Photo: Daniel McConnell at https://www.flickr.com/photos/trojandan/ / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Gary Coleman's story stays with me as both a triumph and a warning. A kid from Zion, Illinois, battling a kidney disease that stopped his growth at 4'8", became the most bankable child star of his era through sheer comic timing and charm — that is genuine, unteachable talent. What moves me is how hard the machine was on him afterward: the typecasting, the finances, the public's refusal to let him grow up. Yet he kept trying, even stepping behind the camera as a director and writer. I choose to remember the brilliance first, the boy who could land a punchline better than most adults ever will.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Gary Coleman
- Name (Japanese)
- ゲーリー・コールマン
- Reading
- げーりー・こーるまん
- Born
- February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Monkey
- Origin
- Zion, Illinois, United States
- Occupation
- actor / film director / television director / film producer / screenwriter
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Gary Coleman born?
February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010.
Where is Gary Coleman from?
Gary Coleman is from Zion, Illinois, United States.
What does Gary Coleman do?
Gary Coleman works as actor, film director, television director, film producer, screenwriter.
Actor — see all → · Film director — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.