I haven't done any research on this yet but does anyone know why Gary Coleman physical apperance changed in 1983. He became very DARK and had this kind of skeleton look in his face. Anyone recall this look?

my guess would be his dialysis and kidney treatments.

my guess would be his dialysis and kidney treatments.


Exactly, Coleman was very sick during this time.

Yes, it is a period where he was just exhausted, it is documented (E! Hollywood Stories and elsewhere).

How sad :(

You need to remember, those who suffer from kidney problems, illnesses, they will tend to "bloat" or have a somewhat "fatty" look to them. Especially in the face. So, we could have been seeing him as he would look had it not been for his kidney problems. Either way, he has dealt with kidney problems all his life.

You need to remember, those who suffer from kidney problems, illnesses, they will tend to "bloat" or have a somewhat "fatty" look to them. Especially in the face. So, we could have been seeing him as he would look had it not been for his kidney problems. Either way, he has dealt with kidney problems all his life.

A friend of mine had a kidney transplant in the late 90's and had "chubby" cheeks and a paler skin than usual, due to his treatments, dialysis and all that. It's pretty extreme, all that medicine involved and diets you have to stick to. He was so brave about it all (he's doing great now, thank you ;) )

Actually, he began looking thinner in the face sometime in 1982, b/c I just saw the ep. where he beats Willis at a Space-Age arcade game yesterday and that ep. was from 1982.

Actually, he began looking thinner in the face sometime in 1982, b/c I just saw the ep. where he beats Willis at a Space-Age arcade game yesterday and that ep. was from 1982.

Oh thanks. this season must be the one from 1982-83 then. The fifth.
He probably used less "cortisone" by then (i don't know what the english word is. Probably the same?). It's a substance that gives you that chubby looks.

That's when the dialysis really came into really serious play around that time because if you look between 1981-1985 (Seasons 4-7) you noticed on one show he was bloated and then a few weeks later he was thinner and then in like the last 3 or 4 episodes of season 8 he was just plain skinny and if you noticed he didn't act mush in those last 5 or 6 shows untill Front Page and the one with Robin Givens

He looked pretty weird looking in the pilot episode, though. After the pilot episode, he looked different and there is the Arnold we all know.

He looked pretty weird looking in the pilot episode, though. After the pilot episode, he looked different and there is the Arnold we all know.

You're right. I wouldn't say "weird" but this episode looks like it was shot a year or a few months prior to the rest of the season. He looks and sounds a bit younger in the pilot.

I just saw an episode on Encore Black involving Sam's friend (played by Soleli Moon Frye), who just happens to be a girl and I was taken a back by how "weird" Gary Coleman looked in contrast to episodes prior to that (during that season, which I think was Season 7). I noticed that he had missed several episodes (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=225555) (presumably because he was on medical leave), and yet in this episode that I'm referring too, Gary's complexion seemed lighter and his cheeks became really puffy.

I just saw an episode on Encore Black involving Sam's friend (played by Soleli Moon Frye), who just happens to be a girl and I was taken a back by how "weird" Gary Coleman looked in contrast to episodes prior to that (during that season, which I think was Season 7). I noticed that he had missed several episodes (presumably because he was on medical leave), and yet in this episode that I'm referring too, Gary's complexion seemed lighter and his cheeks became really puffy.


And he went from that to thinner and darker

I noticed his physical appearances would fluctuate when watching the episodes in syndication but at the time I didn't know Gary had a medical condition I was guessing he had plastic surgery or something.