Steel Hour
8.8
Hallmark Hall of Fame
7.0
The Bob Hope Show
6.6
The Philco Television Playhouse
6.8