Gary Coleman

For other people named Gary Coleman, see Gary Coleman (disambiguation).

Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman, 2007
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1978–2010
Spouse	Shannon Price-Coleman (2006–2010)

Gary Wayne Coleman (born February 8, 1968) was an American actor, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986).

Personal life

Coleman was born in Zion, Illinois. He was adopted by Edmonia Sue, a nurse practitioner, and W.G. Coleman, a fork-lift operator. He suffers from a congenital kidney disease caused by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (an autoimmune destruction and alteration of the kidney), which halted his growth at an early age, leading to a small stature (4 ft 8 in; 1.42 m). He has undergone two kidney transplants, one in 1973 and one in 1984, and requires daily dialysis.

Coleman secretly wed his girlfriend of five months, Shannon Price, 22, on August 28, 2007. They met on the set of the 2006 comedy film Church Ball.

On May 1 and 2, 2008, Coleman and his wife appeared on the show Divorce Court to air their differences in front of Judge Lynn Toler. Unlike regular Divorce Court participants, they appeared on the show with the intent to save their marriage rather than adjudicate a separation.

Coleman suffered a seizure on the set of The Insider on February 26, 2010. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who was with Coleman at the time, assisted him until paramedics arrived.

On May 26, 2010, Coleman was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, after falling and hitting his head.

==Media appearances=he fucked his mom because she didnt think he was gonna get laidWhile best known for his role on Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman had appeared earlier on The Jeffersons and on Good Times as Penny's friend Gary. He also appeared in a 1978 pilot for a revival of The Little Rascals as Stymie — this show was produced by Norman Lear, who also produced The Jeffersons and Good Times.

Diff'rent Strokes

Coleman was cast in the role of Arnold Jackson on Diff'rent Strokes, portraying a child adopted by a wealthy widower. The show was broadcast from 1978 to 1986, and was a huge success.

Coleman became the most popular fixture of the show, enhanced by his character's catchphrase "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" At the height of his fame on Diff'rent Strokes, he earned as much as $100,000 per episode. It is estimated he was left with a quarter of the original amount after paying his parents, advisers, lawyers, and taxes. He later successfully sued his parents and his ex-advisers for misappropriation of his finances.

Later character appearances

Coleman became a popular figure, starring in a number of feature films and made-for-TV movies including On the Right Track and The Kid with the Broken Halo. The latter eventually served as the basis for the Hanna-Barbera-produced animated series The Gary Coleman Show in 1982.

Avenue Q

Coleman is parodied in the hit 2003 Broadway musical Avenue Q, which won the 2004 Tony Award for best musical. A character presented as Coleman works as the superintendent of the apartment complex where the musical takes place. In the song, "It Sucks to be Me", he laments his fate. On Broadway, the role was originally played by Natalie Venetia Belcon.

In 2005, Coleman announced his intention to sue the producers of Avenue Q for their depiction of him, although as of 2010 the lawsuit had not materialized. At the 2007 New York Comic Con, Coleman said, "I wish there was a lawyer on Earth that would sue them for me."

Legal struggles

Financial matters

In 1989, Coleman sued his parents and former manager over misappropriation of his $3.8 million trust fund. He won a $1,280,000 ruling on February 23, 1993. Coleman later filed for bankruptcy in 1999; he attributed his financial problems to mismanagement of his trust.

Assault

Coleman was charged with assault in 1998 after he punched a woman. Coleman had been working as a security guard, and bus driver Tracy Fields requested his autograph while he was shopping for a bulletproof vest in a California mall. The two argued about the autograph, and Fields mocked Coleman's lackluster career as an adult actor. Coleman testified that "I was getting scared, and she was getting ugly"; he said that he thought Fields was going to hit him, so he punched her. Coleman pleaded no contest and received a suspended sentence. He was also ordered to pay Fields $1,665 for hospital bills resulting from the fight. The incident was later parodied on Chappelle's Show.

Citation for disorderly conduct

On July 26, 2007, Coleman was cited for misdemeanor disorderly conduct by a Provo, Utah, police officer after Coleman was seen having a "heated discussion" with his wife, Shannon Price.

On July 3, 2009, Coleman and his wife were involved in a domestic dispute in which Coleman's wife was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, and both parties were cited for disorderly conduct.

