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Actress Charlotte Rae brings years of acting and real-life experience
to her role as Mrs. Garrett in ABC's "Facts of Life Reunion."
KERI GUTEN COHEN
Story Development Editor
IV
hen actress Charlotte Rae
originated the character of
housekeeper Edna Garrett on
the NBC-TV sitcom Diffrent
Strokes nearly 25 years ago, she didn't realize
the role would stay with her for a lifetime.
In the spin-off series, The Facts ofLife,
Mrs. Garrett became housemother to
Natalie, Blair, Jo and Tootie, students at
Eastland Academy, a prestigious private
school for girls. With each episode, the girls
explored life's joys and trials, learned from
their mistakes, grew more tolerant of each
other's differences and matured a bit — all
under the nurturing eye of Mrs. Garrett.
The show struck a chord with that first
generation of adolescent viewers struxling
with their own similar issues. And it contin-
ues to touch successive generations who watch
the series reruns on Nick at Nite.
"It's very heartwarming when people
come up to me and talk about the show
and my character," Rae said from her Los
Angeles home. "It happens all the time.
"Last spring I was attending the open-
ing-night party for One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest on Broadway when a very
sophisticated woman came up to me and
said, 'I used to watch the show and now I
watch with my daughter.' Men and boys,
too, grew up with Mrs. Garrett."
WISDOM
on page 78
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