Remember Willis from 'Diff'rent Strokes'? He's Now the Last Living Member of the Show's Core Cast

American decades-old sitcom “Diff'rent Strokes" has lost almost all members of its main cast. Todd Bridges, who played Willis Jackson, is the last man standing following Charlotte Rae's death in

From to , "Diff'rent Strokes" was a staple for televisions in the US. It circled around the family of Mr. Drummond, played by the late Conrad Bain and his dead housekeeper's orphaned children.

The children were Arnold, played by Gary Coleman, and Willis, played by Todd Bridges. It ran for eight seasons and remains a classic up until today.

Todd Bridges at Academy Theatre in Beverly Hills, California in August | Source: Getty Images

REMEMBERING CHARLOTTE RAE

Charlotte Rae played Edna Garrett, the motherly figure and housekeeper on "Diff'rent Strokes." Garrett worked for the Drummond Family before getting a new job as a housemother at Eastland School for Girls, the boarding school attended by Kimberly Drummond.

After her death in , Bridges now remains the only member of the main cast still alive. However, this doesn't mean that he's lived a life free from danger and cl

The Todd Bridges Time Machine

Todd Bridges is a groundbreaking, veteran television personality, actor and comedian with nearly five decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Todd has lived and worked amongst some of the most famous and influential individuals in the world. Best known for his role as Willis Jackson on the hit TV show Diff'rent Strokes, Todd is widely respected as a talented and versatile performer and is a sought-after host and commentator. (Read Todd's Bio)

A tech guru, Todd grew up alongside technology. Step into our time machine as we journey though six decades of Todd Bridges

Hello World!

May 27, - Todd Bridges was born to Betty A. Bridges in San Francisco, CA. Todd was Betty's third child following Jimmy and Verda Bridges. Sadly, we can't currently find any baby pictures of Todd.

"Mini" Computers

With a smart phone in your pocket, it's hard to think of this big machine as a "mini" computer, but in early electrical engineers were plugging away in a steady march to revolutionize the world. The PDP-8 bit minicomputer was introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). It's the first commercially successful minic

Stars From Diff'rent Strokes You Didn't Know Died

Joe Seer/Shutterstock

ByGene Kosowan

The '70s were certainly a progressive period for African-American presence on prime-time TV, with most show casts allowing for more regular Black actors. A few others, like sitcoms "Good Times" and "The Jeffersons" were dominated by Black leads. But aside from regular appearances by the Willises on "The Jeffersons," networks often balked at the notion of mixed-race families in their time slots. 

In , "Diff'rent Strokes" changed a lot of that thinking. The sitcom starred Conrad Bain as Philip Drummond, a widowed wealthy businessman who adopted his late African-American housekeeper's two sons, played by Todd Bridges and Gary Coleman. Producers pitching the show had the title "45 Minutes From Harlem" in mind until further development resulted in a name change to "Diff'rent Strokes." While the sitcom was originally intended to be a star vehicle for Bain, who was a sensation as a conservative neighbor on "Maude," Coleman instantly became a show-stealer with a precocious and mischievous demeanor, and his oft-repeated "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" became a widely-used catchphrase among th

Tragic Details About Todd Bridges

It all started when he was 15 years old — just a few years into his role as Willis. Around that time, he reportedly started using drugs, per Oprah. His coping with drugs was the result of being a victim of alleged abuse. When Bridges was about 11 years old, he claimed an older man, who was a friend of his family, repeatedly abused him. One day, though, Bridges physically defended himself during an attack and his mother threatened the purported predator. While his mother was immediately reactionary to learning of Bridges' assault, his father wasn't. As a result, it reportedly fractured any security he felt with his father. The ordeal would affect him later on in life. 

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During the show's run, Bridges had a run-in with the law. He would get arrested and fined in for having a concealed weapon (per UPI).

When the show ended, his earlier drug addiction reportedly persisted and increased. He also supposedly added dealing to his roster, and at that point, Bridges was purportedly using and selling both cocaine and meth (via USA Today). Then in , he was charged with robbery and for making a threat, per UPI.

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