Gary Coleman, 1968-2010

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Gary Coleman, 1968-2010

Photos from the life of actor Gary Coleman, the child actor star of 'Diff'rent Strokes,' who passed away on May 28, 2010.

Actor Gary Coleman, seen here in 2003, died Friday, May 28, 2010, two days after being hospitalized in a Salt Lake City hospital with a head injury.

Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, became a star after "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978. Here, Coleman poses with Conrad Bain and Todd Bridges at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

Coleman won a People's Choice Award in 1980. The attention his starring role brought him could be a burden as well as a pleasure.

Most of the laughs on "Diff'rent Strokes" were drawn from the tiny, 10-year-old Coleman, seen here in 1983 with Mr. T.

Coleman was an immediate star, and his skeptical "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" - usually aimed at his brother, Willis - became a catchphrase. Here, Coleman clowns around with former MLB baseball player Reggie Jackson in an undated photo.

In this Nov. 19, 1979 file photo, comedian-actress Lucille Ball, left, poses with actor Gary Coleman during a break in filming "The Lucille Ball Special" in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.

In this March 19, 1983 photo, first lady Nancy Reagan and "Diff'rent Strokes" star Gary Coleman talk during break in rehearsal. Mrs. Reagan, a former actress, made a guest appearance on the show to help deliver an anti-drug abuse message.

Although his popularity faded when the show ended, Coleman, seen here in 1993, continued to get credits for TV guest shots and other small roles over the years.

Gary Coleman and co-star Todd Bridges, in a promotional photo for the 2006 show "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Diff'rent Strokes'."

Coleman married Shannon Price, whom he met on the set of the 2006 comedy "Church Ball" and married in 2007, although the union was often marked with strife.

Coleman was a staple of television-nostalgia shows, such as this 2008 appearance at the TV Land Awards. He once told The New York Times that "I want to escape that legacy of Arnold Jackson. I'm someone more. It would be nice if the world thought of me as something more."

1/11

Actor Gary Coleman, seen here in 2003, died Friday, May 28, 2010, two days after being hospitalized in a Salt Lake City hospital with a head injury.

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