Divorce Court

Coleman and his wife, Shannon Price, appeared on TV's Divorce Court on May 1 and May 2, 2008, due to marital difficulties.

Automobile accident

Coleman was involved in an automobile accident in Payson, Utah on September 6, 2008. According to Payson police, Coleman was backing up his truck in a Payson bowling alley parking lot when he allegedly hit 24-year-old Colt Rushton. According to a witness, the tire of Coleman's truck hit Rushton's knee and pulled him under the truck. Coleman's vehicle then hit another car. Rushton was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released with minor injuries. Police said Coleman's driving speed was not excessive. Witnesses told police the incident stemmed from an argument that started in the bowling alley after Rushton photographed Coleman. Coleman objected to Rushton taking his picture and the two men started arguing, according to witnesses. There was no citation or arrest for either man. Police said neither man would make a statement at the scene.

On December 2, 2008, Coleman pleaded no contest to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving. The court ordered him to pay a $100 fine for disorderly conduct. The reckless driving charge was to be waived in one year if Coleman did not commit any further violations. On January 14, 2010, Coleman settled a civil suit related to the incident for an undisclosed amount.

Domestic violence assault

On January 24, 2010, Coleman was arrested on a domestic violence assault warrant in Santaquin, Utah. Coleman was subsequently booked into the Utah County Jail and released on January 25, 2010.

Candidate for Governor of California

Coleman was a candidate for governor in the 2003 California recall election. This campaign was sponsored by the free newsweekly East Bay Express as a satirical comment on the recall. After Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy, Coleman stated that he would be voting for Schwarzenegger. Coleman placed 8th in a field of 135 candidates, receiving 14,242 votes.

Filmography

Films

Year	Film	Notes
1980	Scout's Honor	[1]
1981	On the Right Track
1982	Jimmy the Kid
1983	The Kid with the 200 I.Q.
1985	Playing with Fire
1994	Party	Short subject; Coleman was also associate producer
	S.F.W.	Cameo
1996	Fox Hunt
1997	Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's	Documentary
1998	Dirty Work	Cameo
1998	Like Father, Like Santa	Elf Supervisor
2000	The Flunky
	Shafted!
2002	Frank McKlusky, C.I.	Cameo
2003	Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star	Cameo
2004	Chasing the Edge	Cameo; short subject
	Save Virgil	Short subject
2005	A Christmas Too Many
2006	Church Ball
2008	An American Carol
2009	Midgets vs. Mascots	As himself

Television work

• First appeared in a commercial for Harris Bank. His line, after the announcer says "You should have a Harris banker" was "You should have a Hubert doll". "Hubert" was a stuffed lion representing the Harris bank logo.
• The Jeffersons (1977, guest)
• Good Times (1977, guest)
• Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986)
• The Kid from Left Field (1979)
• Scout's Honor (1980)
• The Facts of Life (1980)
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (episode "The Cosmic Wizz-Kid", also has a cameo in a later episode)
• The Kid with the Broken Halo (1982)
• The Gary Coleman Show (1982) (voice)
• The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983)
• The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins (1984)
• Playing with Fire (1985)
• Amazing Stories (TV series) (1986) Season 1: Episode 13 - "The Sitter"
• 227 (1990)
• Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (guest) (as Arnold Jackson, with Conrad Bain as Phillip Drummond) (1996)
• The Ben Stiller Show (1993) as himself
• Like Father, Like Santa (1998)
• The Simpsons, "Grift of the Magi" (December 19, 1999)
• The Drew Carey Show, "What's Wrong with this Episode? IV" (March 28, 2001)
• Drake and Josh (guest)
• A Carol Christmas (2003)
• My Wife and Kids (guest)
• The Jamie Foxx Show (guest as Cupid)
• Married… with Children (guest)
• Drake and Josh as himself
• Unscrewed with Martin Sargent (2003–2004, guest)
• Simon & Simon, "Like Father, Like Son"
• The Parkers as himself
• The Simpsons as himself
• Penn & Teller: Bullshit! "The Apocalypse" as himself (July 16, 2009, guest)

See also

• 50 Cutest Child Stars: All Grown Up

External links

• Gary Coleman at IMDb
• Template:Tvtome person
• CNN's take on Coleman's 2003 candidacy for the governorship of California
• Special Comic-Con Appearance