on tv in episodes of Hart to Hart, Starsky & Hutch, Happy Days, The A-Team, probably best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the tv series, Designing Women. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She played Mrs. Bellotti, an eccentric woman with a never-seen psychotic son named Moose. He in Biloxi, Mississippi and grew up in Brandon, Mississippi. Melanie was kind enough to send me a few e-mails in 1999 and provided some updated It was this extraordinarily popular At birth, he was diagnosed with a number of serious maladies, most notably focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a congenital autoimmune condition that damages the kidneys. His mother took Shavar and his sister to Macon, Georgia, while his father went to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She also had a long career as a stage actress. The show had Robert Guillaume (who played Benson) and had people working at a station either a train or radio and was on Sundays. He has been married to Angel Hart since 1998 and has 2 children. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She is the sister of Michael, LaToya, Tito, The Facts of Life main cast included Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon (1980-1988). Due to a dispute regarding pay,[9][10] Coleman did not appear in the first four filmed episodes of the fourth season ("The Ski Weekend", "First Day Blues", "The Team" and "Hello Daddy? Mary Jo Catlett , the third houskeeper Pearl Gallagher, was born On May 7, 1999, Plato gave what would be her final interview to infamous radio shock jock Howard Stern. He even remarks in one other commercial that "no one would lend [him] money, not even [his] relatives.". Coleman occasionally is able to cash in on his camp value to members of Generation X, by appearing in cameo roles in film and TV. Additionally, stories focusing on Arnold's school life, which had featured occasionally in many previous seasons, were delved into much more. Factory had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released the third season on DVD on July 17, 2012. Alzheimer's complications. In the seventh season, after years of harassing Arnold (and later Sam), the Gooch was finally defeated by Arnold's neighbor and nemesis (and eventually friend) Carmella, a foreign exchange student. As documented in Biography's "Diff'rent Strokes: Behind the Scenes," Coleman was receiving a reported $70,000 per episode. today. After Bridges started to put his drug addiction behind him in the early 1990s, he told Jet magazine that Bain had become like a real father to him. The during the time when Gary was suing his parents, manager and other financial with the ending varying depending on whom he was addressing. See production, box office & company info, [Entering the living room after dumping cigarettes butts in the trash], Stage 42, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA. fame in show business until her 60s. I had to get to sleep so I could get up for the kids and do the TV show Monday-Friday. played for Lucy's Milk. made a brief appearance in the movie "The Benchwarmers.". Dana's fortunes began to turn when she was spotted by a producer during a brief appearance By the time the program was cancelled, Dana had blossomed into a striking do get evidence that Robert is guilty by criminal negligence or actual participation, difficult to cast. As with Day-Glo, Rubik's Cube, Valley girls, Care Bears, Mr. T, the Smurfs and other artifacts from the early 1980s, Coleman's popularity coincided with the childhood of a particularly productive generation of internet users, and in 2008 he remains a minor cult figure. Arnold and Dudley give into peer pressure and experiment with smoking. I love them all.". When the laugh track stopped, he had to scrounge for work. game from Lucas Arts called "The Curse of Monkey Island". A more humorous episode on pollution and the environment ("Green Hair") had Kimberly's hair turning green from acid rain. In a Regina Post-Leader interview, Bain played down Bridges' brushes with the law. Carmella Robinson in two episodes in 1984. In 1993, he did the lead vocal in the band Bad4Good and also has Although in her first appearance, in the episode "Cyrano De Jackson", she is sweet on Arnold, in subsequent appearances, the pair were enemies, often squabbling and trading insults, a recurring theme until the end of the series (although Lisa's final appearance, in the penultimate episode of the show's run, "The Photo Club", sees the pair addressing their differences and striking a truce of sorts). She sang with a band as a young woman but stayed out of performing until about the 1950s when she did community theater. In 1978, Coleman Plots focusing on Arnold and Sam also continued to feature prominently, with Willis by this stage appearing on a secondary, semi-regular basis. [29] He now travels across the United States, touring schools and discussing the dangers of drug use. In Elsewhere, Punky Brewster, One Life to Live, Crazy Like a Fox, Bustin' Loose, They realize they don't like the effects of cigarettes, but the real persuasion to have them kick the habit comes from someone very close to home from Dudley - his father, whom despite having had a lung operation, is still a chronic smoker. Thanks Steve! Willis Jackson: Look at me. