What Happened to the Diff’rent Strokes Cast? All About the Stars’ Lives Nearly 40 Years Later

Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson

Playing the precocious Arnold Jackson, Coleman was the breakout star of Diff’rent Strokes.

His character’s catchphrase, “What’choo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” became an iconic line from 1980s pop culture.

After Diff’rent Strokes ended, Coleman became a TV staple, appearing on various sitcoms throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including Married… with Children, The Drew Carey Show, The Simpsons and more.

Off-screen, he appeared in the satirical Tony-winning Broadway musical Avenue Q and ran for governor of California in 2003.

In August 2007, Coleman married Shannon Price, two years after they met on the set of the movie Church Ball. The couple quietly divorced a year later.

After suffering a brain hemorrhage, Coleman died on May 28, 2010. He was 42. Price claimed he fell in their Utah home.

“Thanks to everyone for their well wishing and support during this tragic time,” Coleman’s manager, John Alcantar, said after the actor’s death. “Now that Gary has passed, we know he will be missed because of all the love and support shown in the past couple of days.”

“Gary is now at peace and his memory will be kept in the hearts of those who were entertained by him throughout the years,” he added.

Todd Bridges as Willis Jackson

Todd Bridges played Willis Jackson, the older brother of Arnold, on all eight seasons of Diff’rent Strokes.

In the decades since the sitcom ended, Bridges has continued to work, appearing on other TV series such as The Young and the Restless and Everybody Hates Chris.

During a January 2025 episode of the Allison Interviews podcast, Bridges opened up about being sober for more than 30 years, telling host Allison Kugel: “I’ve been sober for 32 years. The mistake I don’t make is relapsing. I won’t make that mistake again.”

In addition to his TV work, in December 2024, Bridges launched a podcast, Dang!, with his wife, Bettijo B. Hirschi.

Conrad Bain as Phillip Drummond

Conrad Bain portrayed Phillip Drummond, a wealthy businessman and father to his two adopted sons, Arnold and Willis.

Bain had a long career in Hollywood before Diff’rent Strokes, most known for his roles on Dark Shadows and Maude.

After Diff’rent Strokes, Bain was a cast member on the sitcom Mr. President, which lasted two seasons. He largely stayed out of the spotlight until his death on Jan. 14, 2013, at age 89.

“My father really was a lot like his character in Diff’rent Strokes,” his daughter Jennifer Bain told PEOPLE. “He had that warmth and stability. He also was a very intellectual person.”

“Dad had a kind heart,” she added. “He was an open-hearted man.”

Dana Plato as Kimberly Drummond

Dana Plato played Kimberly Drummond, the biological daughter of Phillip, and the supportive older sister of her two brothers, Arnold and Willis.

Plato was a main cast member for the series’ first six seasons, but she was reduced to recurring for the final two seasons after becoming pregnant with her son, Tyler.

In 1991, Plato was arrested for robbing a video store in Las Vegas. She was given five years’ probation, but the following year she received an additional five years for forging prescriptions for Valium.

On May 8, 1999, Plato died from a suspected drug overdose, which was later deemed a suicide.

Mary Jo Catlett as Pearl Gallagher

On Diff’rent Strokes, Mary Jo Catlett played Pearl Gallagher, the third and longest-serving housekeeper on the series.

Catlett joined the cast in season 5, and she stayed on the sitcom until its finale in 1986.

The actress was a beloved member of the Diff’rent Strokes family, but she might be better recognized by younger generations as the voice of Mrs. Puff on SpongeBob SquarePants, a character she has been playing since the animated series premiered in 1999.

Charlotte Rae as Edna Garrett

Rae portrayed housekeeper Edna Garrett, a role she would reprise on the popular Diff’rent Strokes spinoff The Facts of Life.

Rae’s character went from tending to the Drummond family to being the housemother of the all-girls boarding school, Eastland School. The series was a massive success, running for nine seasons. Rae starred for the first seven seasons, and in 1982, she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

In 1995, Rae looked back on The Facts of Life, telling Entertainment Weekly, “It was a very sweet show and we didn’t do anything that was too racy.”

“We were interested in opening dialogue between parents and children. I’m very proud of it,” she continued. “It was concerned with communicating to parents and children and everybody.”

In April 2017, Rae revealed she had been diagnosed with bone cancer. The actress died on Aug. 5, 2018, at age 92.

Danny Cooksey as Sam McKinney

Danny Cooksey portrayed Sam McKinney on the last three seasons of the sitcom.

Sam was the young son of Maggie McKinney (Dixie Carter), who would later marry Phillip.

Cooksey is also known for his roles in Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Nickelodeon’s Salute Your Shorts. In recent decades, Cooksey has become a successful voice actor, playing characters on various animated series such as The Little Mermaid, Pepper Ann, Kim Possible and more.

Dixie Carter as Maggie McKinney Drummond

Before her iconic turn as Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women, Carter played Maggie McKinney — later Maggie McKinney Drummond — on seasons 6 and 7 of Diff’rent Strokes.

After starring on all seven seasons of Designing Women, Carter would later appear on other series such as Family Law and Desperate Housewives.

She died in April 2010 from complications of endometrial cancer, per The New York Times.

Mary Ann Mobley as Maggie McKinney Drummond

Mary Ann Mobley took over the role of Maggie McKinney Drummond from Carter for the final season of Diff’rent Strokes.

Prior to joining Diff’rent Strokes, Mobley was crowned Miss America in 1959 and appeared on TV series such as Perry Mason and The Love Boat.

According to NBC News, Mobley later became a filmmaker, producing documentaries about childhood hunger and homelessness, visiting countries such as Cambodia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and more.

She died on Dec. 9, 2014, of complications from breast cancer. She was 77.