Gary Coleman, American actor and who was best known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes died on Friday in Utah. Coleman was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo on Wednesday, after a fall in which he struck his head.
Coleman, 42, was described in the 1980s as “one of television’s most promising stars.” While best known for his role on Diff’rent Strokes, he 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.
Known for a resulting catchphrase “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” and for his short stature at 4’8″, the result of a kidney disease, Coleman struggled in later life.
Coleman is survived by his wife, Shyannon Price, 22 whom he secretly wed in 2007. They met on the set of the 2006 comedy film Church Ball.
