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Dana Plato

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Not to be confused with Dan Plato.

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.
DiedMay 8, 1999(1999-05-08) (aged 34)[1]
Moore, Oklahoma, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1975–1999
Spouses
Lanny Lambert
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 1990)​
Scott Atkins
​
​
(m. 1996; ann. 1996)​
Children1
Signature

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 played Kimberly Drummond on the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986). Her personal struggles with substance abuse were well documented by the media and led to her premature death at the age of 34. Her life has retrospectively been called a "tragedy".[5][6][7]

Plato was born to a teen mother and was adopted as an infant. She was raised in the San Fernando Valley and was an accomplished figure skater before acting. Her acting career began with numerous commercial appearances, and her television debut came at the age of ten with a brief appearance on the television series The Six Million Dollar Man (1975). Plato subsequently appeared in the horror films Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and Return to Boggy Creek (1977), and the Oscar–winning film California Suite (1978). In recognition for her tenure on Diff'rent Strokes, she received nominations for a Young Artist Award and two TV Land Awards. Following the show, she worked sporadically in independent films and B movies, and appeared in the video game Night Trap (1992).

Plato was married twice; she had a child in 1984 during her marriage to guitarist Lanny Lambert. She 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, while initially considered accidental, was ruled a suicide.

Early life

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Dana Michele Plato, originally Dana Strain, was born on November 7, 1964, in Huntington Park, California, at Mission Hospital. Her birth mother was Linda Strain, a teenager who was already caring for an 18-month-old child. In June 1965, the seven-month-old Dana was adopted by Dean Plato, who owned a trucking company, and his wife Florine "Kay" Plato. She was raised in the San Fernando Valley. When she was three, her adoptive parents divorced and she lived with her mother.[8]

At a very young age, Plato began attending auditions with her mother, and by the age of seven had appeared in over 100 television commercials.[9] Plato was also an accomplished figure skater. During her years on Diff'rent Strokes, Plato struggled with drug and alcohol problems; she admitted to drinking alcohol, using cannabis and cocaine, and suffering an overdose of diazepam when she was aged 14.[8]

In 1995, during an appearance on The Marilyn Kagen Show alongside co-star Todd Bridges, she spoke of her childhood with her mother, stating: "My mother made sure that I was normal. The only thing that she did, the mistake she made, was that she kept me in a plastic bubble. So, I didn't learn about reality and life skills." Kagen suggested that Plato may have been used for a free meal ticket, which Plato denied, explaining that her mother's ways were so that she would not become a prima donna.[9]

Career

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Plato made her television acting debut at the age of 10, making a brief appearance on the ABC television show The Six Million Dollar Man. She then starred in the 1975 made-for-television film Beyond the Bermuda Triangle. Plato made her film debut at the age of 13 in the uncredited role of Sandra Phalor in the horror film Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977). She starred as Evie Joe in the horror film Return to Boggy Creek in the same year.[10] Both films were received negatively by critics.[11][12][13] Better received was the family-comedy film California Suite (1978), in which Plato played Jenny Warren; the film was also a commercial success,[14] and earned accolades from the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.[15]

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

When Plato made a brief appearance on The Gong Show, she was spotted by a producer who helped cast her as Kimberly Drummond, the older sister of adopted brothers Arnold and Willis Jackson, on the NBC/ABC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. The series debuted in 1978 and became an immediate hit. Plato appeared regularly on the show throughout its run, notably top-billed for four years. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her work on the program, and also was part of two TV Land Award nominations given to its cast.[16][17][18] In 1984, following the birth of her son Tyler, Plato was dismissed from her starring role due to both her pregnancy and struggles in her personal life, which producers felt would negatively impact their "wholesome family comedy".[19][20] She made a one episode appearance on season 8 episode 12 of "The Love Boat". Thereafter, Plato appeared recurringly on Diff'rent Strokes from 1985 to 1986, the show's end;[21] in season 8, the episode which aired on January 17, 1986, was Plato's final appearance on the show, which showed her character suffering from bulimia. CBC News described her performance in the episode as a "series highpoint".[22]

