Gary Coleman dies at 42

Gary Coleman, who soared to fame in the late 1970s as the child star of the hit sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" and whose adult life became fodder for the tabloids, died Friday at a Utah hospital from a brain hemorrhage. He was 42.

Coleman died at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage earlier this week, according to a statement from hospital spokeswoman Janet Frank.

A resident of Santaquin, Utah, he had been hospitalized Wednesday and lost consciousness the next day. He was taken off life support Friday afternoon with his family at his side, the hospital said.

Born with failed kidneys, Coleman had undergone two transplants by age 14 and his growth was permanently stunted by the side effects of dialysis medications.  Even those trademark chubby cheeks were thought perhaps to have been a side effect to the steroids taken to ward off transplant rejection.

As a child actor, Coleman made appearances on “Good Times” and “The Jeffersons” but he’s most famous for his role as Arnold Jackson on “Diff’rent Strokes,” which revolved around a wealthy white man who adopts two African-American children. Coleman played the younger brother, while Todd Bridges played Willis, the inspiration for Coleman’s catchphrase, “What’choo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”

At the height of his TV series success, Coleman reportedly earned $64,000 per week and is said to have made some $18 million during his TV heyday.

That included income from movies such as "On the Right Track" and "Jimmy the Kid" and TV movies such as "The Kid With the Broken Halo" and "The Kid With the 200 I.Q." — as well as the animated series "The Gary Coleman Show."

Coleman is survived by his wife Shannon Price and his parents W.G. Coleman and Edmonia Sue Coleman.