custody of Tyler. As reported by Jet,Ross briefly pursued a career as a medical technician following his father's death from a heart attack at age 38. Bridges has traveled the U.S. speaking to over 6,000 kids per day in schools and churches discussing the dangers of drug use and negative peer pressure, and Willis had trouble remembering events from what year? Diff'rent Strokes - Season 6 Episode 12. . difficult to cast. Zork". Due to a dispute regarding pay,[9][10] Coleman did not appear in the first four filmed episodes of the fourth season ("The Ski Weekend", "First Day Blues", "The Team" and "Hello Daddy? last season, was born ", In 1996, Coleman and Bain reprised their roles for the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air entitled "I, Done Part II", where they consider buying the Banks mansion. The Diff'rent Strokes cast appeared in the first episode of The Facts of Life (at one point, Drummond asks Mrs. Garrett "Are you sure we can't change your mind to come back to us?"). Rae received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama for her role as Helen in the 1975 CBS television movie Queen of the Stardust Ballroom. Nedra Volz director of promotions for HoloWorld Cafe (a restaurant with laser-tag and You can e-mail Melanie at: [email protected]. Diff'rent Strokes was always a terrible show, but in its early years, it was content to try to rub up against an audience by exploiting the cuteness of the child actors and the sweet fantasy at . The success of the spin-off led to several Strokes/Facts crossovers in the ensuing years. My name is Martine Allard. He is probably I went to college for a year, but found it wasn't for me. [38] Season 6 was released on July 25, 2017. Dana and Lanny would divorce catapulted the 10-year-old to stardom. NBC showed immediate interest and felt the format had potential; at their request the pitch was developed, with Coleman's character, Arnold, gaining an older brother, producers feeling Coleman would benefit from the addition of a second, slightly older child to interact with, and who could add a further dynamic to storylines. Replacing Dixie Carter in the role of Phillip Drummond's second wife, Maggie McKinney, she appeared on the show's eighth and final season after its move to ABC. (Dana did grab a April 6, 1972 in Los Angeles, California. The driver ridiculed him and released the tape to be broadcast on numerous television shows. Prince of Bel Air, Married with Children, Homeboys in Outer Space, The Keenen Ivory Wayans seemingly effortless way with comedy won her lots of fans during the show's prime time on TV's "The Gong Show." [citation needed]. "In The Swim" also saw the move of Kimberly from her private school, to the one attended by Willisa move brought about in part at Plato's suggestion, with it being felt it might open up potential new storylines. With this move, the show's recognizable opening credits theme song was rerecorded, updating it into a then-more modern pop style. A 1998 confrontation with an autograph seeker led to his arrest. Rae starred in the first seven seasons before her sister Beverly Ann Stickle (Cloris Leachman) took over the shop and helped look after the girls. Following Rae's departure midway through the second season, Nedra Volz took over as the housekeeper, the older and crankier Adelaide Brubaker, introduced in the episode "The Election". He died April 4th, 1987 at the age of 40 of a heart attack in Los Angeles County, California. They are expecting their first child on March 22, 2012. Market data provided by Factset. Other classmates and friends of Arnold seen over time included Robbie Jason ( Steven Mond) and snobby Lisa Hayes (Nikki Swasey), who initially was sweet on Arnold, but later came to despise him, leading to hatred between the pair and many squabbles. Her first role as the "Old Lady" came in a 1975 episode of Good Times. Unfortunately, he also seemed to be in denial at the seriousness of their problems. Coleman was then placed on life support after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage and died on May 28 from complications of his injury at age 42.[22]. [19] After her arrests, Plato publicly admitted that she struggled with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. As detailed in her 2011 self-help memoir,"True You," Jackson received her first major TV role when she was cast as an abused child on Norman Lear's classic sitcom "Good Times" in 1977. [12] Carter was introduced midway into the sixth season (in the episode "Drummond's Lady"); after she abruptly left for California, Drummond and the family took off after her, in the two-part story "Hooray for Hollywood", a storyline that also introduced Sam, Maggie's son from her previous marriage. The '70s and '80s show propelled him to greater heights in the entertainment industry. 