Biography
A veteran character actor with a telltale vocal warble, Charlotte Rae imprinted herself as America's most iconic cleaning lady and housemother on some of the most flamboyantly campy sitcoms in 1980s television. A well-traveled veteran of the stage, Rae played matronly characters even early in her career, most notably as Mammy Yokum in the long Broadway run of "Li'l Abner," starting in 1956 when she was just 30. She became familiar to national …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
1952 | Made New York stage debut, "Three Wishes for Jamie" |
1954 | Landed early TV work on "U.S. Steel Hour" (ABC) |
1955 | Made first of several memorable guest appearances on "The Phil Silvers Show" (CBS) |
1956 | Played Mammy Yokum in "Li'l Abner" on Broadway |
1961 | Cast as semi-regular on the NBC sitcom "Car 54, Where Are You?" |
1969 | Landed supporting role in comedy "Hello Down There" |
1971 | Worked for Woody Allen in "Bananas" |
1975 | Cast as regular on short-lived ABC sitcom "Hot L Baltimore" |
1975 | Made TV-movie debut as Maureen Stapleton's sister in "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" (CBS) |
1976 | Was regular on "The Rich Little Show" (NBC) |
1978 | Co-starred as Mrs. Edna Garrett on "Diff'rent Strokes" (NBC) |
1979 | Character of Edna Garrett spun-off onto the NBC sitcom "The Facts of Life" |
1979 | Co-starred in "The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal" (NBC) |
1992 | Provided voice for Aunt Pristine Figg in "Tom & Jerry: The Movie" |
1994 | Made series of guest appearances on "Sisters" (NBC) |
1997 | Returned to big screen in cameo as a fortune teller in Gregg Araki's "Nowhere" |
2000 | Landed featured role of the grandmother in the Paper Mill Playhouse revival of "Pippin" |
2001 | Acted in L.A. stage production of "True West" |
2001 | Reprised Edna Garrett role in "The Facts of Life Reunion" (ABC) |
2008 | Acted in the Adam Sandler comedy "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" |
2008 | Guest starred on four episodes of NBC's "ER" |
Awards
1975 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By a Supporting Actress in Queen of the Stardust Ballroom |
1982 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in The Facts of Life |