Her later struggles with substance abuse and mental health received significant media coverage, and her personal life, in retrospect, has been described as a "tragedy". Please enter your email and password to sign in. Her ill-conceived grab for rent money (it was really a cry for help according to many people) sent her to jail for a short stint, but her new notoriety managed to get her work in the "no publicity is bad publicity" world of Hollywood. "I've been around a lot of addicts and alcoholics, and I remember thinking at the time, this is one of the worst cases I've ever seen," Clark said. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. In December 1983, Plato moved in with her boyfriend, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert. Verify and try again. He also would take the opportunity to cash in on his celebrity, running for governor of California in 2003 and appearing onThe Surreal Life in 2004. Plato was released. Dana Plato was a child actress on the television show Diff'rent Strokes. Her death was a tragic coda to what was unarguably a hard life, fleeting perks of fame aside. She got arrested in 1991 after she stole $160 for a video store in Las Vegas and got caught after she forged a prescription for 1000 valium tablets the following year. Life took a turn for the worse in 1988, when her mother died the same week that she and her husband split up. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? "You just wanted to take care of this boy," talent manager J.J. Harris remembered to the Seattle Times in 2008. Plato went to lie down inside her recreational vehicle parked outside the house and subsequently took a large dose of Lortab and Valium. [40] Her co-star Conrad Bain revealed that she was happy about her baby and that she would no longer be alone,[12][13] stating in an interview with People magazine: "She deliberately got pregnant while doing the series, when I spoke to her about it, she was enthusiastic about having done that [saying that] 'When I get the baby, I will never be alone again.'" 6 years, 4 months. CBC News described her performance in the episode as a "series highpoint".[26]. It was a devastating blow for the family. Their only hit, "White Lies, Blue Eyes", peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1972. After Steven, the couple sired eight more children, and lived with them on welfare in an apartment above a shop. Born Dana Michelle Strain on the 7th November 1964 in Maywood, California USA, she was an actress best known to the world for playing Kimberly Drummond in the sitcom "Different. She had stolen $164. Doctors later concluded it was suicide since they found a high dose of muscle relaxant and painkillers in her body. Plato survived as best she could between extreme poverty and occasional odd jobs in Las Vegas. [50][51][52][53] Plato's body was cremated and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. A system error has occurred. She blasted her way back into the headlines in January of 1992, when she was arrested for the armed robbery of a Las Vegas video store (which she used a pellet gun and netted her $164) - she was charged with armed robbery and was later sentenced to five years probation. (It also wasn't a bad career move for Jodi Foster, who wasnominated for an Oscar for 1976'sTaxi Driver and has since won two.) [14][24] She made a one episode appearance on season 8 episode 12 of "The Love Boat". They dated for 5 months after getting together in Nov 1983 and married on 21st Apr 1984. On Jan. 31, 2020. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Best known as Kimberly Drummond, the older sister on TV's "Diff'rent Strokes," Dana went through a lot while never quite escaping the scrutiny of the media and fans. The two married in April 1984 but separated in January 1988, a week after her adoptive mother's death. Plato died of a drug overdose in May 1999. In the note, Tyler revealed that the only moments he was happy were when he was high and didn't have to think about the past or when he was drunk and unable to think about the past. She moved to Las Vegas, hoping to advance her career, but could only find retail and service industry jobs. I know her.' Lambert, 25, committed suicide on May 6, just days before Mother's Day and the 11th anniversary of Plato's 1999 death from a drug overdose. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. This account has been disabled. Actress Dana Michelle Strain was born on November 7, 1964, in Maywood, California. Dana Plato at the Video Software Dealers Association Convention on July 24, 1994 in Las Vegas | Photo: Getty Images. Copyright 2003, Reel Reviews. Lanny Lambert. "It's a shame that such a talented human being would do this with his life," his paternal grandmother, Joni Richardson, who had helped raised him, told People at the time. Plato was released. I probably shouldn't say that, but, yeah, I was doing that. