vicklynn
05-30-2010, 06:08 AM
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20105290342
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.
Life support was terminated Friday and Coleman died with family and friends at his side, said a hospital spokeswoman.
Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, quickly became a star after "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978. He played Arnold Jackson, the younger one of a pair of black brothers adopted by a wealthy white man.
His skeptical "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" -- usually aimed at older brother Willis -- became a catchphrase.
"It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played Willis. "It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show."
The series lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the troubles in adulthood of its former child stars.
Coleman's popularity also faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.
He remained estranged until his death from his parents Sue and Willie Coleman, who said they learned about his hospitalization and death from media reports.
Sue Coleman said she wanted to reconcile and had been patiently waiting for her son to be ready.
"One of the things that I had prayed for was that nothing like this would happen before we could sit with Gary and (wife) Shannon and say, 'we're here and we love you,"' Sue Coleman said. "We just didn't want to push him."
Coleman chafed at his permanent association with "Diff'rent Strokes" but also tried to capitalize on it through minor reality shows, endorsements and other TV appearances.
His adult life was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor (he finished in eighth place).
Coleman suffered continuing ill health from the kidney disease that stunted his growth. The condition required dialysis and at least two transplants. As an adult, his height reached only 4 feet 8 inches.
He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.
A statement from his 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.
Coleman was born Feb. 8, 1968, in Zion, Ill., near Chicago and underwent his first transplant at age 5.
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.
Life support was terminated Friday and Coleman died with family and friends at his side, said a hospital spokeswoman.
Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, quickly became a star after "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978. He played Arnold Jackson, the younger one of a pair of black brothers adopted by a wealthy white man.
His skeptical "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" -- usually aimed at older brother Willis -- became a catchphrase.
"It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played Willis. "It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show."
The series lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the troubles in adulthood of its former child stars.
Coleman's popularity also faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.
He remained estranged until his death from his parents Sue and Willie Coleman, who said they learned about his hospitalization and death from media reports.
Sue Coleman said she wanted to reconcile and had been patiently waiting for her son to be ready.
"One of the things that I had prayed for was that nothing like this would happen before we could sit with Gary and (wife) Shannon and say, 'we're here and we love you,"' Sue Coleman said. "We just didn't want to push him."
Coleman chafed at his permanent association with "Diff'rent Strokes" but also tried to capitalize on it through minor reality shows, endorsements and other TV appearances.
His adult life was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor (he finished in eighth place).
Coleman suffered continuing ill health from the kidney disease that stunted his growth. The condition required dialysis and at least two transplants. As an adult, his height reached only 4 feet 8 inches.
He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.
A statement from his 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.
Coleman was born Feb. 8, 1968, in Zion, Ill., near Chicago and underwent his first transplant at age 5.