RIP Gary Coleman
 

Gary Coleman, ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ Star, Dies at 42 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com

Saw this pop up on the news a little while ago between the unending coverage of the oil leak and though I might post it because it seems lost amongst today's headlines and people might be interested.

I honestly can't think of anything to really write about the guy other then he always seemed like a nice enough fellow and its a shame he had to spend most of his adult life uttering a catch phrase to get work. Hope things turn out better for him on the other side.

Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Wes?!




Too soon?

Someone on Facebook (another TFP member, in fact) mentioned that they had seen dozens of announcements about this popping up on peoples' walls - more so than for other celebrities who have died - and wondered what it was about Gary Coleman that generated this response. Do you think it's his hard luck story?

RIP, Gary Coleman.

His show was a staple of my childhood. Not only was he in Diff'rent Strokes, but he seemed to be all over other tv shows in the late 70's and early 80's, as well. Even had a Saturday morning cartoon series.

He took a lot of flak in later years, and while some of it got to him, he showed himself to be a big man among little people.

You died before your time, Gary.

The appreciation he got offended him. I join WM in hoping he's happier now. 42 is too young to go.

I will always remember him as the little guy who used to appear on Fernwood 2-Night and America 2-Night with Martin Mull and Fred Willard. He was hysterical on that show, and I never felt like his other shows gave him the same creative license. I hated the "Whatchu talkin bout Willis" guy, but I loved him on those early shows.

He made some mistakes, but the dude got dealt a LOT of crappy hands.

I heard a brief bio about him on NPR. Didn't know his life was so tragic. And here I thought he was just a little bit messed up. May he RIP.

The way I will always remember him.

No, but I am saddened that will never actually find out what Willis was actually talkin' 'bout. Too soon too?

I remember him on Diff Strokes but otherwise I'm not to familiar with is work, but lurkette asks a great question up above, was it his hard luck story that made him so endearing? I would think so, he seemed to weather so much shit but was just always around being himself...A 4 foot tall spitball full of piss and vinegar saying "What you talkin' 'bout God? This all you got? I'm still standing here!"

At any rate for a guy that hasn't had much work in the last 20 some odd years he certainly endeared himself to the public in a way most of us never will.

<3'd Gary in Postal 2:

I definitely think it was his hard luck story that made people more sypmathetic toward him than other celebrities. Well, that and the fact that a lot of celebrities die of something drug/alcohol/general debauchery related, and people don't tend to feel as sorry for them.