Dana Plato
| Dana Plato | |
|---|---|
Plato as Kimberly on Diff'rent Strokes, in 1979
|
|
| Born |
Dana Michelle Strain November 7, 1964 Maywood, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 1999 (aged 34) Moore, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Multidrug intoxication |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–1999 |
| Spouse(s) | Lanny Lambert (m. 1984–90) |
| Children | Tyler Lambert (1984–2010) |
Dana Michelle Plato (November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999) was an American actress who was notable for having played the role of Kimberly Drummond on the U.S. television sitcom Diff'rent Strokes from 1978 to 1986. After leaving the cast of Diff'rent Strokes, Plato attempted to establish herself as a working actress, with mixed success: she worked sporadically in made-for-TV movies and in independent films, and also did voice-over work. At the age of 34, after years of struggling with poverty and substance abuse, Plato died from an overdose of prescription drugs.
Plato was born Dana Michelle Strain on November 7, 1964 in Maywood, California, to Linda Strain, an unwed teenager who was already caring for an 18-month-old child. Seven months after her birth, in June 1965, she was adopted by Dean Plato, who owned a trucking company, and his wife Florine "Kay" Plato. She was raised in the San Fernando Valley. When she was three, her adoptive parents divorced, and she lived with her mother.
Plato began attending auditions with her mother when she was very young. From the age of seven, she began appearing in television commercials; she reportedly appeared in over 100 commercials for companies as diverse as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dole, and Atlantic Richfield. Plato later claimed that she was offered two highly sought-after movie roles: the role of possessed child Regan MacNeil in the 1973 film The Exorcist and the starring role in Louis Malle's 1978 film Pretty Baby. According to Plato, her mother vetoed both jobs, either fearing that Plato would be typecast, or subjected to unsavory subject matter. However, Exorcist creator William Peter Blatty said he had "no such recollection" of Plato being offered the role. Plato made her film debut at the age of 12 in the 1977 horror film Return to Boggy Creek. Other early credits included Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and California Suite (1978).
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