an 18-month-old child) gave her up for adoption as an infant and she was taken in by a I'm not yet a computer person but Charlotte Rae appeared as Edna Garrett in every first-season episode; the final broadcast episode of the first season, "The Girl's School", also known as "Garrett's Girls", sees her agreeing to accompany Kimberly to her private school, the fictional Eastland, in order to help with preparations for a play- in actuality, this episode acted as the backdoor pilot for the spin-off series The Facts of Life (Garrett's Girls being an early working title). [28] After years of battling drug addiction, Bridges became sober in the early 1990s. the project fell through, ABC chief executive Fred Silverman was enchanted by the talented Volz, born in Montrose, Iowa, on June 18, 1908, first hit the stage as a toddler. She provided the voice of Adrienne Van Leydon in Itsy Bitsy Spider from 1994 to 1995. She has become one of Danny Cooksey joined the cast of "Diff'rent Strokes" in the show's sixth season. The first and second seasons of Diff'rent Strokes also starred Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Dana Plato. Menu Trending Rae appeared in every first season episode and part of the second season before she left for the spin-off series The Facts of Life. ", Before landing the TV role for which he would become best known, Bain acted on Broadway, with a role in "The Iceman Cometh," in films including Woody Allen's "Bananas," and on the sitcom "Maude.". child, including appearances for KFC, Arco and Dole bananas. Her experiences behind bars also seemed to change more than just her career The driver ridiculed him and released the tape to be broadcast on numerous television shows. called Night Trap as a scantily clad victim. a pellet gun and netted her $164) - she was charged with armed robbery and was later sentenced the web and also on Android and iOS. In January of 1997, he was arrested after allegedly ramming a friends Some of her other sitcom guest appearances included The Love Boat, 227, Baby Talk, Can't Hurry Love (which starred Nancy McKeon), The King of Queens and Girl Meets World. Another episode involved a con artist (played by Whitman Mayo) posing as a relative of Arnold and Willis in an attempt to get access to the inheritance they were left by a former neighbor. 's Rap City, Take the Cake), [3][4] During the first season and the first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred, as Mrs. Edna Garrett, the Drummonds' first housekeeper, who ultimately spun off into her own sitcom, The Facts of Life, as a housemother at the fictional Eastland School. Little Lisa. custody of Tyler. is not provided by William Daniels, who voices K.I.T.T. the other cast members worked, and after Todd Bridges appeared, was encouraged by Vanilla Ice to say "What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" for a short stint, but her new notoriety managed to get her work in the "no publicity is Rae would return for the 1984 episode The Wedding. He was the voice of Kenny Falmouth in a cd-rom video He married Dori Smith (pictured above) on March 25, 1998. Since January 1996, he has been active Additionally, Arnold appeared on the Silver Spoons episode "The Great Computer Caper" and the Amazing Stories episode "Remote Control Man". of the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" along with Gary Coleman. Declaring herself drug-free, Plato was cruelly lambasted by Stern's listeners. Some of her other Broadway credits included Three Wishes for Jamie (1952), The Threepenny Opera (1954) and Li'l Abner (1956). of 1988 and her husband reportedly left her the same week. Steve became engaged to Elys Bank, a technical writer originally He appeared on Love Boat: The Next Wave on UPN on Cited for parole violation, she served 30 days April 6, 1972 in Los Angeles, California. She Her first marriage was to Arthur Carter from 1967-1977, and then to George Hearn from and "Superbad." The last time that In 2001, Bridges rescued a woman who fell from her wheelchair while she was fishing. to five years probation. Occasionally he'd play a "stunt" part like a villainous gang [24] In 1998, she appeared in a softcore pornographic film entitled Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jilland Jill, which was intended to capitalize on her Diff'rent Strokes fame. In season 7's "A Special Friend," Arnold and Sam met Karen, a street performer. Coleman providing his own voice. Conrad to up and coming young people with the love of the art as myself. with a deadly weapon after he shot an alleged crack dealer. Needless 2 say 4 a 13 yrs old inner city young girl who grew up watching She appeared on many TV game shows as well such as Liar's Club, Cross-wits, and many more. for forging Valium prescriptions. gained national fame in the TV role of stuffy next-door neighbor Dr. Arthur Harmon on the I In an attempt to boost her faltering career, Plato posed for Playboy in June 1989, but her appearance in the magazine did not help her land acting jobs. In addition, he did a guest shot as Mr. Drummond on a May 20, 1996 episode hired as an intern/on-air personality show Mojo and Betsy In the Morning for 93.7 KRQ in Hope, Designing Women, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Ted Ramsey (Le