Rae went on to guest star on TV shows like ER, Pretty Little Liars, Sisters, and The King of Queens, and appeared in movies such as Dont Mess with the Zohan and Tom and Jerry: The Movie. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. The one where EW follows up with the cast. The latter is one of the few he also performed himself, along with the "Diff'rent Strokes" opening tune, which Thicke sang with his then-wife, Gloria Loring. They live in a penthouse with Drummond, his daughter Kimberly (Plato), and their housemaid. All rights reserved. Bridges was offered the role without needing an audition. Although in her first appearance, in the episode "Cyrano De Jackson", she is sweet on Arnold, in subsequent appearances, the pair were enemies, often squabbling and trading insults, a recurring theme until the end of the series (although Lisa's final appearance, in the penultimate episode of the show's run, "The Photo Club", sees the pair addressing their differences and striking a truce of sorts). After a performance, she has an epileptic seizure and Sam thinks she's dying. Nancy Reagan reads it, then stops by the house to congratulate Arnold on fighting the good fight. NBC showed immediate interest and felt the format had potential; at their request the pitch was developed, with Coleman's character, Arnold, gaining an older brother, producers feeling Coleman would benefit from the addition of a second, slightly older child to interact with, and who could add a further dynamic to storylines. The third housekeeper, Pearl Gallagher, was played by Mary Jo Catlett, first appearing as a recurring character, later becoming a main cast member. Rae's spokesman Harlan Boll told USA . decades later, his son Robin Thicke would join the family business, becoming a chart-topping singer/songwriter. She took over when Charlotte Rae left after seven seasons. Why Did Cloris Leachman Replace Charlotte Rae on 'The Facts of Life'? After her guest appearance at the end of the previous season, Plato returned making several further guest appearances in the final season and billed with the guest cast. In the season, Bridges continued as a main cast member, but was absent in several episodes. [19], In 1989 three years after the series ended, Coleman sued his parents and his former manager over misappropriation of his trust fund. But ABC picked up the series for an eighth season, airing it on Friday nights. Kim Fields, 38, appeared on Good Times prior to landing her role on Facts, as did her mother. The producers were also impressed by Bridges stint on the sitcom Fish, which had also been cancelled earlier in 1978. Mrs. Garrett was a mother figure to Blair (Lisa Whelchel), Tootie (Kim Fields), Natalie (Mindy Cohen) and Jo (Nancy McKeon). She was written out to start The Facts of Life. Why did Adelaide leave Different Strokes? As Arnold, Coleman won the hearts of millions with his mugging and infectious "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Charlotte Rae, the actress who became known to millions of TV viewers as the tough but admirable Mrs. Garrett on Diffrent Strokes and The Facts of Life, has died. I personally would have liked to see her in the episode where Blair has the accident. When Mrs. Garrett departed, she was replaced by this maid. show writer Benn Starr told the Television Academy Foundation. About seven years ago, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which is a miracle that they found it because usually, its too late. She was 92 years old. Appropriately enough, the special presentation has been paired with another old episode made new an installment of "The Facts of Life" starring JenniferAniston and Kathryn Hahn. At the outset of the series, the role of housemaid is filled by Rae as Mrs. Garrett; when Rae departed for spin-off series The Facts of Life during the second season, she was replaced by Adelaide Brubaker (Volz), who in turn, was replaced by Pearl Gallagher (Catlett) from the fifth season until the end of the run. Outside the Drummond household, there were a large number of supporting characters over the years. Garrett feels that her life goals have not been fulfilled and she wants to leave her job. Other recurring characters introduced over the third season included Le Tari as Dudley's adoptive father, Ted Ramsey (in the episode "Football Father"), Janet Jackson as Willis's girlfriend Charlene DuPrey and, in the fourth season episode "Kathy", Arnold's teacher Miss Chung, played by Rosalind Chao, who had played a different character in the third-season episode "Almost American", in which the regular cast only have minor roles, which served as the backdoor pilot for a potential sitcom focusing on the students of an immigration and naturalization class. You're right Charlotte Rae Fan. [9] She was replaced in the role by Mary Ann Mobley, who had previously played an unrelated, one-off love interest of Drummond's in the second-season episode "Teacher's Pet". racism. Catlett joined the main cast, appeared in almost every episode until the end of the show's run, and was billed on the opening credits from the sixth season onward. [citation needed]. The actress was married from 1951 to 1975 to composer and sound editor John Strauss, with whom she often collaborated. It began as a spin-off from the very popular Diffrent Strokes sitcom and transplanted the Drummunds housekeeper Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) to the fictional all-girls Eastland School. In that series, Garrett leaves the house to go care for several teenage girls who attend a private school. For awhile, she co-hosted an Arizona radio show with Growing Pains Alan Thicke (who coincidentally wrote the Facts of life theme-song). All rights reserved. I cant tell them apart.. A daughter to Bain's character and a housekeeper were added to the lineup. