The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Diff'rent Strokes
Jeff Harris and Bernie Kukoff's sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978 and ran 189 episodes over a whopping eight seasons. The series starred Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two impoverished kids from Harlem whose mother had recently died. They were adopted by the wealthy Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain), a Park Avenue millionaire. The series revolved around the relationship Arnold and Willis developed with their adopted father, new sister Kimberly (Dana Plato), and one of three kindly housekeepers (Charlotte Rae, Nedra Volz, or Mary Jo Catlett, depending on the season). In the 1984 season, Mr. Drummond married a woman named Maggie, and she was played by Dixie Carter for two years before being replaced by Mary Ann Mobley.
"Diff'rent Strokes" wasn't just overwhelmingly popular, but it also served as a template for a decade's worth of booming sitcoms. It was "Diff'rent Strokes" that famously presented "very special episodes" about serious issues like drug addiction, homelessness, eating disorders, and looking out for pedophiles; fans of the series will remember the disturbing two-part episode "The Bicycle Man" (February 5 and 12, 1983) very well. Then-First-Lady Nancy Reagan loved "Diff'rent Strokes," so the showrunners included episodes devoted to her infamous "Just So No" anti-drug campaign.
"Diff'rent Strokes" was also notorious for Coleman's "adorable" catchphrase "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" When it came to 1980s sitcoms, "Diff'rent Strokes" was more or less the dominant paradigm: mildly funny, vaguely progressive, and easy to consume. It left the air in 1986 and spawned a popular spinoff, "The Facts of Life," about the Charlotte Rae character.
Many of the cast members are no longer around, sadly, although a few remain with us. Let's catch up.
Todd Bridges (Willis Jackson)
The three leading child actors of "Diff'rent Strokes" famously were overwhelmed by their fame and had trouble finding work after "Diff'rent Strokes." Bridges, Coleman, and Plato all struggled with substances or had brushes with crime. Coleman took a job as a security guard in 1998 and notoriously assaulted an autograph hound. Something similar happened at a bowling alley in 2008 when a paparazzo wouldn't let him be. He died in 2010 at the age of 42, having experienced many health problems throughout his life.
Plato notoriously struggled with addiction and only secured supporting roles in low-budget movies after "Diff'rent Strokes." Most famously, she appeared in the notorious Sega CD game "Night Trap," as well as the threesome drama "Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jill ... and Jill" in 1997, a film retitled to allude to her sitcom fame. Plato was infamously screwed out of her royalties by a shady accountant and, after a messy divorce, held up a Las Vegas video store with a pellet gun. Plato died of a drug overdose in 1999, aged 34.
Bridges also wrestled with drugs, having become addicted to crack cocaine and meth as a teenager. He was charged throughout his life for possessing a firearm, for making a bomb threat, and for the murder of an abusing drug dealer who had been mistreating Bridges for years. Luckily, Bridges went on the road to sobriety in 1993 and has been clean ever since. He wrote a book titled "Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted" in 2008 and leveraged his notoriety into a variety of small, campy film roles to keep himself afloat.
Bridges is alive and well at 58.
Mary Jo Catlett (Pearl Gallagher)
Mary Jo Catlett enjoyed a vast comedy career on either side of "Diff'rent Strokes." On the series, she played Pearl, the Drummond housekeeper on seasons 5 through 8, but could be seen on contemporary sitcoms like "ALF," "Night Court," and "Gimme a Break." Catlett is one of those actors whose stock in trade is one-shot appearances on multiple hot TV comedies. It's impossible to watch any TV series made from 1987 to the present without running into her occasionally. She received an Emmy nomination for her work on "General Hospital."
Catlett also appeared in high-profile films like "Semi-Tough," the 1979 remake of "The Champ," and gamely in John Waters' 1994 horror/comedy "Serial Mom." Thank Heaven for character actors, a title Catlett declares with pride.
Catlett is also a prolific voice actor, having played roles on "The Smurfs," "Bonkers," and "Quack Pack" before landing her most notable role: Mrs. Puff in "SpongeBob SquarePants." Mrs. Puff has been a regular part of "SpongeBob" since its inception in the 1990s, and Catlett's been playing the same role as recently as 2023. She has also played the part in spinoffs and video games, and was nominated for an Annie for the beloved, kindly puffer fish.
Catlett has always enjoyed a theater career as well, having started on the stage in 1968. She appeared in "Beauty and the Beast," "Hello, Dolly!," "Lysistrata," and "The Pajama Game." She's still acting at age 85.
Danny Cooksey (Sam McKinney)
When Mr. Drummond married Maggie in the 1984 season of "Diff'rent Strokes," she came with a precocious stepson in the form of Sam, played by red-head moppet Danny Cooksey. "Diff'rent Strokes" was Cookey's first major acting gig after a one-shot appearance on "The Dukes of Hazzard" and led into a prolific career that lasts to this day. Cooksey was a controversial figure among "Strokes" fans, as he was afflicted with Cousin Oliver syndrome; the showrunners seemed to feel that Coleman, Bridges, and Plato were getting too old to sustain the "cute kid" element of the show and shipped in a new child to provide. The controversy was offset by Cooksey's talent; he was a funny kid.
Cooksey would also have a regular role on the 1986 sitcom "The Cavanaughs" as well as the Nickelodeon show "Salute Your Shorts." He appeared as John Connor's hacker buddy in 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and voiced the wicked Montana Max on "Tiny Toon Adventures." He had dozens of other voice roles besides, appearing in "Pound Puppies," "Superman," "The Further Adventures of SuperTed," "Hey Arnold!," "Pepper Ann," "Static Shock," "Invader Zim," and "Xiaolin Showdown." He still provides his voice to animated projects, having most recently acted in 2021's "Long Gone Gulch."
Cooksey has also enjoyed a notable music career, having served as lead singer for Bad4Good, a teen band formed by Steve Vai. He has put out several records besides. At 48, he is married with a child and living happily.