Dana Plato facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dana Plato
Plato on the set of Diff'rent Strokes in 1983
Born	Dana Michelle Strain (1964-11-07)November 7, 1964 Maywood, California, U.S.
Died	May 8, 1999(1999-05-08) (aged 34) Moore, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1975–1999
Spouse(s)	Lanny Lambert ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1990)​ Scott Atkins ​ ​ (m. 1996; annulled 1996)​
Children	1
Signature

Dana Michelle Plato (born Strain; November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999) was an American actress. She became a popular teen idol in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was best known for playing Kimberly Drummond on the TV show Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986). Dana Plato passed away at the age of 34.

Plato was adopted as a baby. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley and was a talented figure skater before she started acting. Her acting career began with many TV commercials. She made her TV debut at age ten on The Six Million Dollar Man (1975). Plato also appeared in films like Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and California Suite (1978).

For her role on Diff'rent Strokes, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award and two TV Land Awards. After the show, she acted in some independent films and B movies. She also appeared in the video game Night Trap (1992). Dana Plato was married twice and had one child.

Early Life of Dana Plato

Dana Michelle Strain was born on November 7, 1964, in Maywood, California. In June 1965, when she was seven months old, Dana was adopted by Dean and Florine "Kay" Plato. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley. When she was three, her adoptive parents divorced, and she lived with her mother.

From a very young age, Dana started going to auditions with her mother. By the time she was seven, she had appeared in over 100 television commercials. Dana Plato was also a skilled figure skater.

In 1995, Dana spoke about her childhood on The Marilyn Kagen Show. She said her mother made sure she stayed "normal." She felt her mother protected her a lot, which meant she didn't learn much about real-life skills.

Dana Plato's Acting Career

Dana Plato made her first TV acting appearance at age 10 on the ABC show The Six Million Dollar Man. She then starred in the 1975 TV movie Beyond the Bermuda Triangle. Her first film role was in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) when she was 13. She also played Evie Joe in Return to Boggy Creek that same year.

A more successful film was the family-comedy California Suite (1978). Plato played Jenny Warren in this movie. The film did well and received awards from the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.

The cast of Diff'rent Strokes with guest star Nancy Reagan on set in 1983.

A producer noticed Dana Plato when she appeared on The Gong Show. This led to her being cast as Kimberly Drummond on the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. Kimberly was the older sister of adopted brothers Arnold and Willis Jackson. The show started in 1978 and quickly became very popular.

Plato was a regular on the show for many years. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her acting. The cast also received two TV Land Award nominations. In 1984, Dana Plato became pregnant. She left her main role on Diff'rent Strokes because the producers felt her pregnancy didn't fit the show's family image. She did make a guest appearance on "The Love Boat."

Plato returned to Diff'rent Strokes as a recurring character from 1985 to 1986, until the show ended. In her final episode in 1986, her character, Kimberly, was dealing with bulimia. CBC News called her performance in this episode a "series highpoint."

In 1981, Plato appeared in the TV special A Step in Time, earning another Young Artist Award nomination. In 1983, she starred in the TV film High School U.S.A. as Cara Ames. Her Diff'rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges also appeared in this film. The movie became popular when it first aired, especially for its cast.

Dana Plato tried to become a serious actress but found it hard to succeed. She also started taking roles in B movies. In 1990, she tried a music career, recording six songs, but they were never released.

In 1992, Plato starred in the video game Night Trap. She was one of the first famous people to appear in a video game. She was excited to work on the project. Night Trap was a moderate success and was important because it was one of the first games to use live actors.

Towards the end of her career, Plato appeared in films like Prime Suspect (1989) and Compelling Evidence (1995). Her last works included Desperation Boulevard (1998), where she played herself. She also appeared in Silent Scream (1999) and Pacino Is Missing (2002), which was released after she passed away.

Dana Plato's Personal Life

In December 1983, Dana Plato moved in with her boyfriend, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert. They got married on April 24, 1984. Their only child, Tyler Edward Lambert, was born on July 2, 1984. Her co-star Conrad Bain said she was very happy about her baby.

Plato and Lambert separated in January 1988. This was the same week her mother passed away. In her March 1990 divorce, Plato lost custody of her son to Lambert but kept visitation rights. She later got engaged to filmmaker Fred Potts, but they broke up. She was also briefly married to actor and producer Scott Atkins. Before her death, Plato was engaged to her manager Robert Menchaca. They lived together in a motor home in Navarre, Florida.

On May 6, 2010, Dana Plato's son, Tyler, passed away at the age of 25.

Dana Plato's Passing

Plato's official death certificate

On May 8, 1999, Dana Plato and Robert Menchaca were traveling back to California. They stopped at Menchaca's mother's home in Moore, Oklahoma, for Mother's Day. Later that day, Menchaca and his family found that Plato had passed away in her sleep at the age of 34. Dana Plato's body was cremated, and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

In 2000, Fox aired a TV movie about Dana Plato called After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped. This film focused on her life and career after Diff'rent Strokes, including her passing. In 2006, NBC showed Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Diff'rent Strokes. This movie was about the lives of the child stars from the show.

On November 7, 2019, which would have been Plato's 55th birthday, her friend and co-star Todd Bridges shared a tribute on Twitter. He wrote about their friendship, saying, "You were the one person I could always talk to. You were one of my best friends. I will never forget you and love you forever. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dana Plato R.I.P you are free my friend."

Filmography

Films

Television Shows

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Dana Plato para niños