In 1981, Plato appeared in the television special A Step in Time,[23] which earned her a second Young Artist Award nomination. In 1983, she starred in the television film High School U.S.A. as Cara Ames, alongside Diff'rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges, who played Otto Lipton.[24] In spite of the film being met with a mixed response from critics and viewers alike,[25][26] it gained popularity at the time of its premiere, particularly for its cast. Plato attempted to establish herself as a serious actress, but found it difficult to achieve success.[27] She had breast implants and modeled for a June 1989 Playboy pictorial.[28][29] She also started taking roles in such B movies as Bikini Beach Race (1992) and Lethal Cowboy (1995). In 1990 she made a brief attempt at a musical career, sponsored by producer Howie Rice. She recorded six tracks with songwriter/producer Daniel Liston Keller at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California, but the recordings were shelved and not released.

In 1992, Plato starred in the video game Night Trap, becoming one of the first celebrities to appear in a video game.[28] She was eager to work on the project, and Rob Fulop, one of the designers of Night Trap, said that he and Plato had enjoyed working together. She made little effort to hide the fact that the project was a step-down compared to her previous career ventures.[30][28] The game was a moderate success, and is considered a pioneering title because it was the first to use live actors.[31] Night Trap received mixed to negative reviews upon release, and in retrospect has continued to polarize critics and audiences. It is best remembered for the controversy it created over the violence and sexuality that, along with that surrounding Mortal Kombat, eventually led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).[32][33]

Toward the end of her career, Plato chose roles that were erotic;[34] she appeared nude in Prime Suspect (1989) and Compelling Evidence (1995), and in the softcore erotic drama Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jill...and Jill (1998), the title of which was changed after filming in order to tie it to Plato's past. In the same year, following her appearance in the film, Plato appeared in a cover story of the lesbian lifestyle-magazine Girlfriends.

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.

Personal life

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In December 1983, Plato moved in with her boyfriend, rock guitarist Lanny Lambert. The couple married on April 24, 1984, and their only child, Tyler Edward Lambert, was born on July 2, 1984. When it was revealed that she was pregnant, she was written out of Diff'rent Strokes.[35] Her co-star Conrad Bain revealed that she was happy about her baby,[8][9] stating in an interview with People magazine: "She deliberately got pregnant while doing the series, when I spoke to her about it, she was enthusiastic about having done that... [saying that] 'When I get the baby, I will never be alone again.'"

Plato separated from Lambert in January 1988, the same week her mother died of scleroderma. In desperation, she signed over power of attorney to an accountant who disappeared with the majority of her money, leaving her with less than $150,000. She claimed the accountant was never found nor prosecuted despite an exhaustive search, and that he had also stolen more than $11 million from other clients.[36] In her March 1990 divorce, Plato lost custody of her son to Lambert and was given visitation rights.[8][37] She then became engaged to Fred Potts, a filmmaker, but the romance ended. She was later married to actor and producer Scott Atkins (Scotty Gelt) in Vancouver for one month, but the marriage was annulled. Plato got engaged to her manager Robert Menchaca, six years her junior, with whom she lived in a motor home in Navarre, Florida.[38]

On February 28, 1991, Plato entered a Las Vegas video store, produced a pellet gun, and demanded the money in the cash register. After she left with the money, the clerk called 9-1-1 and said, "I've just been robbed by the girl who played Kimberly on Diff'rent Strokes." Approximately fifteen minutes after the robbery, Plato returned to the scene and was immediately arrested. She had stolen $164.[39] Entertainer Wayne Newton posted her $13,000 bail,[38] and Plato was given five years' probation. She subsequently became a subject of the national debate surrounding troubled child stars, particularly given the difficulties of her Diff'rent Strokes co-stars Todd Bridges and Gary Coleman.[40][41]

