Gary Coleman once said he wanted people to think of him as something more than the chubby-cheeked child star from television show “Diff'rent Strokes,” that he wanted to escape the legacy of character Arnold Jackson, whose “Whatchu talkin' ‘bout?” became a catch phrase of the 1970s and ‘80s. He spent his later years still keeping a hand in show business, but also moving away from it, marrying and settling in Utah, far away from Hollywood's sometimes all-too-bright lights. Still, he was dogged by ongoing health problems and struggled with legal woes. After suffering a brain hemorrhage, Coleman was taken off life support Friday and died, his family and friends at his side, said Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank. He was 42. “He has left a lasting legacy,” tweeted singer Janet Jackson, who appeared on several episodes of “Diff'rent Strokes. “I know he is finally at peace.” Coleman chafed at his permanent association with “Diff'rent Strokes” but also tried to capitalize on it through reality shows and other TV appearances. His former manager, Vic Perillo, called the diminutive star “everybody's kid” and expressed regret for all the trouble that marked the end of Coleman's life.
