Todd Bridges biography

Synopsis

Diff'rent Strokes Fame

Actor. Born Todd Anthony Bridges in San Francisco, California, on May 27, 1965. Bridges grew up in a Hollywood family; his parents, James and Betty, were both actors, as were his older siblings Jimmy and Verda. His parents, finding little success as performers, found more stable work as agents and acting coaches. The Bridges' clients included their own children, and by the time Todd was 4 they had already begun managing his career. That year he got his first modeling job, posing for a magazine ad. When he was 9, Todd made his acting debut in a Jell-O commercial with his family. The gig resulted in more acting work for Bridges, including a 1975 appearance on the TV show Barney Miller and a role in the made-for-television movie, Katherine (1975).

In 1977, Todd appeared in the critically acclaimed mini-series Roots, as well as the popular TV dramas Little House on the Prairie, Love Boat and The Waltons. Around that same time, thanks to his earlier appearance on Barney Miller, Bridges secured a role on the Barney Miller spin-off, Fish. In his first co-starring role, the 10-year-old played a streetwise jokester named Loomis. While Fish was canceled after only one season, Bridges' performance caught the attention of producer Norman Lear. At the age of 12, Bridges finally got his big break: a starring role on an ensemble comedy show called Diff'rent Strokes. The role would change Bridges' life.

Diff'rent Strokes featured Bridges, as well another rising child star, Gary Coleman. The boys played orphans taken in by a wealthy white businessman (played by Conrad Bain), his teenage daughter (played by Dana Plato) and their housekeeper (played by Charlotte Rae). An instant hit, Diff'rent Strokes became NBC's highest-rated sitcom. Bridges would continue to star on the show for eight years, making straight-As at the Hollywood Academy high school in between shoots. The teen heartthrob made more than $15,000 an episode at the show's peak and, by the age of 18, owned a home in Los Angeles, had his pick of girlfriends, and held the keys to a promising career.

Trouble with the Law

Yet Bridges faced many personal challenges off the set. His father, who worked as his agent, and his mother, who became his manager, divorced in 1982. Although the couple remained friends, the split hit Todd particularly hard. To make matters worse, Bridges said he was terrorized by white supremacists in his Canoga Park, California neighborhood the summer of 1983. Following an incident in which the actor faced sniper shots from his harassers, Bridges said his car was stolen and set on fire. Frightened by the targeted assault, the actor began carrying a gun. That same month, he was pulled over by police for a traffic violation, and was charged with carrying a loaded