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. On April 10, 2010, Carter died in Houston, Texas, of complications from endometrial cancer, as per ABC News. Willis had trouble remembering events from what year? She married Director Eric Dean Seaton on July 2, 2011. Janet Jackson who was Willis's girlfriend Charlene DuPrey, was born Janet Dameta Jackson More recently, he has made guest appearances on television series such as Fresh Norman Lear sitcom Maude (1974-78). Carter, cast as Julia Sugarbaker in CBS' "Designing Women," did not join Bain and company for "Diff'rent Strokes" move to ABC. in January of 1992, when Bosque de Palabras Her name that she goes by now is Melanie Bernhardt. 3 Diff'rent Strokes: Arnold and Dudley Get Molested Diff'rent Strokesfollowed the lives of two young brothers from Harlem, Arnold and Willis, after their mother died and they were adopted by the wealthy Mr. Drummond. Eventually, she wants to transition out of Also introduced in the third season is Philip's dotty and eccentric sister Sophia (Dody Goodman), in the episode "Junk Food Junkie". They live in a penthouse with Drummond, his daughter Kimberly (Plato), and their housemaid. the web and also on Android and iOS. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. She declined, but come fall, she had a change of heart. creator Marc Cherry had gotten his start in Hollywood as Carter's assistant on the set of Designing Women. Daughter Chelsea Lynn Ross was born February 26, 2005. The episode "Almost American" (aka "Night School"), was the pilot for a potential spin-off series, which ultimately was not picked up for a full series. Although veteran actor Conrad Bain had top billing, the undisputed star of "Diff'rent Strokes" was Gary Coleman. She was Miss America in 1959. Entertainment Tomorrow, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shavar_Ross&oldid=1142302881, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 17:24. in Hollywood as a producer of sports vignettes and as a director. (Dixie as well as everyone else called her Mother Gina, pronounced Jinna.) Miss Chung (Rosalind Chao) was Arnold's teacher. She later worked as a dietitian at the school and opened a gourmet food venture named Edna's Edibles. (Although Hasselhoff, in his costume as Michael Knight appears, the voice of K.I.T.T. Dixie passed away April 10, 2010 in Houston, TX of complications of endometrial cancer. Bain's death leaves only one surviving member from his "Diff'rent Strokes" TV family. The Real Housewives of Dubai (2022) - S01E05 Piping Tea with a Hint of Peach, HE HAD A COUPLE OF SIPS OF CHIANTI TONIGHT. All three experienced various legal problems while Bridges and Plato also struggled with drug addictions, all of which were documented in the press. When that series ended production following star Beatrice Arthur's decision to leave the show in the spring 1978, Tandem Productions producer Norman Lear was keen to find a suitable sitcom for Bain to star in. 9 episodes 1985-1986 Rosalind Chao Miss Chung 8 episodes 1981-1983 Dody Goodman Aunt Sophia Drummond 8 episodes 1981-1984 Bobby Herbeck The Waiter 7 episodes 1979-1984 Creators Jeff Harris Bernie Kukoff All cast & crew Production, box office & more at IMDbPro More like this 6.8 Watch options 7.4 Watch options 7.4 Watch options 7.1 Along with Diff'rent Strokes, she had a recurring role Bain 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. 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. 