The fall of the former child star is one of show business's oldest tropesbut that doesn'tmake each and every story of talent squandered or a life wasted any less heartbreaking. She was released from her contract later that year. Platoposed nude forPlayboy in 1989 and dabbled in soft-core adult entertainment, anything perhaps to reboot her career. The documentary focused on what happened to her after the show, including her death. Lambert, a cameraman and amateur songwriter, had been experimenting with drugs and alcohol, Richardson said, which she thinks contributed to his death. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. She fell into drug addiction and died of an overdose in 1999. advocates for a healthy discussion about the instances of violence, abuse, sexual misconduct, animal cruelty, abuse etc. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. But Renfro would still manage todrinkat night. Lanny Lambert's Instagram, Twitter & Facebook on IDCrawl She got sentenced to five years of probation and lost custody of Tyler in the process. Plato, who died at age 34, had a son, Tyler, with her former husband, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert. The Most Cringe-Worthy Red Carpet Looks From 2002. In 2000, a documentary based on Plato titled "After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped" aired on Fox. When the song became a hit, an actual band was needed to . Recent News:Dana Plato's Diff'rent Strokes co-star, Gary Coleman has died. Plato and Lanny Lambert married in 1984 and divorced in 1990. [41] During her March 1990 divorce, Plato lost custody of her son to Lambert and was given visitation rights. Very self-aware. ). At one point, the young actress was even reduced to accepting anything and everything. (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.) It was her. But when Clark stopped by Renfro's home in Knoxville, Tenn., on the way to Florida, where they were going to shoot the movie, the 18-year-old had blood running down his arms and obvious track marks. 6. years. Dana Plato on set of "Diff'rent Strokes" | Photo: Getty Images. They had a son named Tyler age 37. Plato appeared regularly on the show throughout its run, notably top-billed for four years. Dana Michelle Plato was born in Maywood, California on November 7, 1964. The story unthinkably got even worse when, on May 6, 2009, Tylerdied of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Instead, according to Plato, her accountant embezzled the majority of her savings and fled the state, leaving the star with little money and no job leads. Larry Clark, who directed Renfro in 2001'sBully, recalled the actor promising he was sober while lobbying for the role in the film, based on a real-life story abouta group of teens who murdered their tormentor. Dana Plato died in this RV outside the home of her fiancee's parents in Moore Oklahoma. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Add to your scrapbook. 2023 E! 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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. She was 34 when she died. Tyler tried to get over losing his mum at such a young age, but he also became a victim of his mother's death. The rareexample of a child actor whocontinued on an ever-upward trajectory andwhose star at 45 remains as lofty as ever, Leodidhis share ofpartying as a youngster, because he couldbut he didn't get into the drug scene, because he was also fully aware of what happened on the other side of the world-is-your-oyster-at-20 coin. After Steven, the couple sired eight more children, and lived with them on welfare in an apartment above a shop. 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. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dana Plato R.I.P you are free my friend."[58]. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. This browser does not support getting your location. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. She was nabbed by police only minutes later, and was bailed out of prison by Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton. "We had five million talks about his compulsive personality and his guilt and fear over not being able to save his father. 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). Dana Plato on the set of "Letting Go" | Photo: Getty Images. 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. In addition to being a budding actress, Plato was an experienced figure skater, almost worthy of a potential qualification for an Olympic team. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. But his financial troubles, including a bankruptcy filing in 1999, continued to be notorious, and he worked as much as he couldand shows were usually happy to have him, such as when he was on The Hughleys in an episode called "Whatchoo Stalkin' About, Willis?" If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends). BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. "He wasn't ready to work on it.". What Really Happened to the Class of '65? 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. At the end of the film, where Bridges and Coleman appear, they stand near Plato's grave. Tyler was cremated just like his mother, and there was no memorial for him. