R.I.P., MRS. G

Charlotte Rae, Mrs. Garrett on ‘Facts of Life,’ Dies at 92

Beloved actress died Sunday surrounded by family.

Charlotte Rae—the actress best known for starring as Mrs. Garrett on Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes—died Sunday at the age of 92. Rae’s spokesman Harlan Boll told USA Today that she died at her Los Angeles home, surrounded by her family. The actress announced last year that she had been diagnosed with bone cancer after being treated previously for pancreatic cancer. “After six months of chemotherapy, I was cancer-free. I lost my hair, but I had beautiful wigs. Nobody ever knew,” she told People in April 2017. “So now... I have 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.” Rae landed the role of Edna Garrett in 1978 on NBC’s Diff’rent Strokes and carried the part over to the spinoff Facts of Life, set at a girls’ boarding school. Rae received an Emmy nomination as best actress in a comedy in 1982. More recently, she appeared on ER, Pretty Little Liars, and Girl Meets World, and her last role came in 2015, opposite Meryl Streep in Ricki and the Flash. On Twitter, many of her TV “kids” posted tributes.