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Main Characters
» Phillip Drummond :: Philip Drummond was a fictional character on the hit television program, Diff'rent Strokes, he was portrayed by Emmy Award nominee and Golden Globe winning television actor, Conrad Bain, who previously worked on Maude. Philip Drummond is a wealthy White Widower, who works for Trans Aillen Co. Housing Development, and was born December 3, 1931 in Manhattan, New York. Philip has a daughter named Kimberly, and adopted two African-American brothers, 13-year old Willis, and 8-year old Arnold Jackson. Arnold and Willis' mother worked for Philip Drummond a lot of years ago, and her deathbed wish was that her employer take care of her two sons. In the first episode of the series, Philip welcomes Arnold and Willis into his home, but Arnold starts having fun, and Willis starts ruining it for him, when Willis decides that he and his younger brother, Arnold move back to Harlem, to live with someone else. Philip starts planning sometime with the family by telling both Arnold and Willis that the whole family are going on fun trips together, Arnold wants to agree, but Willis destroys his fun, and bosses him around. The Next night, after taking advice from Mrs. Garrett, Philip decides to create Family Fun Time, and with magic tricks (that never worked), and Dancing, but when Willis informs that it was time for him and Arnold to leave for Harlem, Philip surprises them with a truckload of Toys, Arnold becomes very Happy, and Willis becomes selfish that he decides its time to move back to Harlem, and take his little brother along with him. Philip had confronted Willis for the first time, implying that he is turning out to be selfish. but when Willis and Philip fall on good terms, they decide to start a new relationship together. Philip Drummond had dated some women, he had dated Arnold's teacher, Ms. Osbourne (Mary Ann Mobley), and remarried to Maggie McKinney, a television aerobics instructor (Dixie Carter and Mary Ann Mobley), and introduced her son, Sam McKinney (Danny Cooksey) to the family. Dixie Carter had portrayed Philip Drummond's new love interest and soon-to-be wife, Maggie McKinney Drummond in the middle of the 1983-1984 season, and 1984-1985 season, then Carter had started having problems with fellow co-star, Gary Coleman, and she left the show, she was later replaced in the eighth and final season (1985-1986), by Mary Ann Mobley.
» Kimberly Drummond :: Kimberly Drummond was a fictional character on the popular television series, Diff'rent Strokes, and she was portrayed by Dana Plato from 1978 until 1984, at the end of the show's sixth season. Kimberly Drummond is the only child and daughter of wealthy widower, Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain). Kimberly was born on Park Avenue in New York on October 22, 1964. Kimberly was shown as a caring, loving big sister to both Willis and Arnold, but becoming a Rich teenager, Kimberly was a coming-of-age teenager, and suffered a lot of problems. Kimberly was always shown as a loving older sister to both Arnold and Willis, and had suffered problems throughout the series run: in one episode, no one in the Jackson/Drummond Family knew that Kimberly was suffering from bulimia, or getting pregnant. Kimberly was the female heartthrob of the show, and was a very good sister, and daughter.
» Arnold Jackson :: Arnold Jackson is a fictional character on the series Diff'rent Strokes, and he was portrayed by child star Gary Coleman. Arnold Jackson is the younger brother of Willis Jackson (Todd Bridges) and was born in Harlem, New York City in 1971. Arnold is a precocious moppet, who was pratically known for his catchphrase "Whatchoo talkin' bout?" which became popular in pop culture. Arnold's father died in 1975 and his mother died in 1978. His mother worked as a housekeeper for a wealthy Caucasian widow, Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain). Before her death, his mother expressed her wish for the children to be cared for by Mr Dummond. He agreed, and in 1979, he officially adopted Willis and Arnold. Arnold is the main, and the near breakout character in the television series. In many episodes he is shown as being a selfish younger brother. When the boys first moved in with Mr Drummond, Willis wanted to move back to Harlem. Arnold objected, but eventually Willis changed his mind and they decided to stay with Drummond. In another episode, Arnold has to fight a school bully named "The Gooch" so that he will not pick on him any more, but Drummond does not want Arnold fighting the bully and decides that Arnold make peace with "The Gooch". Arnold however listens to his brother, Willis, who told him to fight back. This ended with Arnold having a black eye, and both boys were in trouble. Gary Coleman became popular for his role as this character, who guest starred on the final episode, with Mr. Drummond, of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when they decide to buy the family's house.
» Willis Jackson :: Willis Jackson is a fictional character on the popular late 1970s-Early 1980s television series, Diff'rent Strokes, and he was portrayed by Todd Bridges. Willis Jackson is the older brother of Arnold, and was born in New York City in 1965. Willis and Arnold's parents had passed away, their mother, used to be a Housekeeper, for a White family named The Drummonds, and her deathbed wish was that Philip Drummond (her employer) take care of her two kids, and Philip Drummond officially adopted them in Late 1979. Willis was sometimes shown as the rebellious older brother, and sometimes as the more responsible brother. In one episode, Willis joins a gang named "The Tarantulas". He buys a gang member's jacket and tries to hide it from Kimberly and Mr. Drummond. When Arnold finds and tries on the jacket, Mr. Drummond thinks Arnold has joined the Tarantulas. This forces Arnold to tell Mr. Drummond the truth, despite his fear that Willis will become furious at him for telling. Arnold and Mr. Drummond find Willis in a jail cell at a Police Station, but when Willis tries to tell him what happened, Mr. Drummond becomes very angry at Willis, but the Police Officer tells Mr. Drummond that Willis was not involved, and that Willis tried to tell the other gang members to stop writing on the school wall. Willis nevertheless does not escape punishment, and Mr. Dummond grounds him. In another episode, Willis invited his old best friends from Harlem. After a little cheering up from his sister, Kimberly, Willis uses his new rich life to charm his best friends. When they start having a conflict, they walk out on both Arnold and Willis, and they make up. Willis also had a girlfriend named Charlene DuPrey, portrayed by Janet Jackson of both television shows Good Times and Fame, Jackson only appeared from the show's third season (1980-81), until her final appearance in Early 1984, during the show's sixth season. Todd Bridges was also famous for his role on one full season on the short-lived ABC sitcom, Fish. Todd Bridges role as "Willis Jackson" started to fade, because of casting changes in the 1984-1985 season, when Danny Cooksey plays Sam McKinney, Arnold's new younger stepbrother. Bridges did not appear as much in the show's final season.
Other Characters
» Edna Garrett
» Adelaide Brubaker
» Pearl Gallagher
» Aunt Sophia
» Dudley Ramsey
» Mr. Ted Ramsey
» Miss Chung
» Charlene DuPrey
» Robbie Jayson
» Lisa Hayes
» Sam McKinney
» Maggie McKinney
» Charlie
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