Three child actors become stars after being cast in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes in 1978. But, all three would go on to live troubled adult lives including drug addiction, legal troubles and untimely death.
These are the stories of Todd Bridges, Dana Plato and Gary Coleman.
Several resources were used in the research for this episode including:
The Tragic Stars of Different Strokes, People Magazine, March 25, 1991
Gary Coleman dies at 42; child star of hit sitcom Diff'rent Strokes by Dennis McClellan for The Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2010.
The Overdose Death of Dana Plato by Frank Wilkins for ReelReviews.com.
Todd Bridges book: Killing Wills: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted, Simon and Schuster, 2010.
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