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. 6. years. [21][22][23] In 1984, following the birth of her son Tyler, Plato was dismissed from her starring role due to both that and struggles in her personal life, which producers felt would negatively impact their "wholesome family comedy". The producers, satisfied with the result, asked Sorrentino to record "Changes of . We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. 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. They dated for 5 months after getting together in Nov 1983 and married on 21st Apr 1984. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. ", "As River grew, he did become more and more uncomfortable being the poster boy for all good things," mom Heart Phoenix toldEsquire in 1994. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. She was only 34 years old. [I was] 18 [or] 19 years old drinking beer. 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. While there, she complained of tiredness and the need to rest. Try again later. 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. [12][42] She thereafter became engaged to Fred Potts, a filmmaker, but the romance ended. [41] During her March 1990 divorce, Plato lost custody of her son to Lambert and was given visitation rights. "I don't know if it's reflective of child actors exactly, but more about whether child actors have enough of a familial foundation to withstand the difficulties," Rob Reiner, who directed Phoenix in Stand by Me, toldThe Guardianin 2018. Dana Plato's Son Commits Suicide - Daily Beast He looks horrible. Dana Plato died in this RV outside the home of her fiancee's parents in Moore Oklahoma. But he never was. Portrait of Dana Plato in 1985 | Photo: Getty Images. 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. "I kept the door open and let him know I would be there," Whitaker said. Lanny Lambert was the husband of 'Diff'rent Strokes' star Dana Plato. She will be 58 years in 2022 and has a height of 5 ft 1 in (1.57 m). We were sitting out in her truck; she had a truck. Bullet disbanded some time before 1975. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her work on the program, and also was part of two TV Land Award nominations given to its cast. Plato was reportedly written off "Diff'rent Strokes" in 1984 amid rumors of drug use. The producers, satisfied with the result, asked Sorrentino to record "Changes of Mind" for the B side, a song that he and drummer Mike Micara had written for their current band. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. She moved to Las Vegas, hoping to advance her career, but could only find retail and service industry jobs. [45][46], In January 1992, Plato was arrested a second time, for forging a prescription for diazepam. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. So, I didn't learn about reality and life skills." 1 more All. Physically and actually, they didn't.". She also dabbled in softcore pornography, including a 1997 feature based on her "Diff'rent Strokes" past. True Hollywood Story. +. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Jennifer Garner Loves This Drugstore Skin Tint, Kerry Washington Loves This Game Changer Retinol, Matthew Perry Removes Keanu Reeves from His Book, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson Might Be Sibs, Jennifer Garner's Hair-Thickening Secret Is $28, 10 Surprising Facts about the Phantom of the Opera, Arnold Schwarzenegger, King of the Viral PSA Video, Dracula: 10 Actors Who Played the Infamous Vampire, 10 Things You Might Not Know about Jeremy Renner, Adam Sandler's Favorite Sneakers Are on Sale Now. She married spouse, Lanny Lambert from 1984 to 1990. Lanny Lambert's Instagram, Twitter & Facebook on IDCrawl Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. [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. Dana Plato and Lanny Lambert - Dating, Gossip, News, Photos At one point she worked at a dry-cleaning store, where customers reported being impressed by her lack of airs. During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Ex-Man" podcast, FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares recounted an encounter he had in 1985 or 1986 with former child actress Dana Plato, who played Kimberly Drummond on the 1980s television show "Diff'rent Strokes", while he was working at a sandwich shop in Los Angeles. EU Users: Click here to revoke your choice, California Notice / Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. The couple married on April 24, 1984, and their only child, Tyler Edward Lambert, was born on July 2, 1984. 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. "He often said he wished he could just be anonymous. "Emotionally they did. (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.) Clark then drove Renfro to Florida, giving the teen a chance to detox, and hired a trainer and minder for him while they madeBully. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. [1] She served thirty days in jail for violating the terms of her probation and immediately entered a drug rehabilitation program. My two main competitors in the beginning, the blond-haired kids I went to audition with, one hung himself and the other died of a heroin overdose.". Tyler was just 14 when his mother overdosed on prescription pills (Vanadom and Vicodin). Thanks for your help! And then I was, like, 'I don't live too far from here. