“Diff’rent Strokes” Star Saddened By Death
Most of these people used to be the punchline of cynical jokes, but I’m not laughing anymore: The death of Conrad Bain at age 89 has hit no one harder than Todd Bridges (pictured), who for eight seasons played adopted son to Bain’s millionaire character Mr. Drummond on the hit NBC sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes.” Now the sole survivor of the show’s core cast — Dana Plato committed suicide in 1999, and Gary Coleman died after falling down a flight of stairs in 2010 — Bridges says he’ll miss the man who was his surrogate father both on and off the screen. “This is probably one of the most heart-wrenching days I’ve had in a long time,” Bridges, now 47, said. “That Conrad’s not going to be around anymore to talk to. Whenever I needed advice, I’d call Conrad.”
