How did Gary Coleman die?

Its been nearly a decade and a half since the world lost Gary Coleman, the talented man behind a range of roles, from Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes to Raymond in The Jeffersons.

Those years have been hard on the star’s fans, largely due to Coleman’s young age when he died. He was no adolescent when he lost his life, but the actor was only 42-year-old when he passed. He had much more life to live, but persistent health issues and an unfortunate accident robbed the world of an icon far too soon.

What happened to Gary Coleman?

Gary Coleman got his start as a child actor, debuting in 1974 with a minor role in Medical Center. That was the start of a flourishing career, one that was massively elevated by the release of Diff’rent Strokes in 1978. Coleman’s role as Arnold in the enduringly popular series launched his career, and ultimately set him up to appear in more than six dozens projects over the course of his life.

Coleman was also unfortunately weighed down by medical issues across his 42 years on this Earth, and it’s still widely accepted that a serious, chronic condition was the cause of his demise. He struggled with kidney disease his entire life, and the medication he took to combat it limited Coleman’s growth. That led to his striking 4 foot 8 inch stature, something that gave his career a major boost. In Hollywood it pays to be unique, and Coleman — perhaps one of Hollywood’s first short kings — leaned on that uniqueness to create a lasting career.

In a new documentary about Coleman streaming on Peacock, one aspect of his medical history has fans amazed; the revelation that for the last 25 years of his life, he functioned without any kidney function whatsoever. Per an interview with a friend of Coleman’s, a kidney transplant he received at age 5 “was absorbed by the body. So from Dec. 1, 1985, until his death [in 2010], Gary lived without a single kidney in his body.” The actor was on dialysis for the rest of his life.

Despite his enormous medical struggles, Coleman’s career stretched from 1974 to 2010, the same year he died, with one project even releasing posthumously. His final role, which saw his voice appear in a season 5 episode of Robot Chicken, released one year after his death, in 2011, and capped a lifelong career from a forever treasured star. It joined dozens of others, both televised and on film, which pay testament to the talent of Coleman.

Unfortunately, his kidney issues weren’t the only health struggles Coleman struggled with. In 2009, just months ahead of his death, the star underwent heart surgery, which then led him to develop postoperative pneumonia. Just a few months later, he began to experience seizures, collapsing several times between January and February of 2010. It is widely believed that it was a seizure that killed him — though only due to where it happened.

There continue to be theories that Coleman’s death came about due to malicious causes, but that’s largely due to tabloid pot-stirring. Accusations of murder followed Coleman’s ex-wife, Shannon Price, for years following his death, despite the fact that it was, in fact, investigated, and ruled an accident. He lost his life after suffering an epidural hematoma, brought on by a tumble down the stairs. The fall is thought to have been caused by another seizure, and it landed Coleman in critical condition. Doctors at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center did everything they could to save him, and the star even seemed like he might bounce back at one point, but Coleman tragically died aged 42 on May 28, 2010. For a deeper dive into Gary Coleman’s life and legacy, check out Gary on Peacock.