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Lanny Lambert. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? And I was just talking to her, trying to figure out who she was. In the days leading up to Lambert's suicide, a long-time family friend told Whitaker that Lambert had "become very withdrawn and hadn't talked to anybody for three or four days." Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Instead, like her, he took a detour into drugs and eventual suicide. Lambert died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head last Thursday in Tulsa, Okla., says his grandmother, Joni Richardson. And I was, like, 'Who is that girl? Even though Lambert mostly grew up with his paternal grandmother, Joni Richardson, he was attached to his mother. Plato's drug addiction eventually took her life -- she died after overdosing on Vanadom and Vicodin. He died in 2017. She then starred in the 1975 made for television film Beyond the Bermuda Triangle. Dana Plato in a scene from "Diff'rent Strokes" | Photo: Getty Images. [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. "He had so much compassion for everyone and everything that he had a weight on his heart," added Mathis. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. 1 child. Plato began to divorce her husband in 1988, the same week her mother died of scleroderma a group of autoimmune diseases. So she had some friends that came over. In addition to her most famous role, Plato appeared in episodes on many television programs. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? 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. No matter how public, the stars have always found a way to suffer in silence. She fell into drug addiction and died of an overdose in 1999. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. So while Linda Blair went on to huge stardom, Dana was left with roles in flicks like 1975's "Beyond the Bermuda Triangle." Please reset your password. Cause of Death: Self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head Visibly in turmoil, Tyler shot himself in the head two days before his mother's 11th death anniversary. Please enter your email and password to sign in. I know her.' She added, "He was just obviously screaming for someone to establish some kind of boundaries for him, something that never happened in his life.". Son of actress Dana Plato & musician Lanny Lambert. Failed to delete flower. Another acclaimed actor who never got old, or even middle-aged, was River Phoenix, whose death of an accidental overdose at 23 sent a bolt ofsadness through Hollywood. "When I spoke to her about it, she was enthusiastic about having done that." ). 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. To get closer to his mother, he tattooed her name on his arm right across his fingers. All rights reserved. I was to call my father or someone elseNEVER an ambulance because it would get into the press.". She appeared in B-movies and video games, eventually agreeing to star in adult films for quick cash. Their only hit, "White Lies, Blue Eyes", peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1972. Dana Plato's Son Never Stopped Missing Mom - People Contribute to this page. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! She spoke about her life, discussing her financial problems and past run-ins with the law. [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. "It was, 'Wow, how lucky are we to not have hung out with that crowd or done those things?' Dana Plato drifted in and out of the business over the next few years. To the tattoo ink, he added her ashes. [16][17][18] Better received was the family-comedy film California Suite (1978), in which Plato played Jenny Warren; the film was also a commercial success,[19] and earned accolades from the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. 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?" He has suffered from a kidney condition that caused his short stature. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. The record was released on the Big Tree Records label under the name "Bullet" in December 1971. She looks familiar.' Lanny Lambert is a rock guitarist who is famous as the former partner of Dana Michelle Plato, an American actress who is an influential "teen idol" of the late 1970s and 1980s. During the interview, Plato was quite frank about her life and career, even openly admitting to being a recovering addict. