based on information from your browser. She made headlines and became part of the national debate over troubled child stars, particularly given the difficulties of her "Diff'rent Strokes" co-stars, Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges. Adoptive father of late actress, Dana Plato. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Oops, we were unable to send the email. She was raised in San Fernando Valley and was an accomplished figure skater before acting, having trained for the Olympic Games. She spoke about her life, discussing her financial problems and past run-ins with the law. At the age of seven, she began doing television commercials for companies as diverse as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dole, and Atlantic Richfield. [48], On May 8, 1999, Plato and Menchaca were returning to California and stopped at Menchaca's mother's home in Moore, Oklahoma, for a Mother's Day visit. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. "Dr. Larry E. Balding, deputy state medical examiner, said Friday that she had fatal concentrations of the muscle relaxant Soma and a generic form of the painkiller Lortab in her body. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Thanks for your help! [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. Add to your scrapbook. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Per IMDb, in 1999, Plato decided to do an interview on Howard Stern's radio show (posted on YouTube) in hopes of reviving her dying career. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. See additional information. Family members linked to this person will appear here. He said that Coleman had to come back to work only one day after being sick, he reminisced fondly about Dana Plato (calling her a "true friend"), and stated that he'd been molested as a child star. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Try again later. Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea. Toward the end of her career, she chose roles that could be considered erotic or even soft-core pornography, appearing partially nude in "Prime Suspect" (1988) and "Compelling Evidence" (1995), but her most infamous film was the 1997 pornographic movie "Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jilland Jill." If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Plato appeared regularly on the show throughout its run, notably top-billed for four years. 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Kate Moss Was 'Scared' & 'Couldn't Get Out Of Bed For Weeks' After Working With Mark Wahlberg. Plato chose the latter, and in 1978, she was cast as Kimberly Drummond in the hit sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." Year should not be greater than current year. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Please reset your password. Verify and try again. To use this feature, use a newer browser. What they do not know, however, is that they have just buried Cody on a sacred Indian cemetery. When she was three years old, her adoptive parents divorced and her mother started auditioning her at an early age. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Verify and try again. In January 1992 she was arrested again, this time for forging a prescription for Diazepam. [12] Upon waking up, Menchaca and their family discovered that Plato had died in her sleep initially assumed an accidental overdose but later ruled a suicide based on Plato's long history of substance use. Plato's last works include Desperation Boulevard (1998), in which she appears as herself and which appears to be based on her life; Silent Scream (1999), in which she appears as Emma Jones; and Pacino Is Missing (2002), which was released after her death, in which she appears as an attorney. At one point she worked at a dry-cleaning store, where customers reported being impressed by her lack of airs. Tragically, Plato's son, Tyler, would also commit suicide days before the 11th anniversary of his mother's death in 2010 (via "Today"). Please enter your email and password to sign in. Try again later. There is a problem with your email/password. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. During this time she was spotted by a producer during a brief appearance on the daytime television's "The Gong Show," and won her role on "Diff'rent Strokes" and the show was an immediate hit. Tragic Details On Death Of K-Pop Star At Age 28. Cremated. This is a carousel with slides. Please try again later. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Please reset your password. In 1977 she made her film debut in "Return to Boggy Creek." At the age of seven, she began doing television commercials for companies as diverse as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dole, and Atlantic Richfield. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. On what would have been her 55th birthday, Todd Bridges her co-star onDiff'rent Strokes took to Twitter to pay tribute to her. Failed to delete memorial. Dana Plato. 18 Jun 1908 - 20 Jan 2003. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. [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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Kagen suggested that Plato may have been used for a free meal ticket, which Plato denied, explaining that her mother's ways were so that she would not become a prima donna. Plato was sentenced to five years' probation, but was arrested when she was found to be forging prescriptions for valium. . This browser does not support getting your location. Throughout her life, she was arrested for various drug-related offenses. [43], On February 28, 1991, Plato entered a video store, produced a pellet gun, and demanded the money in the cash register. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? According toIMDb, after "Diff'rent Strokes," she had trouble finding more work as an actress. In 1984 she became pregnant by her boyfriend, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert, and the shows producers of felt that a pregnancy would fit the shows wholesome image, so she was let go but returned for several appearances during its final season. Tragic Details On Death Of K-Pop Star At Age 28, How Did Karl Lagerfeld Die? Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series, TV Land Awards for Best Quintessential Non-Traditional Family, Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jilland Jill. AP News writes that she had overdosed on a painkiller and valium. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. In 1991 she ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada unemployed and took a job at a dry-cleaning store. The role earned Plato acclaim, and nominations for a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series and two TV Land Awards for Best Quintessential Non-Traditional Family. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Actress. The two married in April 1984 but separated in January 1988, a week after her adoptive mother's death. Failed to report flower. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. That same year, she gave birth to her son Tyler, and married the baby's father. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Discover Dana Plato's Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. She was born in Maywood, California to a 16-year-old unmarried teenager who gave her up for adoption. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Add to your scrapbook. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? The only thing that she did, the mistake she made, was that she kept me in a plastic bubble. 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. The same year, she was one of the first celebrities to star in a video game. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. On May 7, 1999, Plato appeared on The Howard Stern Show in one of the most infamous episodes of the show, which you can see above.On . Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Actress. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. [44] Entertainer Wayne Newton posted her $13,000 bail,[43] and Plato was given five years' probation. The studio quickly became tense and Plato became defensive. While initially considered an accident, Plato's death was later ruled a suicide - with some blaming Stern for her decision to take her own life. Plato died in May 1999 aged 34, having taken an overdose of painkillers the day after a controversial interview with Howard Stern. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Actress: Diff'rent Strokes. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Initially named Dana Michelle Strain, she was adopted by Dean and Kay Plato when she was a baby. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Son of actress Dana Plato & musician Lanny Lambert. Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton posted her bail and she was given five years' probation. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. In June 1965, the seven-month-old Dana was adopted by Dean Plato, who owned a trucking company, and his wife Florine "Kay" Plato. Tyler Lambert, the 25-year-old-son of late "Diff'rent Strokes" actress Dana Plato, has committed suicide, according to several reports. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. After an autopsy was performed on Plato, however, her death was ruled a suicide. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Please reset your password. Search above to list available cemeteries. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Try again. On May 7, 1999 she traveled to New York City, New York with her finance Robert Menchaca, where she appeared on "The Howard Stern Show" to talk frankly about her life, including her run-ins with the law, financial problems, and drug and alcohol addictions. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. When she was three years old, her adoptive parents divorced and her mother started auditioning her at an early age. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. A day after the interview, on May 8, 1999, 34-year-old Plato died. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. This is a carousel with slides. It's located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and is not being advertised online. This account has been disabled. During this time she was spotted by a producer during a brief appearance on the daytime television's "The Gong Show," and won her role on "Diff'rent Strokes" and the show was an immediate hit. Weve updated the security on the site. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. [12], At a very young age, Plato began attending auditions with her mother, and at seven years old had appeared in over 100 television commercials. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab.