Dear Tina,
Gary Coleman died today. He suffered from an intracranial hemorrhage earlier this week that left him in a coma and was taken off life support by his wife. He was only 42. I’m not someone that necessarily puts a lot of time and effort into worrying about what celebrities are doing (or WHO they’re doing! Zing!) but for some reason I have a history of acting pretty distraught over their deaths. Especially when they come unexpectedly. I don’t even like to think about the morning I was reading the newspaper and turned the page to discover that Tim Russert had died. Or the empty feeling that came over me when I first heard about John Ritter’s death. It’s not in the same vein as Kelly Kapoor (“I never really thought about death until Princess Diana died. That was the saddest funeral ever…that and my sister’s.”). I do happen to value my personal relationships more than those I don’t have with celebrities. I just don’t like hearing about people who leave us before their time is up.
Gary Coleman pulled plenty of stunts in his days after Diff’rent Stroke. Working as a security guard, running for California governor, making a cameo on The Surreal Life. I think the only thing more lowbrow than starring on The Surreal Life, is guest starring. So yeah, he wasn’t necessarily someone who was in line to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Emmys. But what we should remember, and pay respect to now that he is gone, is that Gary Coleman was legitimately a funny actor. The poor guy probably couldn’t go ten steps outside his house without people shouting things like “Say that line you said!” or “Gary where’s Willis?!” But he maintained that fan base over many decades because his role as Arnold Jackson was so memorable. His comedic timing was great and the laughs of the live studio audience felt sincere unlike, say, the laughs the Olsen twins received on Full House who weren’t funny after the age of 2.
To serve as a reminder, I offer up a couple of great examples. And yes, in the second video, that is indeed David Hasselhoff.
First the classic:
Followed by a montage:
I miss the days when family comedies featured jokes about smoking drugs. A simpler time.
We’ll miss you Gary.
30 Rock Quote of the Day:
Liz: Eating right. Working out. Sleeping. Boy is anyone else BM-ing like a rockstar?
Dear Tina 