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! Plato's son Tyler met a similar end on May 6, 2010, when he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, also in Oklahoma. Try again later. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The 25-year-old Tyler was Plato's son with Lanny Lambert. Dana landed roles on over 100 TV commercials as a child, including appearances for KFC, Arco and Dole bananas. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. I thought, 'Wow, this kid is insanely talented, if he doesn't have some kind of familial moorings, he's going to fall off the deep end.' She revealed her new, mature image in a 1989 Playboy photo shoot, but no big Hollywood offers came as a result of the magazine spread. Dan Obannon confirmed what actually happened to Lambert in Famous Monster #159. Johnny Whitaker, Plato's former manager and a friend of the family, told ABCNews.com he once tried to intervene in Lambert's drug use. After agreeing to enter a drug-diversion program following another arrest in 2006, Renfro talked to reporters about being 30 days sober. "When I saw Leonardo DiCaprio in This Boy's Life and What's Eating Gilbert Grape? Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. English To cope with the pressures of their newly found fame, Plato and her young co-stars began living a hedonistic lifestyle off-set, indulging in pot and cocaine after hours. He'd say things like, 'Nobody can put up with me 'cause I'm too hot to handle.'" "He's all dehydrated and feels terrible," Clark recalled shooting the next day. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Tyler was just 14 when his mother overdosed on prescription pills (Vanadom and Vicodin). Dana Plato on the set of "Letting Go" | Photo: Getty Images. Nonetheless, Lambert struggled every Mother's Day. From 1978 until 1984, when she got pregnant and was written out of the show, Plato starred onDiff'rent Strokes as Kimberly Drummond, the big sister to adopted brothers Willis and Arnold, played by Todd Bridges and Gary Coleman, both ofwhose post-Strokes lives are also the stuff of child-stardom-gone-wrong legend. That same year, she was defrauded by her accountant, who was never prosecuted. Children. The Dana Plato nude Playboy pictorial did nothing to help revive her career, however, and Dana continued to languish on the fringes of the entertainment industry. But rehab didn't take for Plato, who died of an overdose on May 8, 1999, at age 34. In 1983, she starred in the television film High School U.S.A. as Cara Ames, alongside Diff'rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges, who played Otto Lipton. In desperation, she signed over power of attorney to an accountant who disappeared with the majority of her money, leaving her with less than $150,000. Read More . 'Where you been, Haimster?' Renfro had been an unruly kid from the beginning, when he was an unknown making his acting debut inThe Clientat the age of 12 alongside Susan Sarandon in 1994. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. It featured actors who at the time were unknown, as well as Bridges, who made a cameo appearance. In 2000, a documentary based on Plato titled "After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped" aired on Fox. Tyler tried to get over losing his mum at such a young age, but he also became a victim of his mother's death. There was a problem getting your location. "It's helped me greatly. She died on the 8th of May 1999 in Moore, Oklahoma, United States. Lambert, a cameraman and amateur songwriter, had been experimenting with drugs and alcohol, Richardson said, which she thinks contributed to his death. All rights reserved. The judge sentenced Plato to 30 days in jail, followed by a drug rehab program. He sued his adoptive parents in 1989 for mismanaging his earnings, eventually winning a $1.3 million judgment. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. On May 6, 2010, two days before the eleventh anniversary of Plato's death, her 25-year-old son Tyler died by suicide. Contribute to this page. Lanny Lambert was given custody of Tyler. Coroner officials in Oklahoma today ruled the troubled ex-Diff'rent Strokes star committed suicide--intentionally overdosing on a toxic batch of painkillers. I know her. Phoenix had also mentioned beingsexually abused as a little boy when his family was still a part of the Children of God cult, a group he later called "disgusting. Her acting career began with numerous commercial appearances, and her television debut came at the age of 10 with a brief appearance on the television series The Six Million Dollar Man (1975). She made the interview, and was dead two days later. We were sitting out in her truck; she had a truck. Recent News:Dana Plato's Diff'rent Strokes co-star, Gary Coleman has died. Dana Michelle Plato was born in Maywood, California, on Saturday, November 7, 1964. The National Enquirer claims that Lambert's death is the result of his depression concerning the anniversary of his mother's death on May 8, 1999, which was also ruled a suicide. Suggest an edit or add missing content. Hollywood and associated environs are full of actors and singers who started young and, whether you know who they are or not as adults, are doing just fine. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [41] Although she allowed a hair to be cut for the test, Stern later claimed she asked for it back after the interview. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52311945/tyler-edward-lambert. And probably because of the outpouring of shock over Ledger's death at 28 from an accidental prescription drug overdose and the hype surrounding his posthumous accolades for The Dark Knight, those twin blows to young Hollywood don't feel as if they occurred anywhere in the vicinity of each other. does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Eleven years after Plato died, Tyler Lambert committed suicide at age 25. He died in 2017. Which 'Stranger Things' Character Are You? He looks horrible. He got Plato pregnant in 1984 and the producers felt teen pregnancy did not fit into the show's image. Micara went on to record and tour with Gary U.S. Bonds and play drums on film soundtracks before changing careers to public-school teaching. Please reset your password. Dana Plato on set of "Diff'rent Strokes" | Photo: Getty Images. Deadly Disneyland - When the Happiest Place on Earth Goes Rogue. Career Difficulties After the birth of her son, Tyler, Plato had a difficult time establishing a career that . She then starred in the 1975 made for television film Beyond the Bermuda Triangle. We have set your language to After we were done cleaning the floors and cleaning up all the sandwich stuff, she would close up shop and we would fucking drink beer. Also still speaking out on behalf of those who didn't is Corey Feldman, star of the likes ofStand by MeandDream a Little Dream who in recent years hasbeen adamant about makingsure that the alleged trauma inflicted on him and others, particularlythe lateCorey Haim, doesn't get swept under the rug. So when we made The Wolf of Wall Street, I told him I'd been worried about him. "I'm not just saying that nowI said that before he died. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Following her jail term, Dana appeared in a string of B-grade features including such sterling gems as 1992's "Bikini Beach Race" and 1995's "Compelling Evidence." May 13, 2010 -- Tyler Lambert once aspired to follow his famous mother, "Diff'rent Strokes" actress Dana Plato, into show business. When she was three, her adoptive parents divorced and she lived with her mother. Dana Michelle Plato led quite an interesting life, full of dizzying heights and earth-shattering lows. "I've never been happier. [55] In 2006, NBC aired the television film Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Diff'rent Strokes, which was based on the lives of the child stars who had worked on the show. [12] Later on in the visit, Plato said that she felt unwell and took a few doses of a hydrocodone / acetaminophen painkiller (Lortab), along with the muscle-relaxant carisoprodol (Soma),[49] and went to lie down with Menchaca inside her Winnebago motor home, which was parked outside the house. Here are the stories of nine other child stars from 1980s TV who ended up plagued with problems. One of most haunting examples of drugs ruiningareal-deal acting career was the Jan. 15, 2008, death of Brad Renfro, star ofThe Client, Tom and Huck, Sleepers,Apt Pupiland more until addiction destroyed his life. Following is an article detailing the death of Dana Plato: Seems the hunger for drugs runs in the Plato family as we lost Dana Plato's son to what is reportedly drug-related behavior: May 13, 2010 - Tyler Lambert, the son of late Diff'rent Strokes star Dana Plato, has committed suicide, nearly 11 years to the day that his mother took her own life. Thereafter, Plato appeared recurringly on Diff'rent Strokes from 1985 to 1986, the show's end;[25] in season 8, the episode which aired on January 17, 1986, was Plato's final appearance on the show, which showed her character suffering from bulimia. She was also featured in more than a dozen movies, including some soft pornography roles. Dino told podcast host Doc Coyle of BAD WOLVES (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The manager who worked [at the shop] was really cool. He was 42 and had lived a fraught life since the peak of hisDiff'rent Strokes fame, buoyed by his endlessly parroted catchphrase, "What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?". There is a problem with your email/password. "I am what I am. At 15, he started to go down the path his mother did as he had issues with drugs, alcohol, was acting out, and even had rehab stints. All rights reserved. Dana Plato at the Sixth Annual