PROVO, Utah - Gary Coleman, the adorable pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42.
Coleman was taken off life support and died with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said.
He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City. Frank said Coleman was hospitalized because of "an accident" at the home, but she said she had no details on what the accident was.
Best remembered for "Diff'rent Strokes" character Arnold Jackson and his "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" catchphrase, Coleman chafed at his permanent association with the show but also tried to capitalize on it through reality shows and other TV appearances.
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His adult life was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor.
"I want to escape that legacy of Arnold Jackson," he told The New York Times during his gubernatorial run. "I'm someone more. It would be nice if the world thought of me as something more."
A statement from the family said he was conscious and lucid until midday Thursday, when his condition worsened and he slipped into unconsciousness. Coleman was then placed on life support.
"It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played Coleman's older brother, Willis, on "Diff'rent Strokes."
"Diff'rent Strokes" debuted on NBC in 1978 and drew most of its laughs from Coleman.
He played the younger of two black brothers adopted by a wealthy white man. Race and class relations became topics on the show as much as the typical trials of growing up.
"Diff'rent Strokes" lasted six seasons on NBC and two on ABC; it lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the troubles in adulthood of its former child stars.
Coleman's short stature added to his child-star charm but stemmed from a serious health problem, kidney failure. He got his first of at least two transplants at age 5 and required dialysis. Even as an adult, his height reached only 4 feet 8 inches.
Coleman played upon his child-star image as he tried to resurrect his entertainment career in recent years, appearing on late-night shows and "The Surreal Life," a VH1 show devoted to fading celebrities.
In a 1993 television interview, he said he had twice tried to kill himself by overdosing on pills.
Did you know
In late 1990, Gary Coleman spent about three weeks at University Medical Center to undergo treatment related to his kidney disease. In 1999 and 2000, he spent about a year at radio station KRQQ (93.7-FM) as a sidekick to former morning-show DJs Mojo and Betsy.
SOURCE: Arizona Daily Star archives
