Gary Coleman, who came to fame as the child star of the sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes” died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage. He was 42. Coleman had been hospitalized Wednesday and lost consciousness yesterday. He was taken off life support Friday afternoon with his family at his side, the hospital said.
Coleman’s comic timing made him a star after “Diff’rent Strokes”, which debuted in 1978. He played younger brother Arnold Jackson a pair of African-American siblings adopted by a wealthy white man. “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout?” became a catchphrase. His popularity faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.
The diminutive Coleman, whose adult height was 4 feet 8 inches, had a tumultuous post-TV-series life, including a stint as a shopping mall security guard and an run for California governor