Actor Gary Coleman, a child TV star who once headlined his own animated TV series, died Friday in Utah after suffering a brain hemmorage. He was 42.
Coleman rose to fame on the live-action sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, where his cheeky delivery and cherubic looks made him a sensation.
Born with failed kidneys, Coleman underwent two transplants by the age of 14 and a side effect of his dialysis medication had permanently stunted his growth.
The actor’s popularity, especially with children, lead to an animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired 13 half-hour episodes from September to December 1982. In the series, Coleman voiced an apprentice angel who returned to Earth to earn his wings by helping others. Here’s a look at the opening credits to the series:
Coleman’s star dimmed with the end of Diff’rent Strokes in 1986, and he struggled to find roles. He filed for bankruptcy in 1999 and at times worked as a mall security guard and ran for governor of California in 2003.
He is survived by his adoptive parents and his wife.
