‘Facts of Life’ celebrates 44th anniversary: The cast then and now

“Facts of Life” is celebrating its 44th anniversary.

The show followed four girls attending the Eastland School, and their relationship with their dorm mother, Mrs. Garrett. It was on the air for nine seasons, before coming to an end in May 1988. 

Here is a look at where the show’s stars are now. 

“Facts of Life” aired on NBC for nine seasons, from 1979 to 1988. (Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

‘FACTS OF LIFE’ STAR LISA WHELCHEL SAYS SHOW SENT HER TO ‘FAT FARM’ AFTER WEIGHT GAIN

Lisa Whelchel

Lisa Whelchel played Blair Warner in “Facts of Life.” (Getty Images)

Lisa Whelchel played rich girl Blair Warner in “Facts of Life.”

Whelchel then starred in “A Madea Christmas” and the Hallmark movies, “For Better of for Worse,” “Hearts of Spring,” “Falling for Christmas” and “You Light Up My Christmas.” She has also written 10 books, and in 2012, she competed on “Survivor: Philippines.”

Whelchel was married to Steven Cauble for 24 years, from 1988 to 2012. They had three children, Clancy, Haven and Tucker. She went on to marry psychologist Pete Harris in 2019 and is stepmother to his son from a previous relationship.

In May 2023, Whelchel opened up about her time on the show, revealing she was sent to a “fat farm” for gaining weight during the show’s breaks.

Welchel shared that a scale was kept on set to weigh the actresses, and on three separate occasions she was deemed too heavy and sent off to a camp to lose weight.

“Obviously we’re in a different time,” she explained during an interview with People. “We’ve learned a lot. We’re a lot more body positive right now, which I’m grateful for. I mean, it’s still an issue.”

Charlotte Rae

Charlotte Rae left the series in 1986 and her character was replaced by Cloris Leachman. (Getty Images)

Charlotte Rae played Edna Garrett, the housemother for the four girls who attended Eastland School for Girls in New York.  She left the show in 1986 and was replaced by Cloris Leachman. She previously starred in “From These Roots” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”

After the show, Rae appeared in “The King of Queens,” “ER,” “Girl Meets World,” “Tom and Jerry: The Movie,” and “101 Dalmatians: The Series.” She also appeared in “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan” and “Ricki and the Flash.” In 1999, she returned to theater, appearing in an off-Broadway production of “The Vagina Monologues.”

Rae was married to John Strauss for 25 years, from 1951 to 1976. They had two children together, Lawrence and Andrew, who passed away in 1999. Rae was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2017 and died in August 2018 at the age of 92.

Kim Fields

Kim Fields played Tootie on “The Facts of Life.” (Getty Images)

Kim Fields played Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey, the youngest member of the group. 

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Fields later starred in 118 episodes of “Living Single.” She then began performing with the R&B group Impromp2 and directing episodes of various shows, all while appearing as a guest on other shows. Fields than appeared in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and “The Upshaws.”

Fields was married to film producer Johnathon Franklin Freeman from 1995 to 2001. In 2007, Fields married Christopher Morgan. The couple have two sons, Sebastian and Quincy Morgan.

Nancy McKeon

Nancy McKeon joined the show in its second season, playing Jo Polniaczek. (Getty Images)

Nancy McKeon played Jo Polniaczek, starting in the second season of the show. 

After “Facts of Life” came to an end, McKeon appeared as a guest in a few shows and starred in films, such as “The Wrong Woman” and “Just Write,” before getting a starring role in “Style & Substance.” She then starred in 88 episodes of “The Division,” later appearing in “Sonny with a Chance,” “You Light Up My Christmas” and “Panic.”

In 2003, McKeon married film technician Marcus Andrus. The couple have two daughters, Aurora Andrus and Harlow Andrus, born in 2006.

Mindy Cohn

Mindy Cohn was on the show from the very beginning. (Getty Images)

Mindy Cohn joined the show at the very beginning, playing Natalie Green, who was close with Tootie. 

