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Gary Coleman
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Gary Coleman smiling and wearing a black leather jacket over a patterned shirt at an event, with a dark background. Diff'rent Strokes cast
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Gary Coleman smiling and wearing a black leather jacket over a patterned shirt at an event, with a dark background.
Gary Coleman Gary Coleman during opening night for the stage musical The Ten Commandments at the Kodak Theatre (now the Dolby Theatre), Los Angeles, 2004.

Gary Coleman

American actor
Also known as: Gary Wayne Coleman
Written by
Joan Hibler
Joan Hibler was a senior editor at EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica.
Joan Hibler
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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‱History

Gary Coleman (born February 8, 1968, Zion, Illinois, U.S.—died May 28, 2010, Provo, Utah) was an American child star known for his small stature. He was best known for starring in the situation comedy television series Diff’rent Strokes (1978–86). Coleman was adopted as a baby by Edmonia Sue Coleman, a nurse practitioner, and W.G. Coleman, a pharmaceutical company representative. He had been diagnosed with various medical issues at birth, including a potentially fatal form of...

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