When Dana was just seven months old, her mother—at her wit’s end—gave her up for adoption. Dana’s new parents were Dean and Florine Plato, and they gave her a new last name and a new home in the San Fernando Valley. However, they were far from perfect. For Florine Plato, Dana became more of project than anything else: she was determined to groom the little girl into a star.

Drew Barrymore’s father was John Drew Barrymore, who was also an established actor, but he wasn’t a superstar. John Drew Barrymore took things a little lightly, or so it seemed, when he was offered a role in the ‘60s in Star Trek and failed to show up to the sets. He was replaced by Robert Brown in a hurried search, and after that stint, he received a six-month SAG (Screen Actors Guild) suspension. Annual Awards". Young Artist Award. April 2, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011 . Retrieved January 18, 2020.

Following Plato’s video store incident, a national debate erupted about child stars who had trouble in their later lives. They didn’t have to look very far. Plato’s two child costars, Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges, were in as much, if not more, trouble than Plato. While the national debate was extremely serious, a local radio show wasn’t above taking pot shots. Return to Boggy Creek". Bleeding Skull. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018 . Retrieved January 4, 2020. Plato's last works include Desperation Boulevard (1998), in which she appears as herself and which appears to be based on her life; Silent Scream (1999), in which she appears as Emma Jones; and Pacino Is Missing (2002), which was released after her death, in which she appears as an attorney. Diff'rent Strokes' star Todd Bridges says being a TV teen idol didn't protect him from 'extreme racism' growing up". www.yahoo.com. April 21, 2021 . Retrieved December 11, 2021. a b "Dana Plato, 34, Star of 'Diff'rent Strokes' ". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 10, 1999 . Retrieved August 23, 2015.

Plato struggled with substance abuse for most of her life. She was arrested in 1991 for robbing a video store, and again the following year for forging a drug prescription. On May 8, 1999, at age 34, Plato was found dead in her motor home from an overdose of prescription drugs. Her death was initially considered accidental, but later ruled a suicide. [5] [6] Her personal life, in retrospect, has been described as a "tragedy". [7] [8] [9] Early life [ edit ] Plato was brought up in the San Fernando Valley. When she was three, her new parents separated, and she lived with her mother. At an exceptionally young age, Plato started going to tryouts with her mom and age seven. She started showing up in T.V. ads, allegedly showing up in more than 100 ads. 6. The 51st Academy Awards | 1979". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved February 9, 2022.

Once Plato had left the video store, the clerk dialled 9-1-1 and made the now world-famous announcement: “I’ve just been robbed by the girl who played Kimberly on Diff’rent Strokes.” I guess Plato hadn’t considered how hard it would be to get away with this sort of thing when she was so famous. But 15 minutes after the incident took place, Plato did something surprising. a b "Growing Pains: The Trials and Tribulations of 1980s TV Child Stars". ABC News . Retrieved February 9, 2022. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

Benoit, Tod (March 26, 2019). Where Are They Buried?: How Did They Die? Fitting Ends and Final Resting Places of the Famous, Infamous, and Noteworthy. Running Press. p.211. ISBN 978-0762466801. Fisher, Luchina; Marikar, Sheila (May 13, 2010). "Growing Pains: The Trials and Tribulations of 1980s TV Child Stars". ABC News . Retrieved August 23, 2015. Dana Michelle Plato (née Strain; November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999) [2] [3] was an American actress. An influential teen idol of the late 1970s and early 1980s, [4] she was best known for playing the role of Kimberly Drummond on the NBC/ ABC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986). Diff'rent Strokes': Todd Bridges is now the last living member of the core cast". USA Today. June 8, 2018 . Retrieved August 2, 2020. Death of 'Diff'rent Strokes' Actress Ruled A Suicide". Chicago Tribune. May 21, 1999. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019 . Retrieved August 3, 2020.A.V. Club (October 13, 2009). Josh Modell; Keith Phipps; Tasha Robinson; Kyle Ryan (eds.). Inventory: 16 Films Featuring Manic Pixie Dream Girls, 10 Great Songs Nearly Ruined by Saxophone, and 100 More Obsessively Specific Pop-Culture Lists. Simon and Schuster. p. 91. ISBN 978-1439109892. New love or not, Plato’s life was spiralling downward. She clearly needed money, but would she exploit her own tragic story just for some cash? The answer was a resounding yes. Sadly, Plato was waiting a long time for her serious film offers—at least the good ones. She appeared, in her birthday suit, in 1989’s Prime Suspect. And after that it was 1992’s Bikini Beach Race, where she raced in a “bedmobile” while dressed in lingerie. Unsurprisingly, her film work was a bust...and her TV career? Well, it was about to become downright scandalous. a b "5th Annual Awards". Young Artist Award. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011 . Retrieved January 18, 2020. This list of people in Playboy 1980–1989 is a catalog of women and men who appeared in Playboy magazine in the years 1980 through 1989. Not all of the people featured in the magazine are pictured in the nude.

a b "The Making Of Night Trap, The World's Most Famous Video Game Nasty". Nintendo Life. April 23, 2018 . Retrieved February 9, 2022. During this time, Plato’s mother was very protective of her daughter, but this made things worse, not better. Although Plato’s mother just wanted to make sure she was normal, Plato later said that her mother kept her in a bubble and that she never taught her about “reality and life skills.” Indeed, Florine was so paranoid about her daughter, she was afraid someone would kidnap her. Turns out mom should’ve been watching out for trouble closer to home.

16. She Suffered A Tragic Loss

Death of Actress Dana Plato in Oklahoma Ruled a Suicide". Deseret News. Associated Press. May 21, 1999 . Retrieved August 3, 2020. Plato’s son Tyler Lambert grew up mostly with his paternal grandmother, but maintains he had a close relationship with Plato. He was just 14 years old when his mother ended her life. Lambert had ideas about being famous like his mother but instead of acting, Lambert took an interest in singing and rapping. Sadly, it was something darker than talent that Plato passed on to her son.