Gary Coleman was one of the highest-paid child actors on television for his role in hit American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, but he died penniless after a legal battle with his parents
Gary Coleman died penniless, despite once being one of the highest-earning child actors on television. He died in 2010, with questions raised about the circumstances of his death.
The sitcom actor reportedly raked in a staggering $18million (£13m) for his portrayal of Arnold Jackson on the popular American series Diff’rent Strokes, having landed the role at the tender age of 10 in 1978. During the show’s eight-season run, he was pulling in an impressive $70,000 per episode, which equates to around £157,000 in today’s currency. However, the strain clearly took its toll on the young actor, who was managed by his parents.
The Independent reports that Gary would vomit after scenes and was allegedly unhappy on set.
As time went on, viewership began to wane, and it’s believed that the actor vowed never to work in the entertainment industry again. Nevertheless, this didn’t deter his parents from pushing him into other roles, with the publication reporting that Gary “resented that they were still pursuing opportunities for him”.
His father, Willie Coleman, was once overheard telling his son: “You gotta get out there and work. You’ve got people depending on you,” reports the Express.
The beloved actor continued to land television roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s – even making appearances in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alongside Will Smith and Married… With Children.
However, in another unfortunate turn of events for Gary, much of his fortune was being drained to pay his advisory team, which included his parents and a host of lawyers.
Gary even took legal action against his own parents, accusing them of mismanaging his finances to the tune of $1.3million. He filed a lawsuit in 1989 after an investigation uncovered that they had siphoned off $770,000 from one of his personal accounts and funnelled the money into unsuccessful investments.
Four years on, a judge determined that Gary was short of more than $1million and dismissed an attempt by his parents to place him under a conservatorship.
However, this did not resolve his financial woes, and the actor eventually declared bankruptcy in 1999. By the time of his death in 2010, he was essentially penniless.
Gary tragically passed away at the tender age of 42 due to an intracranial haemorrhage caused by a head injury from a fall.
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
