Charlotte Rae, an actress whose career on stage, the silver screen and television spanned decades, has died. She was 92. Rae was best known for her role as housekeeper Edna Garrett, first on “Diff’rent Strokes” and then on its spin-off, "The Facts of Life." Both shows premiered in the 1970s and ran well into the 1980s. Her cause of death was not immediately known, but loved ones confirmed she passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at her home in Los Angeles Sunday. Born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee in 1926, she studied drama at Northwestern University and then moved to New York to follow her dreams of becoming an actress. She became a comedian, and landed a role in the TV comedy "Car 54, Where Are You?" in the early ‘60s. Rae earned an Emmy nomination for her work in the 1975 TV drama, "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom." She also appeared in “The Vagina Monologues” in New York, where she also appeared on Broadway in shows including the musical "Li'l Abner." Rae’s most well-known role was as Mrs. Garrett. "I loved that woman," she said of her character during an interview with the Television Academy Foundation. "She was such a nice lady. She was a good cook." With her son, Larry, Rae wrote an autobiography entitled, "The Fact of My Life," and in 2016, noted she had remained close with many of her co-stars. “I'm still close to the girls,” she said. “They're beautiful. They're beautiful. Now, it's woman to woman — not woman to children." Rae was diagnosed with bone cancer last year. In addition to her son, Rae is survived by her sister and three grandchildren. As news of her passing spread, Rae’s former co-stars took to social media to mourn the loss. "['Diff'rent Strokes'] would not have been the same without you #CharlotteRae,” actor Todd Bridges posted on Twitter. "You were loved by everyone on our show and you were loved by everyone on the facts of life will miss you 'My heart is full of Pain' Rest in peace my friend." Actress Kim Fields, who worked with Rae on "The Facts of Life," said on Twitter: "You all already know my heart is heavy yet.... sorry, no words at the moment just love and tears... and yeah, smiles.... #charlotterae #ripcharlotterae." Comedian Larry Wilmore added: “My first tv gig a millennium of moons ago was on The Facts of Life. She was just the best and nicest lady. ... RIP Ms. Rae." RELATED STORIES<doc-sep>NBC Universal/Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images After playing housemother-turned-dietitian Edna Garrett, Charlotte Rae went on to voice the character of Nanny on "101 Dalmatians: The Series." She has also appeared in films like "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" and TV shows such as "ER." She played a "bead shop woman" on a 2011 episode of "Pretty Little Liars." 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(Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) Now playing 03:07 Tim Conway of 'The Carol Burnett Show' dead at 85 (CNN) — Charlotte Rae, a gregarious actress with a prodigious career on stage, screen and TV, died Sunday at the age of 92, her son Larry Strauss said. She is best known for her role as housekeeper Edna Garrett, first on the sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes” and then the spinoff “The Facts of Life,” with both shows launching in the 1970s and running several years into the ‘80s. Related Article 'Facts of Life' stars reunite for 35th anniversary Rae passed away peacefully at her home in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, Strauss said, and was surrounded by her family. A cause of death was not provided. Photos: People we lost in 2018 Photos: People we lost in 2018 PHOTO: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images Actress Penny Marshall, who found fame in TV's "Laverne & Shirley" before going on to direct such beloved films as "Big" and "A League of Their Own," died on Monday, December 17. She was 75. 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His efforts to secure a more peaceful world brought him and the UN the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Photos: People we lost in 2018 PHOTO: Michael Ochs Archives/getty images Aretha Franklin, whose gospel-rooted singing and bluesy yet expansive delivery earned her the title "the Queen of Soul," died August 16, a family statement said. She was 76. Photos: People we lost in 2018 PHOTO: NBC/Getty Images Charlotte Rae, a gregarious actress with a prodigious career on stage, screen and TV, died August 5 at the age of 92, her son Larry Strauss told CNN. She is best known for her role as housekeeper Edna Garrett, first on the sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" and then the spinoff "The Facts of Life." Photos: People we lost in 2018 PHOTO: Charles Krupa/AP Adrian Cronauer, the former American airman whose radio show provided the inspiration for Robin Williams' character in "Good Morning, Vietnam," died on July 18, according to his family. He was 79. 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Rodriguez/Getty Images Actor Jackson Odell, 20, was found unresponsive at a home in Tarzana, California on June 8, the LA County Medical Examiner's Office said. An autopsy had not been performed, the office said. Odell played Ari Caldwell on the TV sitcom "The Goldbergs." Photos: People we lost in 2018 PHOTO: RB/Redferns/Getty Images Danny Kirwan, a guitarist who appeared on five of Fleetwood Mac's albums, died in London on June 8, according to the band. He was 68.<doc-sep>
