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Born on Feb. 8 in Illinois in 1968, actor Gary Coleman’s multiple health problems stunted his growth at 4 feet 8 inches. However, Coleman’s small stature and charming personality made him perfect for Hollywood, and in 1978, at age 10, he became the star of the hit sitcom Diff’rent Strokes; he played the beloved character Arnold Jackson—an African-American orphan who is adopted by a wealthy white benefactor, Philip Drummond—on the series, which was an instant success. Coleman’s common exclamation on the show, “What’choo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”, quickly became a pop culture catch-phrase.
The actor went on to appear in the film On the Right Track (1981) and TV movie The Kid With the Broken Halo (1982), which was later adapted into the cartoon series The Gary Coleman Show, among other projects. Coleman died on May 28, 2010, at the age of 42, after suffering from an intracranial hemorrhage.
