Charlotte Rae on Gary Coleman: ‘The World Just Fell in Love with Him’

Charlotte Rae, who co-starred with Gary Coleman on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes" as Mrs. Garrett before moving on to her hit show "The Facts of Life," remembers the late star in the wake of his passing last Friday at the young age of 42.

"He was a phenomenon," she tells ET exclusively. "This little, tiny young kid -- smart, talented -- and the world just fell in love with him, and I did too."

After hearing the news that he had passed away on Friday, Charlotte says, "My heart became very heavy; I felt very sad. He was a beautiful soul."