1977-1979. or redistributed. She remained with the show until its cancellation at NBC. April 6, 1972 in Los Angeles, California. (2005) - S10E04 Blonde Ambition, Never Have I Ever (2020) - S01E05 started a nuclear war. Ginna was born May 17, 1969. [Willis has just learned his close friend has died in an auto accident]. Estranged from his adoptive parents, and embittered by his early fame, Coleman's life went into a downward spiral in the last two decades of his life. Some of her guest appearances in 1970s sitcoms included Temperatures Rising, The Partridge Family, The Paul Lynde Show, All in the Family, Good Times, Phyllis, Barney Miller, All's Fair, C.P.O. He continues to pursue acting and voice acting work (for example, as the title role in Dave the Barbarian, In 2006 and 2007, Dixie Carter found renewed fame with a new generation of fans as the very disturbed and in January of 1992, when She posed for a June 1989 pictorial in Playboy (a 5-page nude All rights reserved. wrote a book: Trying to get to Heaven: Opinions of a Tennessee Talker. His parents separated when he was seven years old. I can't bear the thought. 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. In 1984, I was co-starring in the Broadway musical, "The Tap Dance Kid". Coleman was then placed on life support after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage and died on May 28 from complications of his injury at age 42.[22]. September 2nd, 1938 in Denver, Colorado. She also is a profound If you are still out there, please drop me an e-mail He was an amazing father.". He worked at the Stratford (Ontario) Shakespeare Festival and Rae starred as Mrs. Garrett (Mrs. G), who was the housemother at the prestigious Eastland School for Girls in Peekskill, New York. In a two-part episode on the dangers of hitchhiking ("The Hitchhikers"), Kimberly and Arnold (who were out in the cold weather and didn't have money for cab or bus fare) were abducted by a serial kidnapper-rapist (played by Woody Eney), who initially acted as a good Samaritan by giving the two of them a ride and inviting them to his apartment. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Silence) and he made an appearance in episode of L.A. Heat (1996). to five years probation. Though However, to fans of "Diff'rent Strokes," he will forever be remembered as Ted Ramsey, the adoptive father of Arnold Jackson's best friend, Dudley, played by Shavar Ross. In this final season Jason Hervey joined the semi-regular cast as Charlie, another of Arnold's school friends. "Diff'rent Strokes," and Dana landed the part of Kimberly. Although he was eventually acquitted, Bridges spent nine months in jail. In an attempt to recapture the show's former ratings glory, Dixie Carter was added to the cast as divorced aerobics instructor Maggie McKinney, a Southern-fried love interest for Conrad Bain's Phillip Drummond. seemingly effortless way with comedy won her lots of fans during the show's prime time (If you have e-mail addresses on 's Rap City, Take the Cake), He He has since Now, his main role is in the courtroom, in a pathetic fight against his own parents", "The Durant Daily Democrat Google News Archive Search", "The TV Ratings Guide: 1983-84 Ratings History", "Ron Jeremy: Gary Coleman Hated Saying "Whatchu Talkin' Bout" Line", "Vanilla Ice I'm Going to Gary Coleman's Memorial", "The Five Lowest Moments of Gary Coleman's Career", "Former Child Star Gary Coleman Cited for Disorderly Conduct in Parking Lot Spat", "Gary Coleman critically hurt after falling and hitting his head", "Dana Plato, 34, Star of 'Diff'rent Strokes', "The 'Diff'rent Strokes' curse isn't a joke", "Child star Dana Plato's life ends with overdose", "Jury Acquits Todd Bridges Of Charges Of Attempted Murder, Manslaughter", "Todd Bridges arrested, charged after tiff involving vehicle", "Todd Bridges on TV Dad Conrad Bain: 'He Treated Me Better Than My Own Father', "Troubled lives for 'Diff'rent Strokes' stars", "Long Island News from the Long Island Press", "Diff'rent Strokes Front/Rear Box Art, Episode List for Sony's 'Diff'rent: Fan Favorites' DVD", "Diff'rent Strokes 'Season 3' DVDs! with a deadly weapon after he shot an alleged crack dealer. to make some contacts in the entertainment industry and landed a job as a 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. I went to college for a year, but found it wasn't for me. [clarification needed]. But "Diff'rent Strokes" is remembered mostly for its child stars' adult drug and money troubles. Shavar Ross played Arnold's best friend Dudley on Diff'rent Strokes and appeared in nearly 50 episodes. in March of 1990 and Dana was allowed visitation of her son, but her husband won physical From wrote a weekly advice column for UGO the Coleman Confidential. It was such a relief to be around a kind, generous man who wanted nothing from me and who did nothing but love and nurture me. Thanks Todd. and "Superbad." Small Claims Court (11/19/80 - #305) . in March of 1998. Additionally, in 1996, after four years of ministry school, Ross founded The Alive Church, a non-denominational Christian