What was the net worth and salary of Gary Coleman?
Gary Coleman was an American actor who had a net worth of $75 thousand at the time of his death in 2010. Gary Coleman was best known for playing the child role of Arnold Jackson in the sitcom ‘Diff’rent Strokes’. Thanks to the role, he became one of the highest paid actors in the late 70s and 80s. He also won awards. His show catchphrase “What’chu talkin’ bout, Willis?” it is still very popular.
Coleman also lent his voice to the animated programs “The Gary Coleman Show” and “Waynehead” and appeared in films such as “Jimmy the Kid”, “Dirty Work” and “An American Carol”.
Salary different strokes
At its peak, Gary Coleman earned $100,000 per episode on the show. That made him the highest paid television actor in the world at the time. About $2.5 million per season. That’s the same as about $6.5 million after adjusting for inflation. After paying his parents, lawyers, counselors and taxes, he was said to have only a quarter of what he earns.
Financial and legal struggles
Coleman was often plagued by financial problems during his career, both from ongoing medical cases and the fact that his parents and business advisors frequently misappropriated his income. In 1989, he sued his adoptive parents and former counselors, eventually winning a $1.28 million settlement a few years later. To support himself during his career struggles, Coleman worked part-time at railroad hobby shops in California, Arizona, and Colorado.
While working as a security guard in 1998, Coleman was accused of assaulting a Los Angeles bus driver who asked for his autograph. When an argument ensued, Coleman punched the woman in the face several times and was arrested. He received a suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay the women’s hospital bill and attend anger management classes. The following year, Coleman filed for bankruptcy protection. Later in his life, Coleman was often in more legal trouble, being cited for disorderly conduct, reckless driving, and domestic assault.
The first start of life and the beginning of the career
Gary Coleman was born in 1968 in Zion, Illinois, the adopted son of Edmonia Sue, a nurse, and WG Coleman, a forklift operator. He had a congenital kidney disease that would prevent him from growing over 4 feet 8 inches and would keep his face childlike into adulthood. In an attempt to address this, he underwent two kidney transplants in 1973 and another in 1984, but these were unsuccessful.
Coleman’s professional career began in 1974 when he appeared in a commercial for Harris Bank. In the same year, he was in an episode of the CBS series “Medical Center”. A few years later, he appeared in episodes of the CBS sitcoms “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times.”
Different shots
In 1977, Coleman was in the pilot episode of the revival of “The Little Rascals”. Although the series was not picked up, a director noticed Coleman and subsequently cast him in his best role: Arnold Jackson in “Diff’rent Strokes”. Jackson was one of two African-American brothers from Harlem, the other played by Todd Bridges, who were adopted by a wealthy white widower from Manhattan, played by Conrad Bain. A major hit, the series ran for eight seasons, first on NBC and then on ABC. Coleman became known for his catchphrase on the show, “What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”, which he suspiciously uttered to his character’s brother.
At the height of his fame on “Diff’rent Strokes,” Coleman reportedly earned $100,000 per episode. He has received a multitude of awards, including five Young Artist Award nominations and two wins and four consecutive People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Young TV Performer, won between 1980 and 1983.
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Film and television career in the 70s and 80s
A popular figure such as the hit “Diff’rent Strokes”, Coleman began to appear in other television productions, and in films. In 1979, he starred in the made-for-TV movie “The Kid from Left Field” and made a guest appearance on the science fiction program “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” The following year, he starred in the television movie Scout’s Honor, and in 1981, he made his feature film debut in the comedy The Good Way, playing a young shoeshine boy who becomes famous for gambling with good luck on the horses. “The Kid with the Broken Halo,” “Jimmy the Kid,” and three television movies followed: “The Kid with the 200 IQ,” “The Fantastic World of DC Collins,” and “Playing with Fire.” In the meantime,
Acting career later
In the 1990s, Coleman appeared in episodes of such series as “Married… with Children”, “Martin” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. In 1996, he had a recurring role on the Saturday morning cartoon Waynehead, which was created by actor Damon Wayans. On the big screen, he made cameo appearances as himself in the comedies “SFW” and “Dirty Work.”
Coleman continued to make appearances as himself on many programs throughout the 2000s. His credits included ‘The Hughleys’, ‘My Wife and Kids’, ‘Baby Bob’, ‘The Parkers’, ‘The Surreal Life’, ‘Drake “. & Josh” and “Nitro Circus”. Among Coleman’s last roles were the comedies “Church Ball” and “An American Carol.” His last film appearance was in the 2009 independent film Midgets vs. Mascots”.
Personal life
In 2007, on the set of “Church Ball”, Coleman met Shannon Price, who was working as an extra. They were married many months later. After appearing on “Divorce Court” in 208, they ended up divorcing, largely due to Price being physical and unfaithful.
In 2009, Colman underwent heart surgery and developed pneumonia. The following year, he suffered two seizures and was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, after falling down the stairs of his home. In critical condition, his health worsened and he was put on life support. Coleman died in May 2010, aged 42.
