Charlotte Rae, the Tony and Emmy–nominated actress best known for playing Mrs. Garrett on The Facts of Life, died Sunday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 92.
In April 2017, Rae announced that she had been diagnosed with bone cancer, seven years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In a statement, Rae said she needed to "make up my mind. I'm not in any pain right now. I'm feeling so terrific and so glad to be above ground. Now I have to figure out whether I want to go have treatment again or opt for life. I love life." At 91, she added, "every day is a birthday," and she urged people to "savor the day and be good to yourself, love yourself, and then you can be good to others and be of service to others."
Born in Milwaukee, Rae got her start in theater and radio. She earned Tony nominations for her performances in Pickwick and Morning Noon and Night and an Emmy nomination for Queen of the Stardust Ballroom. Her breakout television role was as Sylvia Schnauser on Car 54, Where Are You?, and she first played Edna Garrett on Diff'rent Strokes, but due to the character's popularity, she pitched a spin-off, which led to The Facts of Life. She also guest-starred on several television shows, including ER and The King of Queens. Her memoir, The Facts of My Life, was published in 2015.
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