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Gary Coleman

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Gary Coleman was a famous American actor who became a major star during the late 1970s and 1980s.

Gary Coleman cropped
Gary Coleman cropped

He was born in Zion, Illinois, on February 8, 1968. Coleman was adopted by W. G. Coleman and Edmonia Sue. Because of a kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, he took certain medications. These medicines limited his physical growth and kept his face looking childlike even as an adult. He first appeared in a 1974 commercial for Harris Bank. He also acted in an episode of the show Medical Center that same year.

Coleman's big break came after he acted in a pilot for a revival of The Little Rascals in 1977.

On the set of Diff'rent Strokes (39256460980)
On the set of Diff'rent Strokes (39256460980)

A producer saw his talent and cast him as Arnold Jackson on the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. This show ran for eight seasons until 1986. In the show, Arnold was one of two brothers adopted by a wealthy man in Manhattan. Coleman became very successful and was the highest-paid child actor on television during this time. He even earned $100,000 for a single episode of the show.

His acting work earned him many special honors and awards.

ColemanSpencerFields80
ColemanSpencerFields80

He won two Young Artist Awards for his role as Arnold. He also won three People's Choice Awards for Favorite Young TV Performer between 1980 and 1983. VH1 even named him the number one kid star on their "100 Greatest Kid Stars" list. Coleman also starred in many movies and television films. These included The Kid from Left Field and the comedy On the Right Track. He even had his own Saturday morning cartoon called The Gary Coleman Show.

Life was not always easy for Coleman as he grew older. He faced many hard jobs regarding his health and his money. In 1989, he sued his parents and a business adviser for $3.8 million. He won a judgment of $1.28 million in 1993 after they used his trust fund. Later, he had to declare bankruptcy. He also dealt with depression and substance abuse. In his later years, he often appeared on television playing himself. He even used his voice for video games like The Curse of Monkey Island.

Coleman's career touched many different kinds of entertainment.

Postal 2 E3 2003
Postal 2 E3 2003

He acted in many famous shows like The Jeffersons and The Simpsons. He even tried politics by running as an independent for governor of California in 2003. He finished 8th out of 135 candidates in that election. He also appeared in the video game Postal 2. Gary Coleman died on May 28, 2010, at the age of 42. He passed away at a medical center in Provo, Utah, after a fall at his home.

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File:On the set of Diff'rent Strokes (39256460980).jpg
On the set of Diff'rent Strokes (39256460980).jpg
File:ColemanSpencerFields80.jpg
ColemanSpencerFields80.jpg
File:Postal 2 E3 2003.jpg
Postal 2 E3 2003.jpg
File:Gary Coleman cropped.jpg
Gary Coleman cropped.jpg
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