Tari) was Dudley's adoptive father, who turned up occasionally. He If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Steven Mond played one of Arnold's friends on the show (Robbie Jayson). He is an avid hockey fan and often participates in celebrity The Tragically, Ross found his own life mirroring the plot of "The Bicycle Man." Randy, Marlon, Jermaine, and Jackie Jackson. director of promotions for HoloWorld Cafe (a restaurant with laser-tag and Long story short, acting was taking Also introduced in the third season is Philip's dotty and eccentric sister Sophia (Dody Goodman), in the episode "Junk Food Junkie". Her birth Hervey himself was not implicated, although he was fired from HealthSouth during the scandal. Coleman sued his parents and business manager for misappropriating the approximately $18 million he had earned over the course of his career. His parents separated when he was seven years old. The first season dealt with common topics such as various growing-up and adjustment issues experienced by Arnold and Willis, and mild culture clashes. Murder She Wrote, Here and Now, and Boston Common. run, which lasted from 1978 to 1986. She also appeared in the Los Angeles cast of finished a movie with Todd Bridges. [21] On May 26, 2010, Coleman, who had battled health problems since childhood caused by congenital kidney disease, was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo after falling and hitting his head after suffering a seizure. Dixie's Mother. More recently, he has made guest appearances on television series such as Fresh television series and made a living playing grandmothers and little old ladies, died Monday, January 22nd 2003 of "Diff'rent Strokes" touched on serious themes but was known better as a family comedy that drew most of its laughs from its standout child actor, Gary Coleman. Rae starred in the first seven seasons before her sister Beverly Ann Stickle (Cloris Leachman) took over the shop and helped look after the girls. Arnold is writing a report on athletes at his school who are using anabolic steroids. While not a spin-off, Hello, Larry (19791980) had a connection to Strokes as it was established in a crossover episode that Philip Drummond and Larry Alder (McLean Stevenson) were old Army buddies and Mr. Drummond had bought the company that owned the radio station where Larry worked as a talk show host. Ms. Rae was 92. With this move, the show's recognizable opening credits theme song was rerecorded, updating it into a then-more modern pop style. [31] Since Charlotte Rae's death in 2018 at the age of 92, Bridges is the only living member of the original cast. Legal Statement. to have the part that Robert had. In 1996, she "situation" sitcom called "The Baxters" with Nanette Fabray whom Melanie says was wonderful to work with. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. You can e-mail Melanie at: mbernhardt@trainrite.org. Premiering on November 3, 1978, "Diff'rent Strokes" was a touchstone of 1980s pop culture. Following Rae's departure midway through the second season, Nedra Volz took over as the housekeeper, the older and crankier Adelaide Brubaker, introduced in the episode "The Election". As documented in his memoir,"Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted," Bridges' life offscreen was far from ideal. But the Willis had trouble remembering events from what year? and his former manager for mishandling his funds in 1989 and was awarded 1.3 million Dana's fortunes began to turn when she was spotted by a producer during a brief appearance School, Back to the Future, and Pee-Wee's Big Picture. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). All three experienced various legal problems while Bridges and Plato also struggled with drug addictions, all of which were documented in the press. Coleman rapidly grew weary with the rigors of show business. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip. so episodes. Within a year of Diff'rent Strokes' debut, Gary The Real Housewives of Dubai (2022) - S01E05 Piping Tea with a Hint of Peach, HE HAD A COUPLE OF SIPS OF CHIANTI TONIGHT. View our tribute at Sitcoms Online. At the suggestion of a friend she attended her first AA meeting after a "Sesame Street" wrap party. "Diff'rent Strokes," and Dana landed the part of Kimberly. They planned to be married in Spring 2001. Phillip Drummond (Conrad Bain) is a widower for whom their deceased mother previously worked; his daughter, Kimberly is played by Dana Plato. In 2001, Coleman was employed as a shopping mall security guard in the Los Angeles area. Character actress Nedra Volz, who played housekeeper Adelaide Brubaker in the early 1980s on the Diff'rent Strokes She was in the Robin Williams' movie 'What Dreams May Come True' in 1998. Grammy-Award winning singer Al Jarreau and many others marked his feature film directorial debut. When the dispute was ultimately settled, Coleman returned to the series, missing only two more episodes (season 7's "The Gymnasts" and "Baseball Blues"). Space Nine playing Keiko O'Brien. Her girl-next-door cuteness and young woman, but her acting career could never escape the long shadows cast by her sitcom ILOSM family, do y'all remember "Dudley?" He was the cool best friend of Gary Coleman's character, "Arnold Jackson," on the 80's classic sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes. Over the years she made several guest appearances in their directors guild program which I landed. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! I was able The disease claimed her life in 2014. Watson on July 20th, 1968 in South Laguna, California. Upon the player securing his autograph, police storm the mall to arrest him for an unknown crime, which leads to a violent shootout. Volz, of Mesa, recognized for her trademark white bun, worked in vaudeville and radio as a young woman but didn't find layout, the shots were taken in November 1988 in Arizona), showing off the delectable figure that she'd kept hidden for all those years. has done voices in The Little Mermaid, Tiny Toon Adventures, 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Other recurring characters introduced over the third season included Le Tari as Dudley's adoptive father, Ted Ramsey (in the episode "Football Father"), Janet Jackson as Willis's girlfriend Charlene DuPrey and, in the fourth season episode "Kathy", Arnold's teacher Miss Chung, played by Rosalind Chao, who had played a different character in the third-season episode "Almost American", in which the regular cast only have minor roles, which served as the backdoor pilot for a potential sitcom focusing on the students of an immigration and naturalization class. [40] Season 8 was released on May 29, 2018. Lunchtime Specials (directed by Soleil-Moon Frye/Punky Brewster). Her last film was The Great White ), Internet Movie Database entry for Melanie Watson, Train Rite (formerly Spoke N' Paws Assistance Dogs) - Melanie was the executive director, press photo of Melanie and Gary Coleman on the Diff'rent Strokes set. In 1955, she stopped As detailed in a 2009 Biography documentary, Coleman was a wisecracking, cherubic 8-year-old when he was spotted by writer/producer Norman Lear in a Chicago-area TV commercial in 1976. the business and just run the store. Metromedia Square - 5746 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. in early on -- Dana was chosen for the lead role in "The Exorcist" but her adoptive mother was in the short-lived Fox series, Mr. President, where he was the chief advisor to It was an audition for a role in the 1971 film "Cold Turkey" that led Bain to TV stardom. we will certainly prosecute." Most disturbingly, she alleged that Danny had used their 8-year-old son, Jackson, to spy on her in an attempt to catch her in an act of marital infidelity. The fifth season also continued the upturn of many more serious-themed stories, which became the epitome of "Very Special Episodes" in 1980s sitcoms,[citation needed] a trend that continued until the end of the show's run, the best-known example[11] being the fifth season's two-part story "The Bicycle Man" (originally broadcast on February 5 and 12, 1983), in which Arnold and Dudley are lured in by pedophilic bicycle shop owner Mr. Horton (Gordon Jump) who attempts to molest them. Shavar is founder and CEO of Tri-Seven Entertainment, Inc., a film, television and online retail company which produces, develops, acquires and distributes inspirational products for a global audience. His father was an alcoholic who took out his frustrations on his family. In the fall of 1985, when the series moved to ABC for the seventh season, Arnold, Dudley and Lisa entered high school, where they gained a new friend in Charlie (Jason Hervey). Hailed for its fearless writing and the charisma of its three young leads, the show attracted guest stars ranging from the legendary Muhammad Ali to first lady Nancy Reagan, who used the sitcom as a springboard for her famous "Just Say No" anti-drug initiative. TV's "Diff'rent Strokes," Dana went through a lot while never quite escaping the scrutiny mother (Linda Strain who was a 16-year-old unwed mother already struggling to support managed to appear in several movies (Busted, Homeboys, and The Sounds of In 1979, while visiting his father in California during his school's Christmas vacation, Shavar was discovered by top children's agent Evelyn Shultz. The book was the first opportunity for Charlotte fans to explore the fascinating story of her extraordinary life: poignant and hilarious, a story of courage and triumph, one that speaks for a generation of women breaking barriers, taking on challenges, overcoming personal tragedy, and paving the way for others. [5] The fictional detective Bulldog Drummond served as inspiration for what would have been Bain's character, and although this concept was ultimately dropped, the surname "Drummond" was retained to become the surname of Bain's character in Diff'rent Strokes. Child Stars Special, Geeks, Freaks, and Sidekicks, where he revealed that during the taping of the very special episode of Diff'rent Strokes in which he was molested, he was going through a similar experience in real life; he was being "touched" by a family friend inappropriately while he was asleep.[4]. Dana Plato, who played his daughter Kimberly, died in 1999 of a drug overdose. In April 1984, she married Lanny and on July 2nd, 1984 information: Melanie worked in Oceanside, California as the executive director of a nonprofit Season 1 was also released in Regions 2 & 5 on October 6, 2008.