Charlotte Rae, American actress, comedian, singer, and dancer, died Sunday, Aug. 5 at her home in Los Angeles, California. She was 92. Her death comes one year after being diagnosed with bone cancer. The celebrated actress gained nationwide acclaim for her role as Edna Garrett, first on Diff'rent Strokes, and then on the beloved spinoff The Facts of Life. Rae was born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 22, 1926 to Russian Jewish immigrants. She and her three sisters, along with their parents, lived above her father’s tire and appliance store in the city. As a teenager, Rae quickly got involved with a local radio station as well as the local children’s theater, and further sculpted her talents during an apprenticeship with a traveling professional theater company. She went on to attend Northwestern University where she met fellow actress Cloris Leachman, who would later succeed Rae on The Facts of Life for its final two seasons, and the late Paul Lynde, best known for his role as Uncle Arthur in Bewitched. Although Rae always wanted to be a dramatic actress, she initially gained notoriety for her stand-up comedy routines. "When I started out, I wanted to be a serious actor," she told OnMilwaukee in 2016. "I never thought I'd get into comedy." Hoping to advance her career, Rae dropped out of college and moved to New York City in 1948, where she began a career as a stage actress. She showed off her voice and comedic chops in theaters and nightclubs like Village Vanguard and the iconic Blue Angel, where other well-known talents like Barbra Streisand and Mike Nichols also got their start. Rae married TV and film producer John Strauss in 1951, and was finally given a chance to shine soon after, making her Broadway debut in the musical comedy Three Wishes for Jamie in 1952. She would then appear in a revival of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera alongside Bae Arthur and John Astin, as well as in the musical Li'l Abner, based on the popular comic strip of the same name. Anxious to market herself as a multi-talented star, Rae released her first (and only) solo album in 1955, Songs I Taught My Mother. Her husband worked as director on the project, recording the music and managing the band during the process. In addition to all of her work in music and musical theater, the 1950s brought Rae’s first television spots. She appeared on the United States Steel Hour, The Phil Silvers Show, and Look Up and Live, leading to her first significant sitcom role on the police comedy Car 54, Where Are You? as Sylvia Schnauzer, the wife of Al Lewis’s Officer Leo Schnauzer, in 1961. Juggling her love of TV with passion for Broadway, she returned to the stage at the same time, earning her first Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical her work on the original music Pickwick in 1966, and another for Best Actress shortly after for her role in Morning, Noon, and Night in 1969. In 1974, Rae moved to Los Angeles with the hope of becoming a serious actress. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role in 1975’s drama Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, and guest-starred on shows like Good Times and Norman Lear’s productions All in the Family and Hot I Baltimore. Lear quickly took Rae under his wing, eventually hiring her to co-star on the series Diff’rent Strokes. As the housekeeper for the wealthy New York businessman Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain), Rae’s character Edna Garrett was so popular that in 1979, NBC launched a spinoff focused on her character called The Facts of Life. The series launched Rae to stardom. The Facts of Life followed Garrett as a housemother presiding over a private, all-girls boarding school called Eastland. Under her care were young girls played by Mindy Cohn, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, and even a very young Molly Ringwald. The series ran for nine seasons, with Rae parting ways with the show at the beginning of the eighth in 1986. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Comedy for the part. “People of a certain age still remember me as Edna Garrett,” Rae said of her defining role. “They often want to give me a hug because the character was so warm and nurturing. I don't mind at all.