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Dana Plato
From The TV IV
| Dana Plato | |
| Birth name | Dana Michelle Plato |
| Born | November 7, 1964 in Maywood, California, USA |
| Died | May 8, 1999 in Moore, Oklahoma, USA from suicide by overdose |
| Notable Roles | Kimberly Drummond in Diff'rent Strokes |
| Notable Episodes | |
| Awards | |
Contents |
Roles
Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Year(s) | Season(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diff'rent Strokes | Kimberly Drummond | 1978–1984 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Guest Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Episode | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Six Million Dollar Man | Girl | 2x19 - The Bionic Woman (1) | March 16, 1975 |
| Family | Mary Beth Sanders | 2x03 - Home Movie | October 26, 1976 |
| What Really Happened to the Class of '65? | 1x09 - The Most Likely to Succeed | February 9, 1978 | |
| The Facts of Life | Kimberly Drummond | 1x01 - Rough Housing | August 24, 1979 |
| CHiPs | Darla | 3x23 - Nightingale | March 23, 1980 |
| Family | Debbie | 5x13 - Letting Go | June 25, 1980 |
| The Love Boat | Patty Springer | 8x13 - My Mother, My Chaperone / The Present / The Death and Life of Sir Alfred Demerest / Welcome Aboard | December 1, 1984 |
| Diff'rent Strokes | Kimberly Drummond | 7x16 - Harry Birthday Drummond | January 26, 1985 |
| Growing Pains | Lisa | 1x06 - Mike's Madonna Story | November 5, 1985 |
| Diff'rent Strokes | Kimberly Drummond | 7x24 - A Special Friend | May 4, 1985 |
| Diff'rent Strokes | Kimberly Drummond | 8x04 - Love on the Run | October 11, 1985 |
| Diff'rent Strokes | Kimberly Drummond | 8x13 - Bulimia | January 17, 1986 |
Specials and Made-for-TV Movies
| Title | Role | Airdate | Series/Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolboy Father | Daisy Dallenger | October 15, 1980 | ABC Afterschool Specials |
| High School USA | Cara Ames | October 16, 1983 | NBC Sunday Night at the Movies |
Awards and Accolades
Young Artist Awards
(3 Nominations)
Trivia
- Was born to an unwed teenage mother and adopted by Dean & Kay Plato when she was 7 months old
- Dana's adoptive parents divorced when she was 3 years old and she lived with her mother
- Had a younger sister, Heidi.
- Reportedly appeared in over 100 commercials
- Was an accomplished figure skater
- Attended Sutter Jr. High in Winnetka, California in 1978
- Overdosed on diazepam when she was 14 years old
- Married her husband, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert in 1984; they had one son: Tyler (born in July of 1984); they divorced in 1990
- Was written off "Diff'rent Strokes" when she was pregnant because the producers felt that a pregnancy wouldn't fit the show's wholesome image; she did return on the show as a guest star
- Obtained breast implants in order to boost her career
- Her adoptive mother died of scleroderma in 1988
- Was arrested in February of 1991 for robbing a video store
- Almost 11 years after Dana's death, her son, Tyler committed suicide at the age of 25.
- Died a few days after the severe weather outbreak in Oklahoma.
