Coleman was just 10 when Diff'rent Strokes launched a career that hit its peak in its first chapter. As a child star, Gary Coleman was adorable and the show soared to the top of the ratings. The implausibility of two black boys adopted by a white millionaire was raised but never gained much traction.
Coleman's retort to his TV brother, Willis, became a catchphrase of the 1980s. Todd Bridges, who played Willis, struggled with drugs later in his own career.
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Coleman struggled with kidney disease, which was responsible for his diminutive height, but at his best, he cut a dapper figure.
Success brought Coleman instant celebrity. Here in 1981, he is with comedian Bob Hope and actress Brooke Shield.
Happier times with his father in 1979. Coleman later sued his parents over money and they became estranged.
Life did not wear well on Coleman, who remained 4-foot-8-inches tall.
Coleman was always frustrated by his limited options in Hollywood. In 2009, he appeared in a reality-style film, Midgets vs. Mascots, that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
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