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.
Attended Northwestern University (Evanston, IL).
Before she was a successful actress, she used to work at nearly every nightclub for unfamiliar singers in New York City.
Before she was an actress, she was also a singer.
Best known by the public for her starring role as Edna Garrett on "The Facts of Life" (1979).
Charlotte divorced her husband, composer John Strauss, before starting "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978). Her only child, Larry, is a south Central L.A. teacher.
Composed "The Facts of Life" (1979)'s 1st season theme song.
Created the Andy Moffett character for her "The Facts of Life" (1979) co-star, Mackenzie Astin, due to the fact that her real-life son, Andrew, is autistic.
Created the Beverly Ann Stickle character for her future "The Facts of Life" (1979) co-star, Cloris Leachman, named after one of Charlotte's real-life sisters.
Created the Natalie Green character for her future "The Facts of Life" (1979) co-star, Mindy Cohn, named after one of Charlotte's best friends, back in high school.
Created the role of Mammy Yokum in the Broadway musical "Lil' Abner".
Discovered young Mindy Cohn for "The Facts of Life" (1979) show while Rae and the TV show were at an all-girls school preparing for research and casting. Rae was instrumental in getting young student Cohn cast.
Each summer, while she was in college, she also appeared in summer stock.
Edna Garrett, her character on "The Facts of Life" (1979) was born on a farm in Wisconsin, the same as herself in real-life.
Enjoys golfing, dancing, dining, collecting photo albums, spending time with her family, listening to opera, taking care of people (especially her son) with disabilities, singing and sewing.
Friends with Shirley Jones, Bea Arthur, Marla Gibbs, Norman Lear, Teresa Brewer, Cloris Leachman, Roddy McDowall, Alex Rocco, Gary Coleman and Conrad Bain.
Graduated from Shorewood High School in Milwaukee's village of Shorewood, Wisconsin, in 1944.
Had an ongoing feud with Joan Collins. Rae referred to her as a "bitch.".
Had attended the James Stewart Centennial Tribute at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, which was hosted by Robert Wagner. Among the attendees are: Shirley Jones, Ann Rutherford, Cora Sue Collins and Stewart's daughter, Kelly Stewart. [12 June 2008].
Had missed numerous episodes of "The Facts of Life" (1979), midway through the sixth and seventh seasons, due to her serious health problems.