49 Facts About Gary Coleman

Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor and comedian.

Gary Coleman was rated first on a list of VH1's "100 Greatest Kid Stars".

Gary Coleman was best known for playing the role of Arnold Jackson in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, which he reprised in numerous other television series such as Hello, Larry, The Facts of Life and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, among others.

Gary Coleman's stardom resulted in several roles thereafter, including his film debut On the Right Track, the comedies Jimmy the Kid and The Kid with the Broken Halo, the cult film Dirty Work, the satirical-comedy film An American Carol and the independent film Midgets vs Mascots.

Gary Coleman was the star of The Gary Coleman Show where he voiced Andy LeBeau, and he additionally provided the voice of Kevin in the animated show Waynehead.

Gary Coleman starred in the video games The Curse of Monkey Island and did some voice acting and motion capture for Postal 2.

Gary Coleman struggled financially in later life; in 1989, he successfully sued his parents and business adviser over misappropriation of his assets, only to declare bankruptcy a decade later.

Gary Coleman died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah on May 28,2010, aged 42.

Gary Coleman had been admitted two days earlier after falling down the stairs at his home in Santaquin and striking his head, resulting in an epidural hematoma.

Gary Wayne Coleman was born in Zion, Illinois, on February 8,1968.

Gary Coleman was adopted by W G Coleman, a fork-lift operator, and Edmonia Sue, a nurse practitioner.

Gary Coleman underwent two unsuccessful kidney transplants in 1973 and again in 1984, and required dialysis.

Gary Coleman was an avid railroad fan, and he later worked part-time at Denver-area, Tucson-area, and California hobby stores to be around his hobby.

Gary Coleman built and maintained miniature railroads in his homes in several states throughout the 1990s.

Gary Coleman lived in Santaquin, a small town about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah, from 2005 to the remainder of his life.

In 1974, Gary Coleman's career began when he appeared in a commercial for Harris Bank.

In 1977, Gary Coleman appeared in a pilot for a revival of The Little Rascals as Stymie, which ultimately ended up not getting picked up as a series.

Gary Coleman received recognition and praise for his work on Diff'rent Strokes; for his role he received five Young Artist Award nominations, of which he won two, and won the People's Choice Awards for Favorite Young TV Performer four years in a row, from 1980 to 1983.

In 1981, Gary Coleman made his feature film debut with the comedy On the Right Track, headlining as Lester, a young shoeshine boy who achieves fame for having a talent for gambling on horses.

The film was received with mixed reviews, with critics stating that the film rode nearly entirely on Gary Coleman's credibility and presence; however, the film was a commercial success, and his performance was praised.

Gary Coleman starred in the television film The Kid with the Broken Halo.

The film served as the basis for The Gary Coleman Show in 1982, where Coleman had the lead voice role as Andy LeBeau, an angel in training who comes to earth to help others and gain his wings.

Gary Coleman voiced the role of Kevin in the animated show Waynehead, which ran from 1996 to 1997.

Gary Coleman voiced Kenny Falmouth in the video game The Curse of Monkey Island in 1997, which gained him attention, being one of the first few major mainstream actors to appear in a video game.

Gary Coleman had ventured into politics, and in the 2003 California recall election he was a candidate for governor.

Gary Coleman's campaign was sponsored by the free newsweekly East Bay Express as a satirical comment on the recall.

Gary Coleman placed 8th in a field of 135 candidates, receiving 14,242 votes.

In 2003, Gary Coleman portrayed a fictional version of himself in the video game Postal 2.

In 2005, Gary Coleman appeared in John Cena's music video for his single "Bad, Bad Man" and played himself as a villain taking Michael Jackson and Madonna hostage.

Gary Coleman's final television role was a voice role in the animated series Robot Chicken.

In 1998, Gary Coleman was charged with assault while working as a security guard.

When Gary Coleman refused to give her an autograph, an argument ensued, and Fields reportedly mocked Gary Coleman's lackluster acting career.

Gary Coleman then punched Fields in the face several times in front of witnesses.

Gary Coleman was arrested and later testified in court that she threatened him, and he defended himself.

Gary Coleman pleaded no contest to one count of assault, received a suspended jail sentence, and was ordered to pay Fields' $1,665 hospital bill and to take anger management classes.

Gary Coleman lost $200,000 on an arcade he named the Gary Coleman Game Parlor, which was located at Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey, California.

Nevertheless, they divorced in August 2008, and Gary Coleman was granted an ex parte restraining order against Price to prevent her from living in his home when he was hospitalized after their divorce.

In 2007, Gary Coleman was cited for misdemeanor disorderly conduct in Provo, Utah after a "heated discussion" in public with his wife.

In 2009, Gary Coleman underwent heart surgery, details of which were never made public, but he is known to have developed pneumonia postoperatively.

In January 2010, Gary Coleman was hospitalized after a seizure in Los Angeles, and in February, he experienced another seizure on the set of The Insider television program.

In 2008, Gary Coleman was involved in an altercation at a Payson, Utah, bowling alley, which began when Colt Rushton, age 24, photographed Gary Coleman without his permission.

Gary Coleman later pleaded no contest to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving and was fined $100.

Months before his death, in 2010, Gary Coleman was arrested on an outstanding domestic assault warrant in Santaquin, booked into the Utah County Jail, and released the following day.

On May 26,2010, Gary Coleman was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, in critical condition after falling down the stairs at his home in Santaquin and hitting his head, possibly after another seizure, and experiencing an epidural hematoma.

The hospital later issued a statement confirming that Gary Coleman had completed an advance healthcare directive granting Price permission to make medical decisions on his behalf.

Gary Coleman is frequently listed as one of the most influential child actors in the world.

Gary Coleman is parodied in Avenue Q, which won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical; a fictionalized version of him works as the superintendent of the apartment complex where the musical takes place.

In 2005, Gary Coleman announced his intention to sue the producers of Avenue Q for their depiction of him, although the lawsuit never materialized.

The Gary Coleman character remained in the show after modifications were made to relevant dialogue.