Gary Coleman

Gary Wayne Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor and comedian.

Gary Wayne Coleman was born in Zion, Illinois, on February 8, 1968.

He was adopted by W. G. Coleman, a fork-lift operator, and Edmonia Sue, a nurse practitioner.

Due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease, and the corticosteroids and other medications used to treat it, his growth was limited to 4 ft, and his face kept a childlike appearance even into adulthood.

Coleman was the highest-paid child actor on television throughout the late 1970s and 1980s.

He was rated first on a list of VH1's "100 Greatest Kid Stars".

He underwent two unsuccessful kidney transplants in 1973 and again in 1984, and required dialysis.

In 1974, Coleman's career began when he appeared in a commercial for Harris Bank.

His line (after the announcer said, "You should have a Harris banker") was "You should have a Hubert doll."

"Hubert" was a stuffed lion representing the Harris bank logo.

The same year, he appeared in an episode of Medical Center.

In 1977, Coleman appeared in a pilot for a revival of The Little Rascals as Stymie, which ultimately ended up not getting picked up as a series.

Coleman was best known for playing the role of Arnold Jackson in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986), which he reprised in numerous other television series such as Hello, Larry (1979), The Facts of Life (1979–1980) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1996), among others.

His work on the Little Rascals pilot caught the attention of an executive, and in 1978 Coleman was cast as Arnold Jackson in Diff'rent Strokes, playing one of two black brothers from Harlem adopted by a wealthy white widower in Manhattan.

Coleman had appeared on The Jeffersons as Raymond, George Jefferson's nephew, and on Good Times in 1978 as Penny's friend Gary.

Coleman's stardom resulted in several roles thereafter, including the television film The Kid from Left Field (1979), his feature film debut On the Right Track (1981), the comedies Jimmy the Kid and The Kid with the Broken Halo (both released in 1982), the cult film Dirty Work (1998), the satirical-comedy film An American Carol (2008) and the independent film Midgets vs. Mascots (2009).

Along with his work on Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman began working in films, first appearing in the baseball comedy television film The Kid from Left Field in 1979.

For playing the role of Arnold, he received several accolades, which include two Young Artist Awards; in 1980 for Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Entertainment and in 1982 for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Series; and three People's Choice Awards; a consecutive three wins for Favorite Young TV Performer from 1980 to 1983; as well as nominations for two TV Land Awards.

Coleman received recognition and praise for his work on Diff'rent Strokes; for his role he received five Young Artist Award nominations, of which he won two, and won the People's Choice Awards for Favorite Young TV Performer four years in a row, from 1980 to 1983.

At the height of his fame on Diff'rent Strokes, he earned $100,000 per episode, and he became known by his character's catchphrase "What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?", uttered skeptically in response to statements by his brother Willis, who was portrayed by Todd Bridges.

According to Bridges' autobiography Killing Willis, Coleman was forced to work long hours on the set of Diff'rent Strokes despite his age and debilitating health problems, which contributed to him feeling depressed and withdrawn from the rest of the cast.

A Biography Channel documentary estimated that Coleman was left with a quarter of the original amount of money he received from his years on Diff'rent Strokes after paying his parents, advisers, lawyers, and taxes.

In that same year, he made a guest appearance on the science-fiction show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as a time-displaced whiz kid named Hieronymous Fox; a role he would reprise in a later episode in Season 2 of the series (in 1980).

In 1981, Coleman made his feature film debut with the comedy On the Right Track, headlining as Lester, a young shoeshine boy who achieves fame for having an uncanny talent for gambling on horses.

The film was received with mixed reviews, with critics stating that the film rode nearly entirely on Coleman's credibility and presence; however, the film was a commercial success, and his performance was praised.

He was the star of The Gary Coleman Show (1982) where he voiced Andy LeBeau, and he additionally provided the voice of Kevin in the animated show Waynehead (1996–1997).

He next starred in Jimmy the Kid (1982).

The film was financially successful, but received resoundingly negative reviews, with critic Roger Ebert writing "... movies like this don't really have room for brilliant performances. They're written by formula, cast by computer and directed by the book, and when a little spontaneity creeps in, it seems out of place."

Coleman starred in the television film The Kid with the Broken Halo.

The film served as the basis for The Gary Coleman Show in 1982, where Coleman had the lead voice role as Andy LeBeau, an angel in training who comes to earth to help others and gain his wings.

After the premiere, Diff'rent Strokes became a hit, and ran for 8 seasons, ending in 1986.

Coleman struggled financially in later life; in 1989, he successfully sued his parents and business adviser over misappropriation of his assets, only to declare bankruptcy a decade later.

Very few details of Coleman's medical history have been made public, although his battles with issues such as growth deficiency, substance abuse, and depression during his life earned significant media coverage.

In 1989, Coleman sued his adoptive parents and former business advisor for $3.8 million for misappropriating his trust fund and won a $1.28 million judgment in 1993.

Coleman voiced the role of Kevin in the animated show Waynehead, which ran from 1996 to 1997.

He also starred in the video games The Curse of Monkey Island (1997) and did some voice acting and motion capture for Postal 2 (2003).

He also voiced Kenny Falmouth in the video game The Curse of Monkey Island in 1997, which gained him attention, being one of the first few major mainstream actors to appear in a video game.

He had ventured into politics, and in the 2003 California recall election he was a candidate for governor.

Coleman died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah on May 28, 2010, aged 42.

He had been admitted two days earlier after falling down the stairs at his home in Santaquin and striking his head, resulting in an epidural hematoma.