About
Gary Coleman was an American actor born on February 8, 1968, in Zion, Illinois, and died on May 28, 2010, in Provo, Utah. Adopted at eight months, he suffered from congenital nephritis that stunted his growth to 4 ft 8 in. He rose to fame for his role as Arnold Jackson on the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986), whose catchphrase 'Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?' became a pop-culture staple. He won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Young TV Performer four times (1980-1983). His career was marred by financial troubles, including the depletion of his trust fund by his parents, and a foray into politics. He died of a brain hemorrhage after a fall.
* 1968-02-08 — † 2010-05-28
Major works
- Diff'rent Strokes (1978)TV series
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)TV series
- Married... with Children (1987)TV series
- The Simpsons (1989)TV series
Key milestones
- 1980Wins the People's Choice Award for Favorite Young TV Performer for the first of four consecutive times.
- 1993Wins a $1.3 million settlement in a lawsuit against his parents and business manager for misappropriation of his trust fund.
- 2003Runs for Governor of California in the recall election, finishing 8th out of 135 candidates.
Themes
Childhood and fameIllness and disabilityFinancial strugglesPop cultureResilience
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com · televisionacademy.com