Cohn went on to star in “The Second Half,” “The Kids From Room 402,” “What’s New, Scooby-Do?” and “Shaggy and Scooby-Do Get a Clue!” She went on to voice Velma in many Scooby-Doo video games, as well as in “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.” In addition to voicing Velma, she also starred in “You Light Up My Christmas” and “A Nice Girl Like You.”

The actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, and went into remission in 2017 after a five-year battle. She is a founding member of the weSpark cancer support center. 

Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald joined the show in its first season, but her character was written off after just 14 episodes. (Getty Images)

Molly Ringwald joined the show in its first season, playing Molly Parker, a student at Eastland. Her character was written out after 14 episodes, as Ringwald’s career began to rise in the ’80s. 

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She appeared in a series of Brat Pack movies, including “Pretty In Pink,” “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club,” cementing her status as an ‘80s icon. She continued to act throughout the ’90s in projects like “Strike It Rich” and “Townies.” She later appeared in Freeform’s “The Secret Life of an American Teenager” in 2008. Most recently, she starred on “Riverdale.”

Ringwald was married to Valéry Lameignère from 1999 to 2002. She then married Panio Gianopoulos in 2007, and they have three children together, Mathilda, and fraternal twins Adele and Roman.

Cloris Leachman

Cloris Leachman joined the show as a replacement for Charlotte Rae, who left the show in 1986. (Getty Images)

Cloris Leachman – who was already on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the ’70s – joined “Facts of Life” as a replacement for Charlotte Rae, playing Beverly Ann Stickle, Mrs. Garrett’s sister. Throughout her career, Leachman won a record-setting eight Primetime Emmy Awards and one Daytime Emmy Award, and was nominated a total of 20 times. Her final acting role was in the 2021 movie “Not to Forget.”

Throughout her career, Leachman starred in “The Iron Giant,” “A Troll In Central Park,” “Castle In the Sky,” “Beach Girls” and “Spanglish,””The Longest Yard” and “Mrs. Harris.” She also appeared in “The Women,” “Raising Hope,” “The Wedding Ringer,” “The Croods,” “High Holiday” and “Not to Forget.” 

The actress was married to Hollywood manager George Englund from 1953 to 1979, and they had five children together. 

Mackenzie Astin

Mackenzie Astin played Andy Moffett on “Facts of Life,” a foster child who is later adopted by Beverly. (Getty Images)

Mackenzie Astin joined the show in season six, playing Andy Moffett, a foster child who comes to work for Mrs. Garrett at the boutique gift shop. In the show’s eighth season, Astin’s character is adopted by Beverly.

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Following the end of “Facts of Life,” Astin starred in “Iron Will” with Kevin Spacey, “Wyatt Earp” with Kevin Costner, “The Last Days of Disco” and “Stranger Than Fiction,” as well as a slew of TV movies and guest spots on various shows. He appeared in “Mad Men,” “Scandal,” “The Magicians,” “Homeland,” “You” and “The Blacklist.”

Astin married his wife Jennifer Abbott Astin in 2011.

George Clooney

George Clooney joined the show in 1985 as a handyman hired to fix up Mrs. Garrett’s bakery after it burned down. (Getty Images)

George Clooney joined the show in its seventh season, playing George Burnett, eventually leaving the show in its eighth season. He has since been nominated for seven Academy Awards, three Emmy Awards, nine BAFTAs, 12 Golden Globes and 13 SAG Awards.

He went on to star in “ER,” Batman and Robin,” “O, Brother Where Art Thou?,” “Ocean’s Eleven” – and its two sequels – “Michael Clayton,” “Up In the Air,” “Syriana” and “The Good German.” He also appeared in “The Descendents,” “Gravity,” “The Monuments Men,” “Money Monster” and “Ticket to Paradise.”

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After a series of high-profile relationships, Clooney married human rights attorney, Amal Alamuddin, in September 2014. They welcomed twins Ella and Alexander in June 2017.