A new Peacock documentary offers a sobering look at the troubled life of late actor Gary Coleman.
The film titled Gary premiered on Thursday, Aug. 29.
The documentary follows the former child star’s journey from his hometown of Zion, Illinois, to the bright lights of Hollywood, and the heartbreak that would follow.
Coleman was born on Feb. 8, 1968. At age two he was diagnosed with a kidney defect, his mother said in the film. At five, he underwent a kidney transplant and would later require dialysis for the rest of his life.
Also Read: New Documentary to Explore ‘Mysterious Death’ of Actor Gary Coleman
The actor’s childhood friend and former manager Dion Mial was among those interviewed in the film.
Mial said by the time Coleman was 17, his body had “absorbed” his remaining kidney.
“From December 31 of 1985 until his death, Gary lived without a single kidney in his body,” Mial shared.
Despite his health problems, Coleman found fame and fortune in Hollywood with a breakout role as Arnold Jackson on Diff’rent Strokes.
“I can recall showing up to set one day and Gary was in the middle of the scene, completed the scene, bent over and threw up,” Mial shared. “He fundamentally never knew what it was to be fully healthy.”
Diff’rent Strokes aired over eight seasons from 1978 to 1986. At one point, Coleman was said to be the highest-paid child star on TV.
The actor’s co-star Todd Bridges was also interviewed and described Coleman as a comedic “genius.”
During his Hollywood career, Coleman earned over $18 million dollars. But much of his money was spent by others.
The actor was 18 when Diff’rent Strokes was canceled. By then, he was “exhausted” and “spent,” Mial said.
According to his manager, Coleman wanted to take a break. But “no one would accept that,” including his parents and his agent, Mial said. Instead, they pushed the actor to continue working and capitalize on his fame.
Because of his kidney problems and the drugs he took to treat the illness, Coleman’s growth was stunted at 4 feet and 8 inches. He was pigeon-holed because of his diminutive stature and offered limited roles after Diff’rent Strokes.
The documentary also offered insight into Coleman’s estrangement from his parents, after he accused them of stealing his earnings.
The actor sued his parents and his business adviser, leading a judge to award Coleman $1.2 million.
“I very clearly expressed to him that I felt that some of the business people in his life were completely insincere, that they were duplicitous with him, because I heard very frequently, ‘Gary’s a little jerk, thank God he pays us a good salary,’” Mial stated.
Coleman’s parents denied wrongdoing. His father called Mial a “demon” in the film.
“As God as my witness, we’ve been straight up about every detail, every turn, every corner,” Coleman’s father insisted.
But Todd Bridges and the hairstylist from Diff’rent Strokes said Willie Coleman was the real demon. They described him as cold, mean and said he caused problems when he visited the show’s set. They also accused him of making his son work when he was sick.
According to Mial, Gary Coleman loved acting. But he was traumatized by his experiences, suffered depression and struggled with his mental health.
“I was at home and about 10:30, my phone rang. And it was Gary. He said, ‘Well, I just wanted to call you to say goodbye. I cannot take this anymore. It’s not worth living. I’m gonna kill myself,’” Mial recalled the actor saying.
He said he “raced” over to Coleman’s home. Fortunately, the actor had not harmed himself.
“We sat and we cried. And I held him and comforted him, and just let him weep. And I concluded, you know, you don’t deserve this,” Mial shared.
In archival footage shown in the documentary, Coleman lamented about what his life had become.
“If someone had told me that my life would have been like this early enough where I could have got out, I would have got out,” he said.
Coleman died from a brain hemorrhage in 2010, after suffering a fall at his home. He was 42.
The documentary noted that his death was “suspicious,” with some people pointing the finger at the actor’s ex-wife, Shannon Price. She denied playing a role in Coleman’s death.
“I didn’t touch him,” Price said.
Gary is currently streaming on Peacock.