People's Choice Awards on January 24, 1980 in Hollywood | Photo: Getty Images. Plato was only 34 years old at the time of her passing. EU Users: Click here to revoke your choice, California Notice / Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Plato violated the terms of her probation, however, by forging prescriptions for Valium. (Against all odds, Bridges, author ofKilling Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted, managed to overcome being a victim of sexual abuse as a kid, drug addiction and going on trial for attempted murderhe was acquittedandpress on in life and his career.). The iconic entertainer, who was 17 when she starred inThe Wizard of Oz, died of a barbiturate overdose at 47. Dana Plato attends Saturn Awards on October 20, 1994 in Hollywood | Photo: Getty Images. Drag images here or select from your computer for Tyler Edward Lambert memorial. On May 8, 1999, the troubled 34-year-old actress overdosed on prescription pain killers after her character, Kimberly Drummond, was written off the hit show in 1984 amid rumors of a drug problem.. She admitted to being a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, but claimed she had been sober for more than ten years by that point and was not using any drugs, with the exception of prescribed painkillers due to the recent extraction of her wisdom teeth. Plato married Lambert's father, Lanny Lambert. He was a very natural actor. Rough-and-tumble. She claimed the accountant was never found nor prosecuted despite an exhaustive search, and that he had also stolen more than $11 million of other people's money. He was 25 years old.Lambert died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head last Thursday in Tulsa, Okla., says his grandmother, Joni Richardson. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Plimpton, meanwhile, is an example of an actress who's enjoying the fourth decade of her career after getting her start as a kid. The couple married on April 24, 1984, and their only child, Tyler Edward Lambert, was born on July 2, 1984. [10][11], Dana Plato was born Dana Michelle Strain on November 7, 1964, in Maywood, California, to Linda Strain, a teenager who was already caring for an 18-month-old child. So she had some friends that came over. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. [20], When Plato made a brief appearance on The Gong Show, she was spotted by a producer who helped cast her as Kimberly Drummondthe older sister of adopted brothers Arnold and Willis Jacksonon the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. Tyler was a cameraman and amateur songwriter. [44] Entertainer Wayne Newton posted her $13,000 bail,[43] and Plato was given five years' probation. Is the best of the young guys," Brad Pitt said afterward. Learn all about Lanny Lambert on AllMusic. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. +. Learn more about merges. Judy Garland, a child performer in vaudeville before she signed with MGM as a teenager, was one of the young studio stars prescribed amphetamines to stay awake and barbiturates to help her sleep. Toward the end of her career, Plato chose roles that were erotic;[39] she appeared nude in Prime Suspect (1989) and Compelling Evidence (1995), and in the softcore erotic drama Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jilland Jill (1998), the title of which was changed after filming in order to tie it to Plato's past. Plato had a son, Tyler, with her former husband, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. (Price and Coleman had continued to live together after divorcing in 2008 and she had the power to make medical decisions for him.). HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dana Plato R.I.P you are free my friend."[58]. It's going to help me in all phases of my life.". In 1991, Plato was arrested after robbing a video rental store for a miserable loot of one hundred and sixty-four dollars. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. After their divorce in 1990, Lambert took custody of their son, who later suffered from depression and shot himself in the head. Lanny Lambert was the husband of 'Diff'rent Strokes' star Dana Plato. Plato subsequently appeared in the horror films Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and Return to Boggy Creek (1977), playing Sandra Phalor and Evie Jo, respectively. Tyler was born a year later. They took a trip to visit his mother for Mother's Day in Moore, Oklahoma. The film was focused on her life and work after the show, including her death. She was the "real" daughter of the kind Mr. Drummond where Arnold and Willy had only been adopted. But I'm getting back into my zone on-set, and it is absolutely what I've been lacking for years. Although the group toured for two years and recorded three more singles, only "Willpower Weak, Temptation Strong," another Lambert and Flax song, broke into the Billboard Top 100.