1980, Ross landed his first recurring television role on NBC's Diff'rent Strokes as "Dudley", the best friend of Gary Coleman's character, "Arnold Jackson". Bridges web site. Family Guy(1999) - S17E04 Big Trouble in Little Quahog, The Great North (2021) - S01E10 Game of Snownes Adventure. Dana landed roles on over 100 TV commercials as a She was in a 1999 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as herself. Hervey himself was not implicated, although he was fired from HealthSouth during the scandal. for me anymore. Additionally, in 1996, after completing four years of Bible School at The Ministry Training Institute, an auxiliary of Crenshaw Christian Center, Ross founded The Alive Church, a non-denominational Christian church in Los Angeles, and was its pastor for four years. He had another recurring role on the hit ABC TV series Family Matters as "Weasel". Some of her early television guest appearances included Armstrong Circle Theatre, NBC Television Opera Theatre, Appointment with Adventure, The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, The DuPont Show of the Month, The Phil Silvers Show, Play of the Week, Way Out and From These Roots. Danny continued to act throughout his teen years with roles in the Nickelodeon camp comedy series "Salute Your Shorts" and the blockbuster "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" but transitioned largely to music and voice-overs in the 1990s. Dody Goodman, who played Aunt Sophia, was born Dolores Goodman on October [1] Ross also had a recurring role on the series Family Matters as "Weasel". Then/Now: The Cast of Diffrent Strokes, Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves take bumpy second flight after 'CHAOS' on Lufthansa plane: 'Wish me luck', Kelsey Grammer wont apologize for the 'difference' that Jesus has made in his life, Person roaming in 'Scream' Ghostface costume prompts multiple police calls, Kelsea Ballerini kisses Chase Stokes after criticizing ex amid nasty divorce, Why Kevin Bacon refuses to share the secret to his 35-year marriage to Kyra Sedgwick. In 1980, Ross landed his first recurring television role, on NBC's Diff'rent Strokes, as Dudley Johnson, the best friend of Gary Coleman's character, Arnold Jackson. Southern California couple (adopted by Dean and Florine 'Kay' Plato in June 1965) who soon As detailed in the Biography documentary "Diff'rent Strokes: Behind the Scenes," declining ratings led to producers radically altering the show's tried-and-true formula. Dana drifted in and out of the business over the next few years. Mary Ann Mobley was a late addition to the principal cast of "Diff'rent Strokes." He appeared in the following movies: Brotherhood of Death (1976), The show helped me realize that I should never be afraid to speak out". Other survivors include her daughter, Linda Deffenderfer of Chandler and Barbara Lee Volz (1939-1992). After finding out they missed the ending of the movie, Pearl, Willis and Kimberly walk to the kitchen. Dana landed roles on over 100 TV commercials as a When Kelly (Christina Applegate) recognizes him, he denies any connection to Arnold Jackson, but utters his catchphrase to Al, "What'cha talkin' about, Bundy? They reference Willis by name before meeting Will Smith's character, leading to Coleman uttering a variation of his catchphrase, "What'cha talkin' about, Will?". After the cancellation of Diff'rent Strokes in 1986, Coleman "It is really painful. She resides in Carlsbad, California. in their directors guild program which I landed. I stopped acting for several years. were able to re-unite for lunch after contacting each other via this site). the show in Off Broadway's Shoestring Revue with the novelty song "Someone's Been Sending Me Flowers.". Internet Movie Database entry for Charlotte Rae, Dana Michele Plato was born in Maywood, California on November 7, 1964. This campaign was sponsored by the free newsweekly the East Bay Express as a satirical comment on the recall. of several times she went into rehab. Dana drifted in and out of the business over the next few years. Overview: Arnold and Dudley succumb to peer pressure and ignore warnings against cigarette smoking, only to have the harsh realities brought to light by Dudley's father, a chronic smoker. on TV's "The Gong Show." It leaves you with such a helpless feeling. They lived in the penthouse suite at 697 Park Avenue in New York City. managed to appear in several movies (Busted, Homeboys, and The Sounds of to make some contacts in the entertainment industry and landed a job as a Hope, Designing Women, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Space Nine playing Keiko O'Brien. He has been married to Angel Hart since 1998 and has 2 children. [21] On May 26, 2010, Coleman, who had battled health problems since childhood caused by congenital kidney disease, was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo after falling and hitting his head after suffering a seizure. Making ends meet as a security guard, Coleman often let his anger get the best of him with sadly public consequences. Steven Mond played one of Arnold's friends on the show (Robbie Jayson). Bridges, Plato and Catlett were all absent from the episode, and several cast members later voiced their disappointment that they had not realized it would be the final episode, and would have liked to have been present to mark the end of the series onscreen more adequately. "Alcohol became my drug of choice so I could get sleep at night," Rae told Fox News. cartoon series The Gary Coleman Show (1983), with became fascinated with acting. She came to fame as a child star but found out soon enough that early He has basically retired from the business since Diff'rent Strokes ended in 1986. As detailed by IMDB, he also appeared in many films, including the 1979 crime drama "The Onion Field" and the '80s cult classics "The Hollywood Shuffle" and "Amazon Women on the Moon." She appeared on many TV game shows as well such as Liar's Club, Cross-wits, and many more. Her experiences behind bars also seemed to change more than just her career The sitcom stars Coleman as Arnold Jackson and Bridges as his older brother, Willis, two children from a poor section of Harlem whose deceased mother previously worked for rich widower Philip Drummond (Bain), and on her deathbed asked him to take care of her sons, their father already being deceased. In 1984, she married the father of her child, musician Lanny Lambert, but the couple divorced in 1990. Post your condolences on our message board. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [8] The title for the series eventually became Diff'rent Strokes, inspired by the phrase "Different strokes for different folks", popularized by boxer Muhammad Ali in 1966 (Ali himself makes a guest appearance in the second season). More The See production, box office & company info. The drugs used to treat Coleman stunted his growth. Conrad Bain, who played "Diff'rent Strokes'" patriarch Phillip Drummond, served as a real-life father figure to the show's troubled cast. She voiced the character of Nanny in 101 Dalmatians: The Series, which aired from 1997 to 1998. time and had lived in the Actors Fund Home in Englewood since October. Her Chinese name is Chao Jyalin. She has worked in television on the "Just Jordan" and "So Random" kids show. The whole experience was a thrilling 4 myself and my family. The page is impressive and, if you don't mind Hervey served as the head of public relations for HealthSouth Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama during events that would lead to a massive fraud scandal. She will live on in our hearts forever, and will be sorely missed. Starring: Charlotte Rae, Dixie Carter, Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato, Mary Jo Catlett, Danny Cooksey. York-based films as Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) and Woody Allen's Bananas (1973). Due to Plato's pregnancy and publicized substance abuse issues, she had been dropped from the regular cast at the end of the previous season. (2005) - S10E04 Blonde Ambition, Never Have I Ever (2020) - S01E05 started a nuclear war. Two notable episodes dealt with the consequences of alcoholism. The short-lived series starred James Cromwell, Richard Masur, Conchata Ferrell, Al Freeman, Jr., Jeannie Linero, Gloria Le Roy, Robin Wilson, Stan Gottlieb, Lee Bergere and Henry Calvert. She appeared in such popular films as Grease, Grease 2, playing Blanche (the principal's assistant), and in the movie The movie is currently in stores nationwide has had more than his share of personal problems since Diff'rent Strokes in 1985-1986. the show, it was an honor ! Under the pressures of sudden fame, Dana Plato, who appeared as Phillip Drummond's daughter, Kimberly, began using marijuana, prescription pills, and cocaine while shooting "Diff'rent Strokes." Edna Garrett was the housekeeper for the Drummond family at their Park Avenue apartment in New York City. Coleman played a supporting role in the controversial 2003 computer game Postal by Running With Scissors, Inc. Coleman, who played himself, appeared at a shopping mall, and one of the game's objectives was to secure his autograph. Early in her career, Mobley received potentially devastating news. Unable to launch a serious acting career, Plato appeared in "Playboy" and in a few "B" grade movies. a product of New York City Public Schools. In 1971, Rae was cast as Molly the Mail Lady on the PBS children's show "Sesame Street." He has since worked as a director, pastor, and entrepreneur. stopped auditioning for other roles about 2-3 years before the show ended. Ross has appeared in over 100 film and episodic television projects throughout his career, including such films as the fifth installment of the Friday the 13th movie series Friday the 13th: A New Beginning in 1985 as "Reggie A.K.A. others. place. born April 21st, 1946 in Ohio. It was this extraordinarily popular [29] He now travels across the United States, touring schools and discussing the dangers of drug use. "Designing Women" ran for seven seasons and made Carter a household name. "At the end of the meeting, we all held hands and said the Lord's prayer," Rae said. His parents separated when he was seven years old. Coleman also played himself in the 2001 Scooby-Doo parody, Night of the Living Doo, produced by the Cartoon Network. I love them all.". In addition, he did a guest shot as Mr. Drummond on a May 20, 1996 episode She and her husband, At the end of the episode, Bain (in an out-of-character PSA) spoke about what to do if real life situations as the one portrayed on the show were to occur. to have the part that Robert had. nude pictorial did nothing to help revive her career, though, and Dana continued to languish nude pictorial did nothing to help revive her career, though, and Dana continued to languish So while Linda Blair went on to huge stardom, Dana opposite Dolly Parton and Lee Majors in the telefilm A Smoky Mountain Christmas, where he played an orphan, and also starred (she had said in more recent interviews that she was not Another episode ("Skin Deep or True Blue") is about Kimberly's new boyfriend, Roger Morehouse (played by Grant Wilson), not allowing his sister, Emily (Melora Hardin), to go to their school's costume ball with Willis because he is black. Also in 1980, Shavar appeared in the TV film Scout's Honor, also with Gary Coleman. Ross was born in New York City in the South Bronx. [3][4] During the first season and the first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred, as Mrs. Edna Garrett, the Drummonds' first housekeeper, who ultimately spun off into her own sitcom, The Facts of Life, as a housemother at the fictional Eastland School. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. TV's "Diff'rent Strokes," Dana went through a lot while never quite escaping the scrutiny the web and also on Android and iOS. In 1997, he did a tv commercial for Klondike Ice Cream Bars as well as some for baseball on ESPN. Her experiences behind bars also seemed to change more than just her career Dana moved in with rock guitarist On May 26, 2010, Coleman was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah in critical condition after falling down the stairs at his home in Santaquin and hitting his head, possibly after another seizure, and suffering an epidural hematoma. In 1987, he on the fringes of the entertainment industry. for a short stint, but her new notoriety managed to get her work in the "no publicity is Ms. Rae was 92. softcore tale of a guy and a girl and another girl, and Dana shows off her curvaceous In 1955, she stopped He worked at the Stratford (Ontario) Shakespeare Festival and Upon the player securing his autograph, police storm the mall to arrest him for an unknown crime, which leads to a violent shootout. of Diff'rent Strokes. He is known for his recurring television role as Dudley Johnson, Gary Coleman's best friend in the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, Alex "Weasel" Parks in the ABC sitcom Family Matters, and as "Reggie the Reckless" in the fifth installment of the Friday the 13th movie series Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985). His parents separated when he was 6 years old. After the series ended Bridges developed an addiction to cocaine. With his plain looks and down-to-earth manner, Bain was always cast as a character actor. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). conversation, people who remember the show generally remember the jazz at the Boston Conservatory and University of Nevada Las Vegas. She has been married to actor Hal Holbrook since 1984. She also appeared in the TV movie I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years By her own admission, Jackson has struggled for most her life with a negative body image and poor self-esteem. The Facts of Life main cast included Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon (1980-1988). Coleman Productions was formed, for the purpose of starring the youngster in theatrical She later worked as a dietitian at the school and opened a gourmet food venture named Edna's Edibles. Carter, cast as Julia Sugarbaker in CBS' "Designing Women," did not join Bain and company for "Diff'rent Strokes" move to ABC. She starred in the 1975 ABC sitcom Hot l Baltimore, which was produced by Norman Lear. Roberto and Eddie are teenage bullies and extortionists and the main antagonists in the 2-part episode "Crime Story (aka Crime in the Schools) " of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. Coleman was also featured prominently in the 2005 expansion pack to Postal, Apocalypse Weekend. (Kimberly did not become a regular character in that series, although the two shows had a number of crossovers.). He Mary Ann Mobley, who was the second Mrs. Drummond, was born February 17, 1939 "Diff'rent Strokes," and Dana landed the part of Kimberly. career as a stage manager / assistant director, which I'm still working as On May 26, Coleman struck his head in a fall in his Santaquin, Utah, home. Rae next starred as Edna Garrett in Diff'rent Strokes, which premiered on NBC on November 3, 1978. Unfortunately, Coleman's life was largely devoid of the laughter that his onscreen persona elicited. Bridges was offered the role without needing an audition. From the very beginning, he was like a father to me," Bridges writes in his 2010 autobiography "Killing Willis." Now, his main role is in the courtroom, in a pathetic fight against his own parents", "The Durant Daily Democrat Google News Archive Search", "The TV Ratings Guide: 1983-84 Ratings History", "Ron Jeremy: Gary Coleman Hated Saying "Whatchu Talkin' Bout" Line", "Vanilla Ice I'm Going to Gary Coleman's Memorial", "The Five Lowest Moments of Gary Coleman's Career", "Former Child Star Gary Coleman Cited for Disorderly Conduct in Parking Lot Spat", "Gary Coleman critically hurt after falling and hitting his head", "Dana Plato, 34, Star of 'Diff'rent Strokes', "The 'Diff'rent Strokes' curse isn't a joke", "Child star Dana Plato's life ends with overdose", "Jury Acquits Todd Bridges Of Charges Of Attempted Murder, Manslaughter", "Todd Bridges arrested, charged after tiff involving vehicle", "Todd Bridges on TV Dad Conrad Bain: 'He Treated Me Better Than My Own Father', "Troubled lives for 'Diff'rent Strokes' stars", "Long Island News from the Long Island Press", "Diff'rent Strokes Front/Rear Box Art, Episode List for Sony's 'Diff'rent: Fan Favorites' DVD", "Diff'rent Strokes 'Season 3' DVDs!