Gary Coleman, who became one of television’s biggest child stars as Arnold Jackson on Diff’rent Strokes, died on May 28, 2010, at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. He was 42. He had suffered a brain hemorrhage after a fall at his home.
Born in Zion, Illinois, in 1968, Coleman was cast as the younger of two Harlem brothers adopted by a wealthy Manhattan widower. Diff’rent Strokes ran from 1978 to 1986, first on NBC and then ABC, and Coleman’s timing and his catchphrase, “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”, made him the heart of the show.
Coleman lived with a congenital kidney disease that required two transplants and ongoing dialysis, and it left him short in stature for life. His adult career was uneven: he took guest roles, worked as a security guard and pitchman, and in 2003 ran in California’s recall election for governor. Through it all, Arnold Jackson remained the role generations of viewers remember him for.
Source: BlackPast.