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. "I did say, 'You know your mother had a problem, which means you may have a problem because it is a family disease,'" said Whitaker, a former child actor who played Jody on "Family Affair" and is now a certified drug counselor. The suit, which sought over twenty thousand dollars worth of damages, claimed that her fianc could have prevented Plato's death by giving immediate medical assistance or contacting medical personnel or emergency personnel. [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. Tyler tried to get over losing his mum at such a young age, but he also became a victim of his mother's death. At that time, I had been playing with Joey Stann and the late George Ruiz at an upper-Manhattan club called Churchill's Plum. Grandson of Linda Strain. Plato was released. Her career dwindled and after a series of personal tragedies she fell into drug addiction. Explore Lanny Lambert's discography including top tracks, albums, and reviews. They had a son named Tyler age 37. And there are some who hit the ground running at 9 and never stopped. Plato was only 34 years old at the time of her passing. Well. 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. Tyler tried to get over losing his mum at such a young age, but he also became a victim of his mother's death. Plato attempted to establish herself as a serious actress, but found it difficult to achieve success. The couple married on April 24, 1984, and their only child, Tyler Edward Lambert, was born on July 2, 1984. He'd say things like, 'Nobody can put up with me 'cause I'm too hot to handle.'" Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Dana Plato at the Video Software Dealers Association Convention on July 24, 1994 in Las Vegas | Photo: Getty Images. She started living in a mobile home with her manager and fiance, Robert Menchaca. [56], On May 6, 2010, her son, Tyler, died by suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, aged 25. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. In 1992, Plato starred in the video game Night Trap, becoming one of the first celebrities to appear in a video game. 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. Resend Activation Email. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. White Lies, Blue Eyes by Bullet - Songfacts It was a cool moment.". She posed for a June 1989 Playboy pictorial (a 5-page nude layout, the shots were taken in November 1988 in Arizona and appeared in the June 1989 issue of Playboy Magazine). It is best remembered for the controversy it created over the violence and sexuality, along with that surrounding Mortal Kombat, which had eventually led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).[37][38]. [44] Entertainer Wayne Newton posted her $13,000 bail,[43] and Plato was given five years' probation. "We had five million talks about his compulsive personality and his guilt and fear over not being able to save his father. Recent News:Dana Plato's Diff'rent Strokes co-star, Gary Coleman has died. He had been out that night with his girlfriend Samantha Mathis, who he had just co-starred with in The Thing Called Love, and his then 19-year-old brother Joaquin Phoenix. 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 try again later. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Dana Plato and Kirk Cameron on set | Photo: Getty Images. [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. I was taught to never, ever call an ambulance no matter what happened. Dana Plato - IMDb 5 years later they divorced on 15th Mar 1990. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! 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. Dana Plato - Biography After the mid '70s they became a successful pop disco songwriting duo. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Is the best of the young guys," Brad Pitt said afterward. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Platoposed nude forPlayboy in 1989 and dabbled in soft-core adult entertainment, anything perhaps to reboot her career. Fans of Renfro were understandably outragedwhen he wasn't included in the Oscars' in memoriam tribute that year. Dana was helped by Las Vegas singer, Wayne Newton, who posted the $13,000 bail for her. A British band, once known as "Bullet", often is mistakenly given credit for "White Lies, Blue Eyes". In addition to being a budding actress, Plato was an experienced figure skater, almost worthy of a potential qualification for an Olympic team. Suggest an edit or add missing content. ", River and Joaquin's father, John, was also a drinker and River "worried the disease was in his bloodline," Plimpton said. Bullet was a one-hit wonder American rock band. speaks out against the above mentioned and. So when we made The Wolf of Wall Street, I told him I'd been worried about him. We shot the promotional photos for Bullet in Central Park the day after we met Ernie. 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. By the time the program was cancelled, Dana had blossomed into a striking young woman, but her acting career could never escape the long shadows cast by her sitcom stardom.Dana Plato's mother, Florine 'Kay' Plato, who had guided her career died of a blood disease in January of 1988 and her husband reportedly left her the same week. does not support or promote any kind of violence, self-harm, or abusive behavior. Add to your scrapbook. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. Dana Plato. GREAT NEWS! Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The documentary focused on what happened to her after the show, including her death. Dana was priming the pump for another shot at the big time that included an interview with Howard Stern.