Gary Coleman Biography

Gary Coleman Biography

Personal details

Name: Gary Coleman
Born: 8/02/1968
Died: 8/05/2010 (Aged: 42)
From: Illinois, USA
Famous for: Being a child star in 70s sitcom Diff'rent Stokes.
Relationship status: He divorced wife Shannon Price in 2009.

 

 

In a nutshell

The former child star was famous for his comic catchphrase 'whatchoo talkin' bout Willis' on US sitcom 'Diff'rent Strokes', but the rest of Gary Coleman's life was more tragic than funny.
He was born with a congenital kidney disease which required daily dialysis and drugs that stunted his growth (Gary was only 4' 8" tall.) His famous role as diminutive rascal Arnold Jackson made him one of the highest paid actors during the show's run from 1978 to 1986, earning him $100,000 per episode.
However, he lost most of his fortune in a protracted legal battle with his adoptive parents who he eventually sued for misappropriation of his trust fund. Despite getting a whopping pay-out, he eventually went bankrupt due in part to ongoing medical expenses (amongst other things he had two unsuccessful liver transplant operations). He had to do a series of menial jobs including working as a security guard and at one point even resorted to selling an autographed pair of pants on ebay to raise funds (they were eventually bought by comedian Jimmy Kimmel).
In 2003 Gary ran for candidacy of the Governor of California but came up short (pardon the pun) against the eventual winner Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Gary had ongoing anger-management problems. In 1998 he was charged with assault after punching a bus driver and .endless domestic incidents surrounded his later marriage to TV show extra Shannon Price. In fact they both faced a lawsuit when Coleman allegedly tried to run over a member of the public in his pick-up truck after an argument in a bowling alley. They eventually divorced in 2008.
In 2010 he was put on life support after falling at his home, which his wife eventually authorised to be turned off. Much legal wrangling followed over her legal authority and the rights to his estate.
His last acting appearance was in the film 'Midgets v Mascots' depicting a series of games between short people and sporting talismans. Gary Coleman - Biography from (http://www.talktalk.co.uk/celebrity/biography/person/gary-coleman/265)