14:38Classic TV · 1977Diff'rent Strokes Cast Then and Now
Episode: Diff'rent Strokes (1978): Cast Then & Now 2026 — Who's Still Alive After 39 Years
From Hollywood Legends Era · 20 min ·
About the Diff'rent Strokes Cast Then and Now
The Diff'rent Strokes cast then and now is a story of big laughs on screen and real struggles behind the scenes. The sitcom premiered on NBC on November 3, 1978, moved to ABC for its final season, and ended in 1986 after eight seasons and 189 episodes.
It followed Phillip Drummond, a wealthy Park Avenue widower who takes in Arnold and Willis Jackson, two brothers from Harlem. Of the three young stars, only Todd Bridges is still living. Several members of the cast faced well-known hardships, and this article remembers them with respect for the people they were.
Where Is the Diff'rent Strokes Cast Now?
Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson
Gary Coleman was 10 when the show began, and his timing made Arnold one of the most famous children on television. At the height of the show, he earned $100,000 per episode.
He lived his whole life with a chronic kidney disease. He had two kidney transplants, in 1973 and 1984, and both failed, so he needed frequent dialysis, even during long days on set. In 1989 he sued his adoptive parents and a former business advisor over the handling of his $3.8 million trust fund, and in 1993 he was awarded $1.28 million.
From 2005 he lived in Santaquin, Utah. He fell and struck his head at home in May 2010 and died at a hospital in Provo on May 28, 2010, at 42.
Todd Bridges as Willis Jackson
Todd Bridges was already a working actor before he became Willis. He had appeared on The Waltons and in the miniseries Roots, and he was a regular on Fish, a spinoff of Barney Miller.
His adult years brought great difficulty. In his twenties he struggled with addiction to crack cocaine and methamphetamine, and he was tried for attempted murder and acquitted by a jury. In 2010 he shared publicly that he had been sexually abused at age 11 by a publicist who was a family friend. That same year he published his memoir, Killing Willis.
He has been free of drugs since February 1993. He has since worked steadily, including as a commentator on World's Dumbest and as a houseguest on Celebrity Big Brother in 2022. He is 61.
Dana Plato as Kimberly Drummond
Dana Plato had appeared in more than 100 commercials by age seven. She played Kimberly, Mr. Drummond's daughter, from the first episode. In 1984, after her pregnancy became known, she was written out of the show. Her son, Tyler, was born that July, and she returned in a recurring role in 1985 and 1986.
The years after the show were very hard, marked by money problems, addiction and a 1991 arrest in Las Vegas. On May 7, 1999, she appeared on The Howard Stern Show and said she had been sober for more than ten years.
Dana Plato died the next day, May 8, 1999, in Moore, Oklahoma, at 34. The cause was an overdose of prescription drugs, and the death was later ruled a suicide.
Conrad Bain as Phillip Drummond
Conrad Bain was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, in 1923. He built a long stage career, with Broadway credits including Candide and Advise and Consent, then played Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude from 1972 to 1978.
As Phillip Drummond, he appeared in all 189 episodes of Diff'rent Strokes. He married Monica Sloan in 1945, and they stayed together until her death in 2009. Conrad Bain died in Livermore, California, on January 14, 2013, at 89.
Charlotte Rae as Edna Garrett
Charlotte Rae was 52 when she joined the show as housekeeper Edna Garrett. After the first season, the character moved to her own spinoff, The Facts of Life, which Rae led from 1979 to 1986.
Away from the cameras, she carried a great deal. Her son Andy was autistic and had epilepsy. She joined Alcoholics Anonymous in the early 1970s, and she had a pacemaker implanted in 1982. Her husband, John Strauss, came out as bisexual in the mid-1970s, and they divorced in 1976.
She shared much of this in her 2015 memoir, The Facts of My Life, written with her son Larry. That same year she appeared with Meryl Streep in Ricki and the Flash. Charlotte Rae died at her home in Los Angeles on August 5, 2018, at 92.
Mary Jo Catlett as Pearl Gallagher
Mary Jo Catlett originated the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Broadway production of Hello, Dolly!. She also did many commercials and guest roles, including three episodes of M*A*S*H and an appearance on The Bob Newhart Show.
She joined Diff'rent Strokes as the housekeeper Pearl Gallagher in 1982 and stayed until the show ended in 1986. Since 1999 she has been the voice of Mrs. Puff, the boating-school teacher on SpongeBob SquarePants, and she has continued in the role in later SpongeBob projects. She is 88.
Dixie Carter as Maggie McKinney
Dixie Carter joined the show for the 1984–85 season as Maggie McKinney, the woman Mr. Drummond married, appearing in 27 episodes.
She had already starred in Filthy Rich, created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. That same writer then cast her as Julia Sugarbaker in Designing Women, which ran from 1986 to 1993. A self-described Republican, Carter struck a deal with the producers: when Julia delivered one of her famous liberal speeches, Carter would get to sing in a later episode.
She married actor Hal Holbrook in 1984. Dixie Carter died in Houston on April 10, 2010, at 70, from complications of endometrial cancer.
Danny Cooksey as Sam McKinney
Danny Cooksey was born in Moore, Oklahoma, in 1975. When he was eight, his mother moved with him to Los Angeles so he could pursue country music. Instead, he landed the role of Sam, Maggie's son, for the show's last seasons.
He went on to a long voice-acting career, including Montana Max on Tiny Toon Adventures and Jack Spicer on Xiaolin Showdown. He also sang lead for the rock band Bad4Good in the early 1990s. He is 50.
Shavar Ross as Dudley Johnson
Shavar Ross was born in the South Bronx. While visiting his father in California over a school Christmas break, he was discovered by children's agent Evelyn Shultz. From 1980 he played Dudley, Arnold's best friend.
In February 1983, he and Gary Coleman starred in "The Bicycle Man," a two-part episode in which a bicycle shop owner, played by Gordon Jump, tries to harm the two boys. It remains one of the show's most serious and most discussed episodes. Shavar was 11.
He later had a recurring role on Family Matters, completed four years of Bible school, founded a church in Los Angeles, and started his own entertainment company. He is 55.
Janet Jackson as Charlene DuPrey
Before Diff'rent Strokes, Janet Jackson played Penny on Good Times. From 1980 to 1984 she had a recurring role as Charlene, Willis's girlfriend, and she later joined the cast of Fame.
After cutting business ties with her family, she released Control in 1986. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and launched one of pop music's biggest careers, with estimated sales of more than 100 million records. Her Together Again Tour of 2023–2024 became the highest-grossing tour of her career. She is 60.
Why Diff'rent Strokes Still Matters
For eight seasons, the show gave families a warm, funny household that crossed lines of race and money, and it was willing to take on hard subjects. The tabloids later spoke of a "curse," but the real story is about young people growing up in the spotlight, often without the support they needed.
Today, viewers remember Gary Coleman's timing, Dana Plato's bright smile, Conrad Bain's steady kindness and Charlotte Rae's warmth. Todd Bridges, Shavar Ross and others have built new lives.
What do you remember most about watching Diff'rent Strokes, and which member of the Drummond household made you laugh the hardest?
Sources and Further Reading
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