Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman was an American actor whose portrayal of Arnold Jackson on the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes made him one of the most recognizable child stars of the late 1970s and early 1980s. His catchphrase "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" became embedded in American pop culture and has never fully faded.
Zion, Illinois and an Unlikely Star
Born on February 8, 1968 in Zion, Illinois, Gary Coleman suffered from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease that stunted his growth and required two kidney transplants before he was a teenager. His small stature — he reached just four feet eight inches as an adult — was the result of his childhood illness and subsequent steroid treatments, not a genetic condition. His parents recognized his outgoing personality and enrolled him in acting classes. He landed a series of national commercials and became noticed by television producers who were developing a new sitcom about two Black brothers from Harlem adopted by a wealthy white businessman.
Diff'rent Strokes and Peak Fame
Diff'rent Strokes premiered on NBC in November 1978. Coleman played the younger, wisecracking Arnold Jackson opposite Todd Bridges as older brother Willis and Conrad Bain as their adoptive father Phillip Drummond. The show was an immediate hit, and Coleman became its undeniable breakout star. At the peak of the show's popularity he was earning $100,000 per episode — enormous money in 1980 — and appeared on the cover of virtually every major entertainment magazine. His natural comic timing and expressive face translated perfectly to the sitcom format, and "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" — delivered in his distinctive incredulous deadpan — became the show's signature. The series ran until 1986. Coleman was Emmy-nominated and won People's Choice Awards during its run.
Did You Know?
At the height of his fame on Diff'rent Strokes, Gary Coleman earned enormous sums — but by the time he turned 18, most of it was gone. In 1989 he sued his parents and former manager, alleging they had misappropriated approximately $3.8 million of his earnings through poor financial management and self-dealing. He was awarded $1.28 million in the settlement, a fraction of what he had made. The lawsuit, along with the physical challenges of adult life at his height and the difficulty of transitioning beyond his child-star image, made his post-Diff'rent Strokes years genuinely difficult. He worked as a security guard in Utah during the mid-1990s.
Later Life and Legacy
After Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman made guest appearances on numerous shows but never recaptured his earlier success. He had public legal troubles, medical crises, and financial difficulties throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He ran for Governor of California in the 2003 recall election, receiving approximately 14,000 votes. His personal life was turbulent; he married Shannon Price in 2007, and their separation became a tabloid story. He died on May 28, 2010 from an intracranial hemorrhage following a fall in his Utah home. He was 42. Despite the difficulties of his adult life, Coleman's place in American television history is secure — few child performers achieved his level of cultural penetration, and his image and catchphrase remain immediately recognizable to anyone who watched American television in the early 1980s.