In January 1992 Plato was arrested for forging a prescription for diazepam.[1] She served thirty days in jail for violating the terms of her probation and immediately entered a drug rehabilitation program. Plato later moved to Las Vegas, where she struggled with poverty and unemployment. At one point she worked at a dry-cleaning store, where customers reported being impressed by her lack of errors.[8]

On May 7, 1999, the day before she died, Plato appeared on The Howard Stern Show. She spoke about her life, discussing her financial problems and past run-ins with the law. She admitted to being a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, but claimed she had been sober for more than ten years and was not using any drugs, with the exception of prescribed painkillers due to the recent extraction of her wisdom teeth.[42] Many callers to the show insulted Plato and questioned her sobriety, which angered and provoked her, and she defiantly offered to take a drug test on the air. Some callers, as well as host Howard Stern, came to Plato's defense, though Stern also referred to himself as "an enabler" and sarcastically offered Plato drugs.[36] Although she allowed a hair to be cut for the test, Stern later claimed she asked for it back after the interview.[43]

Death

[edit]
Plato's official death certificate

On May 8, 1999, Plato and Menchaca were returning to California and stopped at Menchaca's mother's home in Moore, Oklahoma, for a Mother's Day visit.[8] Later on in the visit, Plato said that she felt unwell and took a few doses of a hydrocodone / acetaminophen painkiller (Lortab), along with the muscle-relaxant carisoprodol (Soma),[44] and went to lie down with Menchaca, inside her Winnebago motor home, which was parked outside the house.[8] Carisoprodol and hydrocodone are known to have major drug interactions that can lead to serious side effects including profound sedation, respiratory distress, coma, and even death.[45] Upon waking up, Menchaca and the family discovered that Plato had died in her sleep at the age of 34. It was initially assumed to be an accidental overdose but was later ruled a suicide based on Plato's long history of substance abuse and past suicidal gestures.[46][47][48][49] Some of Plato's friends and associates, including her former Diff'rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges, have publicly disagreed with the medical examiner's ruling, with Bridges stating that Plato had consumed the fatal cocktail of drugs in an ambiguous amount in order to fall asleep.[50][51] Plato's body was cremated and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.[52]

In 2000, Fox broadcast a television movie based on Plato, titled After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped. The film was focused on her life and work after the show, including her death. It featured actors who at the time were unknown, as well as Bridges, who made a cameo appearance.[53] In 2006, NBC aired the television film Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Diff'rent Strokes, which was based on the lives of the child stars who had worked on the show. Bridges and Coleman appear at the end of the film standing near Plato's grave.[54]

On May 6, 2010, two days before the eleventh anniversary of Plato's death, her son Tyler committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the head. He was 25 years old.[55][56]

On November 7, 2019, on what would have been Plato's 55th birthday, Bridges commented on Twitter about their friendship,[57] leaving a tribute to Plato:[2] "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."[58]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
List of films and roles
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Exorcist II: The Heretic Sandra Phalor Uncredited
Return to Boggy Creek Evie Joe
1978 California Suite Jenny Warren
1989 Prime Suspect Diana Masters
1992 Bikini Beach Race J.D.
The Sounds of Silence Deborah Nichols
1995 Compelling Evidence Dana Fields
Lethal Cowboy Elizabeth
Millennium Day
1997 Tiger Andrea Baker
Blade Boxer Rita Direct-to-video film
1998 Different Strokes: The Story of Jack and Jill...and Jill Jill Martin
Desperation Boulevard Herself
1999 Silent Scream Emma Jones
2002 Pacino Is Missing Prosecuting Attorney Posthumous release

Television

[edit]
List of television appearances and roles
Year Title Role Notes
1975 The Six Million Dollar Man Girl Episode: "The Bionic Woman"
Beyond the Bermuda Triangle Wendy Television film
1976 Family Mary Beth Sanders Episode: "Home Movie"
1978 What Really Happened to the Class of '65? Episode: "The Most Likely to Succeed"
The Gong Show Herself Game show
1978–86 Diff'rent Strokes Kimberly Drummond Main role (seasons 1–6); recurring role (seasons 7–8)
1979 Hello, Larry Kimberly Drummond 3 episodes
The Facts of Life Kimberly Drummond Episode: "Rough Housing"
1979–80 CHiPs Herself 2 episodes
1980 Family Debbie Episode: "Letting Go"
ABC Afterschool Specials Daisy Dallenger Episode: "Schoolboy Father"
1981 A Step in Time Herself Television film
1982 The Family Life Naomi Episode "The Kids are Moving In"
Walt Disney World's 10th Anniversary Daughter Television special
1983 High School U.S.A. Cara Ames Television film
1984 The Love Boat Patty Springer Episode: "Paying the Piper/Baby Sister/Help Wanted"
1985 Growing Pains Lisa Episode: "Mike's Madonna Story"

Video games

[edit]
List of video game roles
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Night Trap Kelli Medd Lead role

Accolades

[edit]
List of awards and nominations received by Dana Plato
Association Year[a] Category Work Result Ref.
Young Artist Awards 1981 Best Young Actress in a Television Special A Step in Time Nominated [59]
1983 Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series Diff'rent Strokes Nominated [16]
TV Land Awards 2003 Quintessential Non-Traditional Family (shared with cast) Diff'rent Strokes Nominated [17]
2004 Quintessential Non-Traditional Family Diff'rent Strokes Nominated [18]

