Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman (born February 8, 1968) is an American actor, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes (1978–1986). He works as the Secretary Controller for Simmons Media Group in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Coleman was born in Zion, Illinois. He was adopted by Edmonia Sue, a nurse practitioner, and W.G. Coleman, a fork-lift operator. He suffers from a congenital kidney disease causing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (an autoimmune destruction and alteration of the kidney), which halted his growth at an early age, leading to a small stature (4 ft 8 in; 1.42 m). He has undergone two kidney transplants, one in 1973 and one in 1984, and requires daily dialysis.
Coleman secretly wed his girlfriend of five months, Shannon Price, 22, on August 28, 2007.[2] They met on the set of the 2006 comedy film Church Ball.
On May 1 and May 2, 2008, Coleman and his wife appeared on the 
show Divorce Court to air their differences in front of Judge Lynn Toler. Uncharacteristically for Divorce Court participants, they appeared on the show with the intent to save their marriage rather than adjudicate a separation.
While best known for his role on Diff’rent Strokes, he had appeared earlier on The Jeffersons, and on Good Times as Penny’s friend Gary.
Coleman also plays baseball. On August 1 2008, he was featured on SportsCenter top ten plays. While playing for the Madison Mallards, Coleman was ejected from the game for unfair play.
Coleman was cast in the role of Arnold Jackson on Diff’rent Strokes, portraying a child adopted by a wealthy widower. The show was broadcast from 1978 to 1986, and was a huge success.
Coleman became the most popular fixture of the show (enhanced by his character’s catchphrase “whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”). At the height of his fame on Diff’rent Strokes, he earned as much as $100,000 per episode. However, it is estimated he only received a quarter of that after paying his parents, advisers, lawyers, and taxes. He later successfully sued his parents and his ex-advisers for misappropriation of his finances.
