Dana Plato was an American actress who starred in the TV series Diff’rent Strokes from 1978 to 1986 as Kimberly Drummond. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for two TV Land Awards and three Young Artist Awards. Sadly, Plato suffered from poverty and substance misuse, and she died of an overdose of opioids and muscle relaxants on May 8, 1999, at the age of 34.

Dana Plato’s Early Years And Biography

Dana Plato was born Dana Michelle Strain in Maywood, California, on November 7, 1964. Florine Plato and Dean Plato, the owner of a trucking firm, adopted her when she was seven months old.

Plato later lived with her mother after her parents divorced in 1967. Heidi Plato is her younger sister.

In 1978, Plato attended Sutter Jr. High in Winnetka, California.

Professional Career Of Dana Plato

Dana Plato began her career in television commercials for brands such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Atlantic Richfield, and Dole, appearing in over 100 commercials. She then made her first television appearance in an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man, American science fiction and action television series.

Plato made her Hollywood debut in 1977 with the American horror picture Exorcist II: The Heretic, but her work was uncredited. In the same year, he was cast as Evie Joe in Return to Boggy Creek, an adventure/horror flick.

Plato appeared in the American sitcom Diff’rent Strokes from 1978 to 1986, where she played Kimberly Drummond, a lead character from season 1 to 6, and then a recurring part from season 7 to 8.

Charlotte Rae, Mary Jo Catlett, Janet Jackson, and others star in the series. She was also nominated for Best Young Actress in a Television Series at the 1981 Young Artist Awards.

She had also starred in a variety of TV shows as a guest star, including Hello, Larry, The Facts of Life, ABC Afterschool Specials, and Growing Pains.

Dana Plato has also appeared in The Sounds of Silence, Lethal Cowboy, Blade Boxer, Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jill…and Jill, Pacino Is Missing, and a number of other films. She was also chosen for the character of Kelly Medd in Night Trap, an interactive cinematic video game released in 2012.

Dana Plato Net Worth 2023

Dana Plato’s net worth is unknown, but based on her accomplishment in her career, it is estimated to be in the thousands of dollars.

Personal Life of Dana Plato

Tyler Edward Lambert, Dana Platow’s son with former husband Lanny Lambert, was born on July 2, 1984. They married in 1984 but were unable to maintain their relationship and divorced in 1990.

Her ex-husband was given custody of their kid after the divorce, but he died on May 6, 2010, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She then relocated to Las Vegas, where she suffered from poverty and unemployment. She worked in a dry-cleaning store at one point.

She previously had an affair with her manager Robert Menchaca and was engaged to filmmaker Fred Potts.

Death, Drug Abuse, and Legal Issues

Dana Plato suffered from alcohol and illicit drug abuse during her time on ‘Diff’rent Strokes.’ She admitted to using cocaine and cannabis, and she even had a diazepam overdose when she was 14 years old.

Plato was arrested in 1991 for robbing a video store in Las Vegas. She was jailed again the following year for falsifying a diazepam remedy. Plato was sentenced to 30 days in prison for violating her probation.

She died of an overdose of the painkiller Lortab and the muscle relaxant Soma on May 8, 1999, at the age of 34. Suicide was determined to be the cause of her death.

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