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. In another big blow, Lambert gained legal custody of their son, citing Plato's addiction to drugs and alcohol. "I remember sitting in hotel rooms, opening capsules, emptying out the drugs, and filling the capsules with sugar. The world was our fun playground," DiCaprio, who won an Oscar in 2016 and is a shoo-in to get his sixth acting nod forOnce Upon a Timein Hollywood this coming award season, told Rolling Stone in 2010. In 1990 she made a brief attempt at a musical career, sponsored by producer Howie Rice. Dana Plato and Quinn Cummings on the set of "Letting Go" | Photo: Getty Images. Dana Plato's son commits suicide nearly 11 years after his mom overdosed. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. This account has been disabled. In 1991, Plato was arrested after robbing a video rental store for a miserable loot of one hundred and sixty-four dollars. She made little effort to hide the fact that the project was a step-down compared to her previous career ventures. And this girl showed up. English But he never was. And I was just talking to her, trying to figure out who she was. And by the time she was 18, she got pregnant by her then 21-year-old boyfriend, Lanny Lambert, and was written off the show. She died of an overdose on May 8, 1999, at age 34. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? A barrage of negative callers would hound Plato, calling her names and provoking her to the point of her offering to take a drug test while on the air. "Emotionally they did. 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 Plato's passing, Mother's Day became a very difficult day for Tyler because it coincided with her death. Like his mother, Tyler, a cameraman and aspiring songwriter, had battled drug and alcohol abuse. Copyright 2003, Reel Reviews. Plato married the father of her child, rocker Lanny Lambert, in April of that year. Gary Coleman poses for a portrait with co-stars Dana Plato and Todd Bridges while studying on the set of his show 'Diff'rent Strokes' in February 1980 in Los Angeles | Photo: Getty Images. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Coleman, 42, has had a number of health emergencies this year, including a seizure he suffered on the set of "The Insider" in February. I just saw the whole movie going down the drain.". Instead, like her, he took a detour into drugs and eventual suicide. But rehab didn't take for Plato, who died of an overdose on May 8, 1999, at age 34. She was the "real" daughter of the kind Mr. Drummond where Arnold and Willy had only been adopted. Actress: Diff'rent Strokes. Weve updated the security on the site. 1 child. She married spouse, Lanny Lambert from 1984 to 1990. Read More . In 1977, when Dana was 13, she faced an important crossroads: either compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating team, or star in a new TV sitcom. Dana never made an impact on the TV screen until she landed the role of Kimberly Drummond in the TV hit sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978) from 1978 . The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. It was while they were filmingBully in Fort Lauderdale that Renfro was arrested after hot-wiring a yacht but forgetting to untie it from the dock before he tried to steer off. So she gave me a ride to my pad. Dana Michelle Plato (ne Strain; November 7, 1964 May 8, 1999)[2][3] was an American actress. He didn't leave a note but friendssaid he had been depressed aboutthe state of his careerthough the work kept trickling in, they weren't the starring parts that landed him in endless teen-magazine spreads in the first half of the '90s. In addition to her most famous role, Plato appeared in episodes on many television programs. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "I think he was the best. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. Songfacts: The songwriters Lanny Lambert and Bobby Flax composed this tale of an imminent breakup at the hands of a manipulative girlfriend. Lanny's romantic association with actress Dana Plato is over but Lanny is still remembered as Dana Plato's husband. 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. After Plato discovered she was pregnant in 1984, the network decided the actress no longer fit their wholesome image. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. He died on 6 May 2010 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. ", Remarking on what was said at his memorial, all the people comforting each other with thoughts of Phoenix in heaven, or as energy now all around them, Plimpton cracked, "You would have thought he was 90 and had died in his sleep. After his death from what turned out to be acute multiple drug toxicity, including cocaine and heroin, the image of him changed toanother former child actor whose life went recklessly off the railsbut those close to himsaw a young man in pain, anatural at acting who wasn't dealing healthily with the ramifications of fame. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Dana Plato and Kirk Cameron on set | Photo: Getty Images. [50][51][52][53] Plato's body was cremated and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. Late 'Diff'Rent Strokes' Star Dana Plato Once Revealed - AmoMama When he wasn't a movie star, he was a missionary. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Plato married Lambert's father, Lanny Lambert. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. They had just talked that morning, she said,"but you never can tell what's in their mind.". She was featured in a video game in 1992 called Night Trap as a scantily clad victim. 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.