OK, it was either those lead-in lyrics or “Watchoo talkin’ ’bout?” as the title of this posting – and that one’s been done to death. But still it never fails to make me smile a bit, because Diff’rent Strokes was one of the earliest prime time sitcoms that really captured me. I won’t even bother to wax philosophical about what it taught the Gen X’ers about race relations, drugs, pedophilia, smoking, kids in wheelchairs, kidnapping, and epilepsy during some of its ‘very special episodes’ that it was famous for – because somehow through all the seriousness it never failed to make me laugh and feel right at home in the Drummond residence.
Is it a classic? I’m not really capable of making that determination because I look at the show through rose-tinted, pre-pubescent glasses. But to me it is. And I’m loving the fact that the DVD catalog has just been recently picked up again by Shout Factory, which will all but ensure that they are finally released.
But you’re probably here to learn about my celebrity encounters with the stars of the show, far too many of whom have already passed away. Well the bad news is that I never got to meet Gary Coleman (Arnold) nor Dana Plato (Kimberly) before their untimely deaths. And although she was 70, it was a bit of a shock when Dixie Carter passed away a couple of years ago. She played Mr. Drummond’s new wife Maggie for one season, before she was replaced by another actress.
But the good news is that I do have their autographs in my collection. Gary Coleman was one that I got from my friend Steve Cox during a trade of some sort. He can be seen below, and Dana, whom my friend Bob got me at one of the Hollywood Collector Shows in the late 1990’s, can be seen at the top of the posting.
I’ve also never met Conrad Bain, but he was kind enough to sign a couple of items for me through the mail in 1998. He’s closing in on 90 as of this writing, and I’m still holding out hope that I’ll get the chance to meet him one day.
So who have I met? Well, I’ve already shared with you my encounters with two of the actresses who played two of the household maids: Charlotte Rae (Mrs. Garrett) and Mary Jo Catlett (Pearl). But in recent days, I’ve added two more great encounters to my Diff’rent Strokes bucket list.
On August 4, 2012, I was able to finally catch up with Todd Bridges at the Hollywood Show in Burbank. I had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and I’m pleased to report that my encounter with him was nothing but pleasant. He was an extremely nice guy who expressed genuine sadness when he saw my signed photo of Dana Plato, telling me how much he missed her. And he was incredibly touched to see my signature of Conrad Bain. He told me that he talked to him weekly and that he was more a father to him than his own. It’s such a shame that Todd Bridges has the reputation of suffering the Diff’rent Strokes curse, because if you really delve into what’s befell him, most of it was of no fault of his own. I found him to be a great guy and I’m so glad that he could find the time away from his family to come out and meet his fans.
Likewise just as friendly was Danny Cooksey, who had played Sam McKinney, the little redheaded step-child who was brought in to up the cute factor of the show after Gary Coleman had literally reached adulthood. In addition, he had been part of a teenage heavy metal band called Bad 4 Good, whom I occasionally listened to in the early 1990’s. He says that fans of the band still approach him about their music.
He made his first convention appearance at the Horrorhound in Indianapolis, actually as part of a Terminator reunion. He had played a small role in the second film as John Connor’s friend Tim. I got my chance to meet Danny Cooksey on September 9, 2012, just over a month after my meeting with Todd Bridges. It was cool to add both signatures to my cast shot that had already been signed by Conrad Bain in such a short amount of time. Danny told me that the photo I had was taken just three days after he had found out that he got the job on the show. His very first assignment was to come to the studio and pose for this, one of the ‘new family’ wedding pictures.
Both of these Diff’rent Strokes cast members were great guys and I was thrilled to meet them. That wouldn’t thrill you, you say? Oh well. Different strokes for different folks.
Celebrities of the Summer 2012 Hollywood Show will continue…
Celebrities of the Summer 2012 Horrorhound show will continue…
Hard to be our age and not love this show (and Silver Spoons, too).
Aaron
September 17th, 2012