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. 05/23 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Eleven / The Complete Season Twelve [27] Bridges was also arrested on a concealed weapon charge and possession of cocaine. As with Bridges, Rae was offered the role without audition, but was locked into a contract with CBS; however, Lear was determined to have Rae for the role and used his influence to convince CBS to release her from her contract, freeing her up to be available for the role. Who was the original cast of Diffrent Strokes? [38] Season 6 was released on July 25, 2017. The divorce was difficult, but they remained friends and supported each other until he died in 2011, Rae said. Now, here's a "very special episode" of untold truth, focusing on "Diff'rent Strokes," which once ruled the world. More about: Diff'rent Strokes, ER, Eve, Good Times, Growing Pains, Justice, Living Single, Lost, Malcolm in the Middle, My Name Is Earl, Phyllis, Roseanne, Sex and the City, The Addams Family, The Division, The Drew Carey Show, The Facts of Life, The King of Queens, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The New Mickey Mouse Club, The Patty Duke Show, Without a Trace. I would be one of the stars, though., The only thing she did not want to do again was play an awful lot of Mrs. Garrett-type roles, which I have carefully refused to do.. The plot of the March 1983 episode "The Reporter": Arnold (Gary Coleman) publishes a shocking story about rampant drug use among his elementary school peers. Rae left the series in 1986 when Mrs. Garrett got married and she rejoined the Peace Corps with her new husband. The sides eventually reached an agreement, and the fourth season of the series started a little late in the fall of 1981. Why Margot Kidder Was the Definitive Lois Lane, The late actresss fierce, funny reporter made, Paul Newman Says Wife Joanne Woodward Turned Him Into a Sexual Creature in Posthumous Memoir. Philip: Well, I can protect myself! In the January 1984 episode "Drummond's Lady," the character meets TV fitness host Maggie McKinney to discuss investing in her business, but soon realizes he's got romantic feelings for her. As any '80s TV fanatic surely remembers, the character of Mrs. Garrett . This same episode introduces wheelchair-aided Melanie Watson, born with osteogenesis imperfecta, as Kathy Gordon, who continued to guest-star one episode per season until Season 6. With Willis dropped into the background slightly, this new brotherly duo took center stage for many storylines. Plots that saw Mr. Drummond searching for love, and stories that mildly addressed racism were also sometimes featured. ", "Diff'rent Strokes 'The Complete 4th Season' is Scheduled by Shout! She married Christopher Morgan in 2007 and the couples one child was born in May 2007. What happened to Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges? Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 1, 2023) Diff'rent Strokes | Mrs. Garrett's Midlife Crisis - YouTube She was arrested the following year for forging prescriptions for Valium. New on DVD/Blu-ray (January-May) She continued the role on the Strokes spin-off, The Facts of Life. First Lady Nancy Reagan launched the "Just Say No" campaign in 1986 (per History), formalizing the anti-drug abuse platform she'd worked on since early in the presidential administration of her husband, Ronald Reagan. Why did Mrs Garrett leave Different Strokes? Lear discovered child actor Gary Coleman when he saw him in a McDonald's commercial (according to "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Diff'rent Strokes'") and cast him in a proposed made-for-TV reboot of "The Little Rascals." The latter's Tandem Productions brought "Diff'rent Strokes" to TV in the 1970s, so it was a candidate for a revival via the show's format of high-profile actors re-creating an old episode, then broadcast live. By Season 3 of "Diff'rent Strokes," the comedy was a top 20 hit, and with more seasons on the way and reruns poised to enter the lucrative five-days-a-week syndication market Coleman's people once again wanted more money. Offers may be subject to change without notice. In 1998, Coleman was charged with assault after he punched a woman demanding an autograph while working as a security guard at a shopping mall. Rae got her start in the theater, eventually acting on Broadway. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Despite the vote of confidence from "Diff'rent Strokes," in the form of bumpers featuring that show's regular cast, NBC passed on the "Night School" concept. Over the years, the girls graduated school but remained on the show. Dudley Johnson (Shavar Ross) was Arnold's best friend, who, like Arnold, was adopted, and with whom he shared many memorable childhood scrapes. Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Diff'rent Strokes? - Looper Status of Cable & Streaming TV Shows (E-L), Cancelled or Renewed? [2] The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, respectively who are two black boys from Harlem taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman and his daughter.