If you are a certain age and remember watching the sitcom Diff’rent Strokes – the late ‘70s/late ‘80s American sitcom – then you undoubtedly remember Dana Plato. She was the teenage heartthrob that, alongside the wisecracks of Gary Coleman, made Diff’rent Strokes into the ratings juggernaut that it was for the time. But despite her years of success on the show (until she was booted – more on that later), Dana Plato’s life followed a trajectory all too common with actors that grow up in showbiz. But before we get into all of that, let’s look at Dana Plato’s beginnings.
Dana Plato’s Early Life and Career
Dana Plato made her acting debut at the age of 10 with a one-off appearance on the American television series The Sixth Million Dollar Man, a show about a dude that gets his ass fucking shot by a gang of thugs, only to be brought back to life with super strength, speed, and other bullshit with 1970s technology and only a few million dollars. Maybe Dana Plato starred as a character telling the main character Steve Austin (no, not “Stone Cold Steve Austin,” just some dipshit named “Steve Austin”) that the show’s concept is so fucking stupid, even a 10 year old can see it.
She then starred in several films in the late 1970s, only to be discovered by a producer on a game show called The Gong Show. This was a 1970s American game show where mother fuckers would do everything from singing show tunes about pasta to jerking off in front of a live audience to completion without the majority of the judges hitting a gong that indicates the contestant fucking sucks ass, is a loser, and should probably rub shit all over their face in shame. Dana Plato was one of the contestants that managed to impress, which led her to getting cast on the American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes as Kimberly Drummond, the older sister of adopted bros Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman) and Willis Jackson (Todd Bridges).
Rise to American Heartthrob
Diff’rent Strokes premiered on the American television network NBC in 1978, instantly becoming a hit. Alongside the wise-cracking Gary Coleman who made the phrase, “Whatchya talkin’ ‘bout Willis,” part of the American lexicon for decades, Dana Plato’s natural beauty turned Diff’rent Strokes into a can’t-miss weekly spectacle. Dana Plato’s instant popularity was noticed, and as such, she was top-billed in the show’s credits for four years.
Dana Plato’s appearance on the American showbiz circuit was perfect timing. As the 1970s winded down and the US entered the 80s, there was a clear demand and obsession with teenage actors. Magazines like Tiger Beat were consumed by young people of all walks of life, hanging their teen celebrity crushes on their walls, lockers, or wherever. Dana Plato fit into that mold perfectly, alongside other American teenage heartthrobs of the era, like Molly Ringwald, Valerie Bertinelli, Demi Moore, and more.
With the wit and warmth that Dana Plato brought to her role of Kimberly Drummond, she appeared on the cover of magazines, made television guest appearances, and even landed a role in the sequel to the already infamous The Exorcist: Exorcist II: The Heretic. She also starred in well-received television films High School U.S.A and A Step in Time, along with the film California Suite, which earned awards from the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.
That wasn’t all, either. During this time, Dana Plato was also nominated for a Young Artist Award and two TV Land Award nominations, both for her performance on Diff’rent Strokes. Within a few short years, Dana Plato had went from a relative unknown to a thriving young actress that had already been nominated for a multitude of awards and was seemingly on her way to superstardom. But with one quick decision, that all changed.
Dana Plato became pregnant in late 1983 with her musician boyfriend, and according to one co-star, she was ecstatic about the pregnancy. However, the producers behind Diff’rent Strokes weren’t thrilled whatsoever. Due to a combination of Dana Plato’s pregnancy and issues in her personal life that were beginning to become a liability for Diff’rent Strokes’ “wholesome family comedy” reputation, the Kimberly Drummond character was axed from the show altogether. She returned now and then throughout the final few seasons of the show, but she never found the same success as she had in previous years.
Dana Plato Transitions to Adult Roles
Dana Plato attempted to transition into more serious roles after Diff’rent Strokes was over once and for all, but her options dried up. She got breast implants and was featured in the June 1989 edition of Playboy, and holy fuck – she was hot as hell! Even by 80s standards, I was looking at her photos for ThePornDude, and I had to take my cock out and start stroking! Damn – how the fuck did she not find work?!
She did – sort of. Dana Plato was in low budget films Bikini Beach Race in 1989, and judging by her Playboy work, I’m not surprised one fucking bit that she got that part! Who wouldn’t want to see that rack for a little while? I sure as fuck would, I’ll tell you that much right the fuck now (and I fucking am!)!
Dana Plato also starred in Lethal Cowboy a few years later. Before that though, she attempted to break out as a musician. She recorded a few tracks in 1990 but they weren’t released. It’s during this time that her life truly began to get out of control.
Dana Plato’s Downward Spiral
Following Dana Plato’s separation from her husband as the 1980’s was winding down, the couple officially divorced in 1990. From this, Dana Plato also lost custody of her son, though she was given visitation rights. Into 1991, her life grew darker.
This started on February 28, 1991, when she walked into a video store in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the middle of the video store in the Nevada desert, Dana Plato pulled out a pellet gun and pointed it at the cashier, demanding they empty the cash register. The cashier did as they were instructed, and Dana Plato fled the scene. Immediately, the cashier called 911, mentioning that he had been robbed by, “the girl who played Kimberly on Diff’rent Strokes.”
Bizarrely, Dana Plato returned to the video store around 15 minutes later. Perhaps she wanted more money, or to rent a movie and purchase some snacks with the money she had just stolen. Whatever the reason, police officers were on the scene upon her arrival, and she was immediately arrested. It turned out, Dana Plato had only stolen $164.
This sparked nationwide discussion across the United States about why child stars have such a sharp fall from grace, especially considering that Dana Plato’s child co-stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges had also had their own share of publicized problems by this time. Along with other child stars of the 70s and 80s like Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Andrew Koenig, and others, Dana Plato and the group of child stars from that era became the faces of the dangers of getting famous too quickly in Hollywood. Even still, Dana Plato wasn’t finished acting and making a name for herself.
Dana Plato’s Unique Role and Return to Adult Roles
Although it was certainly unknown to her at the time, Dana Plato became arguably the first actress to transition from Hollywood roles to a lead in a video game with 1992’s Night Trap. One of the first video games to use live action video, the game starred Dana Plato as a sorority sister in a sorority house, when vampires break into the home, hungry for sexy sorority necks. The player must use a security system to spring traps and keep Dana Plato and her sorority sisters from getting bitten.
The game sucked a lot of ass, but it became an instant cult classic, as it was over the top and violent for a video game at the time. Grumpy old bitches were also whining about video game violence, mostly in Mortal Kombat, so Night Watch got a lot more notoriety than it was hoping for and fucking deserved. A few years later, she appeared in the softcore erotic film Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jill…and Jill and also appeared in a lesbian magazine Girlfriends.
Dana Plato’s Untimely Death
On May 8, 1999, Dana Plato died of a drug overdose. Originally, the overdose was considered accidental, but was later ruled a suicide due to her long battle with substance abuse. Some – including Dana Plato’s co-star Todd Bridges – believe the ruling is wrong. After her death, Dana Plato’s body was cremated, with her ashes spread across the Pacific Ocean.
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Dana Plato portrayed a quirky, warm sibling to two adopted boys from Harlem, NYC, New York in Diff’rent Strokes, and transitioned into a sexy adult actress. Her personal issues unfortunately cut her career and life short. But even still, her sex appeal and body of work continue to be remembered decades after her passing.