church in Los Angeles, and was Diagnosed with bone cancer the previous year, Charlotte Rae died August 5, 2018, at the age of 92. She has appeared in numerous movies and tv series. Beginning with the third-season episode "Count Your Blessings" and also touched upon in several other episodes is the fact that Arnold will never grow much taller, reflecting Gary Coleman's real-life medical condition. Internet Movie Database entry for Dana Plato But currently, the only time I hear "Oh my kid, that guy was on [citation needed], After it was canceled the show returned to ABC's schedule in June for three months of summer reruns, which ended on August 30, 1986. Dixie Carter and Danny Cooksey portrayed recently divorced television aerobics instructor Margaret "Maggie" McKinney and her son Sam. of several times she went into rehab. to do next, I took part-time jobs in retail during my later high school Scott Singer of the Moore (Oklahoma) Police Dept., "At this point, Cited for parole violation, she served 30 days is/was a spokesperson for BellSouth. In January of 1992 she was arrested She appeared as Molly the Mail Lady in the third season (1971-1972) of Sesame Street. "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. Dody Goodman died June 22, 2008 at Englewood (N.J.) Hospital and Medical Center. Despite having made $25,000 an episode while on the series, she was often broke and was working as a cashier at a dry cleaning store. "In addition to being a positive and supportive father figure both on and off-screen, Conrad was well-loved and made going to work each day enjoyable for all of us. Appearing on shows ranging from "The Love Boat" to "Magnum P.I.," Ross was a ubiquitous presence as a supporting actor and guest star. The sitcom stars Coleman as Arnold Jackson and Bridges as his older brother, Willis, two children from a poor section of Harlem whose deceased mother previously worked for rich widower Philip Drummond (Bain), and on her deathbed asked him to take care of her sons, their father already being deceased. grew, she became difficult to handle on the show, and Paar was not happy with her upstaging habits. Scott Singer of the Moore (Oklahoma) Police Dept., "At this point, He still remained in the public eye, albeit as the central character in [35], On April 6, 2012, it was announced that Shout! It's located at 7403 Beverly Blvd. 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". Day) and tv series (such as Nickelodeon's Salute Your Shorts). [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. I was able Some of her drama guest appearances included The Defenders, McMillan & Wife, St. layout, the shots were taken in November 1988 in Arizona), showing off the delectable figure that she'd kept hidden for all those years. As detailed in her 2011 self-help memoir,"True You," Jackson received her first major TV role when she was cast as an abused child on Norman Lear's classic sitcom "Good Times" in 1977. They also have a daugther named Bo. time away from education, which I always considered more important. Feel free to use none, any, or all of this on your page. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Some of these were important or serious storylines under the "very special episode" heading, which Diff'rent Strokes popularized. I Family Guy(1999) - S17E04 Big Trouble in Little Quahog, The Great North (2021) - S01E10 Game of Snownes Adventure. Well, it turns out that viewers of the hit NBC show 30 Rock got a double-dose of Dudley name-dropping on an the 12th episode of Season 4 titled "Verna." (Tina Fey's character, Liz . As reported by TMZ, Cooksey's wife, Amber, filed for divorce in 2019 after over 20 years of marriage. Dixie's Mother. While there, Mrs. Garrett met Kimberly's classmates and was offered the job as "dorm mother." The Edna Garrett was the housekeeper for the Drummond family at their Park Avenue apartment in New York City. Dana Plato led quite an interesting life, full of dizzying heights She appeared as Molly the Mail Lady in the third season (1971-1972) of Sesame Street. Coleman was also featured prominently in the 2005 expansion pack to Postal, Apocalypse Weekend. Bridges' more high-profile role was as Monk, a shell-shocked Vietnam veteran, conspiracy theorist, and nephew of Chris's boss Doc on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. Todd Bridges 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. Appeared in an episode He was [20] In 2007, Coleman was cited for disorderly conduct in Provo, Utah, for having a "heated discussion" with a woman. Find the exact In November 2015, she released her autobiography, The Facts of My Life, which was co-written with her son, Larry Strauss. for a short stint, but her new notoriety managed to get her work in the "no publicity is He married Dori Smith (pictured above) on March 25, 1998. He died at 12:05 pm MDT (18:05 UTC) on May 28 at the age of 42. By her own admission, Jackson has struggled for most her life with a negative body image and poor self-esteem. Conrad Bain, the actor who played the father figure on the sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," has died, a friend of the Bain family confirmed to FOX411. Mary Ann Mobley, who was the second Mrs. Drummond, was born February 17, 1939 sending me out on enough auditions and went with Gary Coleman's manager. information. He appeared in Kid Rock's "Cowboy" video. On July 30th, he allledgly struck a woman who asked for his autograph, a court hearing was held August 25th where he pleaded not guilty. Splash and Splash, Too. He didn't get the part but "Cold Turkey" director Norman Lear remembered him when he created "Maude. Most of that money was supposed to go into a trust fund set up by Coleman's parents in 1980. figure and lust for her fellow femmes in a series of sensual scenes. [citation needed]. urban romantic comedy starring American Idols Nadia Turner, Oscar nominee Margaret Avery (The Color Purple), Debra Wilson (MADtv, Scary Movie 4), comedian Joe Clair (B.E.T. 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. at the age of 9, he could still pass as a precocious five-year-old. Dody Goodman, who played Aunt Sophia, was born Dolores Goodman on October So if the police tapes out called "Dixie Carter's Unworkout" and "Yoga for You." (Dana did grab a "outsider," coming in for a few episodes a year, so I was never really of several times she went into rehab. As detailed by IMDB, he also appeared in many films, including the 1979 crime drama "The Onion Field" and the '80s cult classics "The Hollywood Shuffle" and "Amazon Women on the Moon." leader on the TV series 227, but his short stature and ever-diminishing acting range made him OK. Dana landed roles on over 100 TV commercials as a Shavar Ross played Arnold's best friend Dudley on called Night Trap as a scantily clad victim. Note: This is Le Tari's first appearance as Dudley's father, Ted Ramsey. "Alcohol became my drug of choice so I could get sleep at night," Rae told Fox News. we will certainly prosecute." Wikipedia entry for Dana Plato a boy named Spencer Todd Bridges. In a late first-season episode of Strokes ("The Girls School", which served as the backdoor pilot of Facts), Mrs. Garrett took Kimberly to the school with the intent of helping her sew costumes for a school play. [19] In 1994, he was arrested after allegedly ramming someone's car after an argument. Shavar Ross, better known for his role as Gary Coleman's character's best friend on the '80s series "Diff'rent Strokes," is now a father of two and has stepped away from acting. much to According to Sgt. Bridges' life took a dark turn with the cancelation of "Diff'rent Strokes" in 1986. He also did a voice in a Sega Saturn game called "Return to advisors. representation. She He was casting a new sitcom for NBC which was to become Several such concepts were considered before a rough outline for the eventual seriesin which Bain plays a wealthy businessman left to take care of his late housekeeper's son, the orphaned Colemanwas settled upon and given the working title 45 Minutes from Harlem (even though Harlem is only ten to fifteen minutes away from the Upper East Side by subway or taxi). Her ill-conceived grab for rent money (it was really a cry for help according to many people) sent her to jail Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, Thunder in Paradise, Sisters, Diagnosis: Murder, Strong Medicine, ER, Life and Pretty Little Liars. "She always had that bun on her head," said her son, Edward, of Mesa. Market data provided by Factset. This same episode introduces wheelchair-aided Melanie Watson, born with osteogenesis imperfecta, as Kathy Gordon, who continued to guest-star one episode per season until Season 6. place. Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. Catlett joined the main cast, appeared in almost every episode until the end of the show's run, and was billed on the opening credits from the sixth season onward. the show, it was an honor ! The reason for this, in part, was that it was in Rae's contract that she be allowed to return to Diff'rent Strokes should The Facts of Life be canceled. I spoke up and told my parents. to do. She played Mrs. Bellotti, an eccentric woman with a never-seen psychotic son named Moose.