Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

The hit NBC sitcom “Facts of Life” aired from 1979 until September of 1988. During those 9 years, America watched as four girls from the prestigious Eastland School for Girls grew up and became women, all with the help of the very wise Mrs., Garrett. After spending what seemed like a lifetime watching these young women struggle through adolescence – first loves, broken hearts, zits – it is only fitting that one might wonder, “Where are they now?”


Charlotte Rae (Edna Garrett)
Who can forget the lovable Mrs. G? The character of Edna Garrett began as a housekeeper to the Drummond family (“Diff’rent Strokes”) who left to run a boarding house at a prestigious all-girls school. The show took off, and her character changed from employee to boss as she opened her own bakery/store.

So what happened to her portrayer Charlotte Rae when the final credits rolled? The Wisconsin native made appearances on shows from “St. Elsewhere” to “227.” In the mid 90s, she had a brief stint on the drama “Sisters,” and most recently, Rae appeared on CBS “The King of Queens.”


Lisa Whelchel (Blair Warner)
The rich and overconfident Blair made no secret of her love of material possessions. She wanted it all, and it had to be perfect. Her parents were semi-absent, a void filled by Edna and the gang. Blair eventually went to law school, but returned to Eastland to bring it back to the powerhouse it once was.

In real life, Lisa Whelchel could not have been more different. When the “Facts of Life” ended, Whelchel took on a new role: motherhood. She married Steve Cauble in 1988, and the two had three children together.

Whelchel is now an author and tours the country speaking and promoting her books. She also busies herself home schooling her children. Whelchel keeps a Web log (blog) to stay in touch with family and friends.
Her first and last return to the screen since the end of “Facts of Life” was the 2001 reunion movie, which she shot while on a book tour.

Whelchel’s books:
Creative Correction: Extraordinary Ideas for Everyday Discipline
The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me
So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It.
The ADVENTure of Christmas: Helping Children Find Jesus in our Holiday Traditions


Kim Fields (Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey)
She began as the little immature girl on roller skates, but by the show’s end, Tootie was a grown woman with a bright future.

Off camera, Kim Fields was very much on the same path. She attended Pepperdine University and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's degree in communications and film. While there, she started her own production company, Victory Entertainment Inc.

She went on to star in the sitcom “Living Single” with Queen Latifah from 1993 to 1998, and has appeared in numerous other shows since then. In addition to acting, Fields is the President and CEO of Little Mogul Holdings, Inc. and Victory Entertainment. She has also directed shows for Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.


Mindy Cohn (Natalie Green)
Natalie Green was the sweet, sensitive writer of the group. She was also known to be quite the gossip. At the show’s close, Natalie was a writer in New York, realizing her childhood dreams.

Although not a writer, Mindy Cohn went on to much success after the show as well. Cohn appeared on the sitcom “Charles in Charge” and the drama “21 Jump Street.” She went on to find steady employment, however doing voice-over work. Cohn won the part voicing Velma Dinkley in “What’s New, Scooby Doo” as well as a slew of Scooby Doo cartoon movies.

She has attempted a return to sitcom television with the 1994 WB flop “The Help,” where she played a housekeeper. She recently completed filming of a movie entitled “Sex and Death 101.”

Cohn graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 1995, with a degree in sociology.


Nancy McKeon (Jo Polniaczek)
The sensitive tough guy, Jo often clashed with the overly girlie Blair. Nonetheless, they became the best of friends. After leaving Mrs. Garrett’s, Jo married a rock musician, Rick, and became a businesswoman.

After The Facts of Life was cancelled, Nancy McKeon made several guest appearances on television series and hosted Friday Night Videos opposite Michael Damian. She then went on to star in a string of made-for-TV movies.

She returned to primetime in Lifetime’s original drama “The Division” where she played a police officer struggling with alcoholism for 4 seasons.

She married Marc Andrus, a key grip she met while making a movie.