Dana Michelle Plato was born in Maywood, California, on Saturday, November 7, 1964. Her first excursion into the film world occurred when she was 11 in the television film Beyond the Bermuda Triangle (1975). Dana never made an impact on the TV screen until she landed the role of Kimberly Drummond in the TV hit sitcom Diff’rent Strokes (1978) from 1978-1986. After the series ended, Dana had difficulty finding more acting work. Sometimes she would act in a made-for-TV movie or a low- budget silver-screen film. She was married for Lanny Lambert for seven years and they had a son. She was arrested in 1991 for robbing a Las Vegas video store and placed on probation; the next year she was arrested again, this time for forging a Valium prescription. She had just finished an interview with Howard Stern in the spring of 1999 when she and her fiancé, Robert Menchaca, were headed back to California. She hoped the interview would revive her stalled career. They stopped at his parents’ house in Moore, Oklahoma for a Mother’s-Day-weekend visit; on Saturday, May 8, 1999, Dana died of what appeared to be an accidental overdose of the painkiller “Loritab””. On May 21, a coroner’s inquest ruled her death a suicide because of the large amount of drugs in her body and her history of past suicide attempts. Dana Plato was 34 years old.”
Dana Plato
Movies
Family
The trials and tribulations, joyous occasions and heartbreaking moments of the Lawrence family: lawyer father Doug, housewife Kate, married (and quickly divorced) daughter Nancy, teenage son Willie and just-hitting-puberty daughter Buddy. In this critically acclaimed series, we watched various Lawrences fight, fall in love, become ill, graduate school, begin new…
Fun Facts
Arrested for armed robbery in 1991.
Arrested for forging a valium prescription in 1992.
Attended Sutter Jr. High in Winnetka, CA (1978).
Was adopted.
Birth mother's name is Linda Strain.
Was fired from Diff'rent Strokes (1978) at the end of the 1983-1984 season due to her pregnancy. The producers were unwilling to write the pregnancy into the show, but she was able to return for guest appearances after her son was born.
Childhood dream was to be an Olympic figure skater.
Had breast implants done in 1994 in hopes of landing better film roles.
Won the part of Violet in the movie Pretty Baby (1978), but turned it down so she wouldn't be typecast in this type of role. Brooke Shields ended up playing the part.
Was #91 on VH-1's The Greatest: 100 Greatest Kid Stars (2005).
Auditioned for the role of Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist (1973).
Tested for the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
Has a younger sister, Heidi Plato.
She was the mother of Tyler Lambert. Lambert committed suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on May 6, 2010, two days before the 11th anniversary of his mother's death.
She played the same character (Kimberly Drummond) in three different series: Diff'rent Strokes (1978), Hello, Larry (1979) and The Facts of Life (1979).
Dana had a uncredited bit in Burt Reynolds The End (1978) with Kristy McNichol. Dana later appeared as a guest star (twice) on McNichol's TV series Family (1976).
Born ten days after 'Griffin ONeal.
Friends with Todd Bridges.
Passed away on May 8th, which has been unofficially dubbed "Lemmy Day"" because Motörhead's ""The Ace Of Spades"" sounds much like ""The 8th of May""."
Quotes
I think the whole nerves thing comes into play when we worry about what other people and society will think.
I'm tired of defending my character. I am what I am. What you see is what you get.
Growing up, all I did was work and vacation, but I loved it, no one pushed me into anything. The thing was I developed no special skills. I don't have any resentment because I am a performer and I've always felt that, but it did take its toll socially.
I've learned through experience that life is never that bad. The secret is just paying attention to how you feel and not letting anyone else dictate what in your heart you know is right.
In my opinion it's not about gay or straight or bi, we're attracted to spirits, whatever body they're in. There are other reasons too, but that's how I see it.
All that money stuff was so strange; all it ever meant to me was freedom from worry. I'm happier now than I've ever been but I still wish I had that money.
I'm learning to play by the rules. I sort of hate to think of it that way, but that's how it is. I'm really learning to function out there and in such a way that I don't need to drink.
I've got to be honest, there's no pleasure when you're working.
If it feels right and I'm not going against any energy in myself or the situation, there would be no limit.
People have an awful lot of problems that society has put on them and a lot to work through because of it.
I have been sober for the longest time. Oh, it's over a decade now. No joke.
I like to go with the energy because when you ignore it that's when you start doing things wrong.
I'd hopefully work through all my issues with men first so then I'd be okay being with a woman.
With women and women, I think there's an understanding. Nobody knows what a woman feels or experiences but another woman. We are the nurturers, and there are times when we need to be nurtured.
I'm okay in my skin, you know... I'm okay with who I am.
Nobody knows what a woman feels or experiences but another woman. We are the nurturers and there are times when we need to be nurtured.
I'm open-minded. I don't consider myself gay or hetero, I just am. I've had experiences all over the planet but it always comes down to just me, but I think at this point if I had an ongoing relationship I believe it would be with a man.
I wanted this to have as wide an audience as possible. I didn't want to get an X rating, because in my opinion once that happens you X-out everyone else.