- - What Happened to the “Diff'rent Strokes” Cast? All About the Stars' Lives Nearly 40 Years Later

Christopher RudolphDecember 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM

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The cast of 'Diff'rent Strokes' with Muhammad Ali. -

Diff'rent Strokes ran for eight seasons, from 1978 to 1986

The sitcom made a star out of child actor Gary Coleman and launched the successful spinoff, The Facts of Life

Diff'rent Strokes also starred Todd Bridges, Charlotte Rae and Dixie Carter

It's been nearly 40 years since the series ended, but people are still talkin' 'bout Diff'rent Strokes.

The classic sitcom premiered in 1978 and aired for eight seasons. Diff'rent Strokes made Gary Coleman a household name, and it also launched the successful spinoff The Facts of Life, starring Charlotte Rae, which ran for nine seasons.

Many of the series' main stars went on to have continued success in film and television after the show wrapped, though most members of the Diff'rent Strokes family have since died. Most recently, memorable cast member Melanie Watson, who played Kathy Gordon, died on Dec. 26, at age 57. Though she only appeared in four episodes, she made a lasting impression after she was introduced in the third season.

Here's everything to know about what happened to the cast of Diff'rent Strokes, 40 years after the series ended.

01 of 09

Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson

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Gary Coleman in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Gary Coleman at Video Games Live on July 6, 2005 in Hollywood, California.

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.

02 of 09

Todd Bridges as Willis Jackson

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Todd Bridges in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Todd Bridges attends Premiere Of 'Truth Be Told' on November 11, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.

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.

03 of 09

Conrad Bain as Phillip Drummond

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Conrad Bain in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Conrad Bain at the SAG Foundation Awards on April 20, 1994 in Los Angeles, California.

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.”

04 of 09

Dana Plato as Kimberly Drummond

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Dana Plato in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Dana Plato at the VSDA Convention on July 24, 1994 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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.

05 of 09

Mary Jo Catlett as Pearl Gallagher

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Mary Jo Catlett in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Mary Jo Catlett attends a Screening of 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants' on December 15, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.

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.

06 of 09

Charlotte Rae as Edna Garrett

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Charlotte Rae in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Charlotte Rae attends The Actors Fund's 2017 Looking Ahead Awards on December 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

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.

07 of 09

Danny Cooksey as Sam McKinney

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Danny Cooksey in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Danny Cooksey attends the New Jersey Horror Con 2019 on October 12, 2019 in Atlantic City City.

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.

08 of 09

Dixie Carter as Maggie McKinney Drummond

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Dixie Carter in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Dixie Carter at The Magazine's Seventh Annual Movies for Grownups Awards on February 4, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.

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.

09 of 09

Mary Ann Mobley as Maggie McKinney Drummond

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Mary Ann Mobley in 'Diff'rent Strokes' ; Mary Ann Mobley attends the "What A Pair!" benefit concert on April 13, 2013 in Santa Monica, California.

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.

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