Gary Coleman Biography

Coleman was born with a congenital kidney disease which stunted his growth at an early age; as a result he is only 4' 8" tall. His height became his most distinguishing feature.

Coleman is most famous for playing Arnold Jackson on ‘Diff'rent Strokes’, a U.S. sitcom that ran from 1978 to 1985 and earned him, at its height, around $70,000 an episode.

During his time on the programme he also took roles in TV movies and was the inspiration for the animated series 'The Gary Coleman Show'.

However when ‘Diff'rent Strokes’ was cancelled in the mid-eighties Coleman’s popularity diminished.

Coleman sued his parents and manager over the misuse of his $8.3 million trust fund, and won $1,280,000 in February 1993. Despite this, Coleman had to file for bankruptcy in 1999 after his business ventures failed.

Coleman was also famously charged with assault in November 2000 when he hit a woman whilst she tried to get his autograph.

In 2001, he took a job as a shopping mall security guard in the Los Angeles. This job led to a cameo on ‘The Simpsons’ as himself (in security guard mode), after the video of a scam pulled on him by the paparazzi, made him infamous.

Coleman stood as a candidate for Governor of California in the 2003 election, where Arnold Schwarzenegger was victorious. Coleman was however placed 8th in a field of 135 candidates, receiving 14,242 votes.