Gary Coleman

Gary Wayne Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor, known as a high-profile child star of the late 1970s and 1980s. Born in Zion, Illinois, Coleman grew up with his adoptive parents. Due to the corticosteroids and other medications used to treat a kidney disease, his growth was limited to 4 ft 8 in (142 cm). In the mid-1970s, he appeared in commercials and acted in an episode of Medical Center. He caught the attention of a producer after acting in a pilot for a revival of The Little Rascals (1977), who decided to cast him as Arnold Jackson in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986), a role that launched Coleman into stardom. 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; consecutive three wins for Favorite Young TV Performer from 1980 to 1983; as well as nominations for two TV Land Awards. He was rated first on a list of VH1's "100 Greatest Kid Stars", and an influential child actor. Coleman was the highest-paid child actor on television throughout the late 1970s and 1980s. During his prime, he reprised the role of Jackson in Hello, Larry (1979), The Facts of Life (1979–1980) and Silver Spoons (1982), and Amazing Stories (1985). He acted in high-profile television series such as The Jeffersons, Good Times (both 1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979–1980), and Simon & Simon (1986). He starred in the television films The Kid from Left Field (1979), Scout's Honor (1980), The Kid with the Broken Halo (1982), The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983), The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins (1984), and Playing with Fire (1985). Additionally, he was the star of his own Saturday morning cartoon The Gary Coleman Show (1982). He also headlined two motion pictures, On the Right Track (1981) and Jimmy the Kid (1982), both financial successes.