Todd Bridges says he broke down upon learning of Charlotte Rae's death: "I'm the only one left"

The Hollywood Reporter

Bridges, who's now 53, is the only survivor of the original Diff'rent Strokes cast, following the deaths of Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Dana Plato and Rae. "I had a hard time last night when I learned about Charlotte," Bridges said Monday. "When I hung up the phone, I just broke down. I'm the only one left. That's hard to deal with. It's really sad and emotional. I had one piece left from that show. Now I'm the only castmember left." Bridges said of Rae, who played Mrs. Garrett for one-and-a-half seasons before starring in the spinoff The Facts of Life: "She was always so bright and bubbly and had so much energy. So much energy that we almost didn’t know how to deal with her. It was almost as if every time was the first time she was acting — that’s how excited she was." ALSO: The Facts of Life's Lisa Whelchel pens a tribute to Rae.