Charlotte Rae: 'Conrad Bain Was Like A Big Brother To Me'

Veteran actress Charlotte Rae has added her tribute to her former Diff'rent Strokes co-star Conrad Bain, insisting he was like "a big brother" to her during their time on the hit U.S. comedy.

Bain, who played beloved patriarch Phillip Drummond on the '80s Tv show, passed away on Monday (14Jan13) at the age of 89.

His former co-stars Janet Jackson and Todd Bridges have both released statements about the sad loss and now Rae, who played Edna Garrett on Diff'rent Strokes and its spin-off The Facts of Life, has remembered her old pal too.

The 86 year old tells the New York Post's Page Six column, "We used to call him Connie. He really was a very fine actor. I loved working with him... He was like a big brother to me when I worked on the show."