Notes

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  1. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Dana Plato, 34, Star of 'Diff'rent Strokes'". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 10, 1999. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Helling, Steve. "Diff'rent Strokes' Todd Bridges Remembers Dana Plato on What Would've Been Her 55th Birthday: 'You're Free My friend'". People. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  3. ^ Finn, Natalie (April 13, 2020). "The Most Heartbreaking Teen Star Tragedies". E! News. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  4. ^ "'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.
  5. ^ Speckhals, Linda. "Dana Plato: A Career Cut Short". Groovy History. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  6. ^ "Inside the Most Heartbreaking Teen Star Tragedies". E! Online. April 13, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  7. ^ Odendaal, Odette (June 6, 2019). "Tragic Story behind 'Diff'rent Strokes' Star Dana Plato's Death That Greatly Affected Her Son". news.amomama.com. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Gliatto, Tom (May 24, 1999). "Little Girl Lost". People. Vol. 51, no. 19. ISSN 0093-7673. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c Rivas, Aby (January 25, 2020). "Late 'Diff'Rent Strokes' Star Dana Plato Once Revealed That Mom Kept Her in a 'Plastic Bubble'". AmoMama. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  10. ^ "Return to Boggy Creek". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013.
  11. ^ Kaye, Don (April 15, 2013). "Exorcist director says sequel is 'one of the worst films I've ever seen'". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  12. ^ Sindelar, Dave (June 12, 2016). "Return to Boggy Creek (1977)". Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  13. ^ "Return to Boggy Creek". Bleeding Skull. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  14. ^ "California Suite (1978) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  15. ^ "The 51st Academy Awards | 1979". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "5th Annual Awards". Young Artist Award. April 3, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "TV Land Awards (2003)". IMDb. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "TV Land Awards (2004)". IMDb. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  19. ^ "'Diff'rent Strokes': Todd Bridges is now the last living member of the core cast". USA Today. June 8, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  20. ^ Boone, Brian (December 2, 2021). "The Untold Truth Of Diff'rent Strokes". Looper.com. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  21. ^ Cammila Collar (2013). "Dana Plato – About This Person – Movies & TV". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  22. ^ "CBC News".
  23. ^ "A Step in Time". IMDb. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  24. ^ Buck, Jerry (October 6, 1983). "Stars of yesterday team with those of today". The Spokesman-Review TV Review. Spokane, Wash. Associated Press. p. 5. Retrieved August 2, 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  25. ^ "High School U.S.A. (1983)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  26. ^ "High School U.S.A." IMDb. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  27. ^ "Stars who struggled to find success after being on a hit TV show". Wonderwall.com. August 15, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  28. ^ a b c "The Making Of Night Trap, The World's Most Famous Video Game Nasty". Nintendo Life. April 23, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  29. ^ "Corey Haim and 10 Other Troubled 1980s Child Stars". ABC News. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  30. ^ "The Making of Night Trap" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  31. ^ "MobyGames Page on Night Trap". MobyGames. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
  32. ^ 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.
  33. ^ Fogel, Stefanie (April 20, 2018). "Controversial '90s Game 'Night Trap' Coming to Nintendo Switch". Variety. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  34. ^ Robert Firsching (2014). "Different Strokes: The Story of Jack & Jill... and Jill (1998)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  35. ^ Ferris, Amanda (September 22, 2018). "20 Actor Mamas Who Were Written Out Due To Their Pregnancies". Moms. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Dana Plato's final interview with Howard Stern". sitcomsonline.com. May 7, 1999.
  37. ^ Fisher, Luchina; Marikar, Sheila (May 13, 2010). "Growing Pains: The Trials and Tribulations of 1980s TV Child Stars". ABC News. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  38. ^ a b Wilkins, Frank. "The Overdose Death of Dana Plato". Morbidly Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 23, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  39. ^ Sporkin, Elizabeth (March 24, 1991). "Diff'rent Strokes, Fallen Stars". People. 35 (11). Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  40. ^ "VIDEO VAULT: Child actress Dana Plato robs a Vegas video store in 1991". KSNV News. October 11, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  41. ^ Sporkin, Elizabeth (March 25, 1991). "Diff'rent Strokes, Fallen Stars". People. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  42. ^ "'Diff'rent Strokes' actress dies of apparent overdose". Variety. Reuters. May 10, 1999.
  43. ^ Buffa, Denise (May 11, 1999). "Stern: Dana Tried Desperately To Dodge Drug Test". New York Post.
  44. ^ "Actress Dana Plato Dies at 34". The Washington Post. October 5, 1999.
  45. ^ "Drug Interactions between carisoprodol and hydrocodone". Drugs.com. Drugs.com. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  46. ^ O'Neill, Anne-Marie (June 7, 1999). "Seeking Serenity". People. 51 (20). Archived from the original on May 20, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
  47. ^ "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.
  48. ^ "Death of Actress Dana Plato in Oklahoma Ruled a Suicide". Deseret News. Associated Press. May 21, 1999. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  49. ^ "Doctor rules Dana Plato's death suicide". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 22, 1999. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  50. ^ Eric Meyers (narrator), Suzy Davis, Phil Mount, and Michael Kelpie (executive producers) (March 8, 2020). "Autopsy: The Last Hours of Dana Plato". Autopsy: The Last Hours of... Reelz.
  51. ^ djvlad (October 17, 2023). Todd Bridges on Dana Plato (Kimberly Drummond) Making Adult Film, Dying from Pills (Part 14). Retrieved June 24, 2024 – via YouTube.
  52. ^ 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.
  53. ^ "Long Island News From the Long Island Press". Long Island Press. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  54. ^ McDonough, Kevin (September 4, 2006). "Refried nostalgia, overcooked comedy". Times Herald-Record. Middletown, NY. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  55. ^ Gaskell, Stephanie (May 13, 2010). "Dana Plato's son, Tyler Lambert, commits suicide 11 years after 'Diff'rent Strokes' star overdosed". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  56. ^ "Growing Pains: The Trials and Tribulations of 1980s TV Child Stars". ABC News. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  57. ^ Cordero, Rosy (December 8, 2021). "'Live In Front Of A Studio Audience' Smoothly Revisits 1970s-80s Twins, 'Diff'rent Strokes' And 'The Facts Of Life'". Deadline. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  58. ^ "@ToddBridges". Twitter. November 7, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  59. ^ "3rd Annual Awards". Young Artist Award. April 2, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
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