What Do You Think Caused Dana Plato's Fall From Grace? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 03-06-2008, 06:23 PM

After Diff'rent Strokes, Dana Plato really had not had another tv/movie break. She went into B-movies, soft-core pornography, and worked on video games (Night Trap for Sega-CD).

It was said of her that she faked prescriptions for drugs and apparantly robbed a store.

What happened to her after the show? Why do you think she became like this and died this way?

desilu #1 · 03-09-2008, 03:20 AM

I always thought that Hollywood was a place of insanity because of the fame and fortune surrounding it, especially for the child stars and most couldn't handle it. Of course I didn't know the young lady or her upbringing and home life, but again being so young when she started out, I'm sure she was just another Hollywood victim who got all caught up in the "excitement" and "party" of Hollywood and just self distructed and lost all sense of reality.
I think I probably wouldn't have handled it well either. I grew up in a very strict and sheltered home and when I did leave home and got a taste of freedom, it damn near killed me so I know that I wouldn't have done much better if I lived as a child star in Hollywood, especially today! It was truely sad that she went down that path and unfortunetly there were and are so many doing the same thing. I read that Gary and Todd had their share of problems too.

willjarmon · 04-08-2008, 04:14 PM

Her down fall on DS was her pregnancy if she had gotten married comming back from France and then announced her Pregnancy that way that could have kept her working I mean it worked on the Cosby's plus if she did it 1985 on ABC that would have kepty the show on for another season

BarneyFife · 04-08-2008, 05:04 PM

I think her Drug problem is what done her in. They can take over your life and completely ruin you. Thank the lord I kicked the habit.

JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS!

OnTheMarkTexas · 05-10-2008, 12:32 AM

I remember seeing a few bits and pieces of the E! True Hollywood Story about DS, and I would concur that it seems the beginning of her downward spiral was her pregnancy.

From statements made by Conrad Bain, I got the impression that as Dana Plato matured physically, she had not done so emotionally. His reaction to the news of her pregnancy was one of shock, seeing as how he obviously thought she lacked the emotional maturity to handle it.

And then once she was let go by the producers, that only compounded her problems. I gather that she must not have managed her money well, either, seeing as how by the age of 25, she was broke.

I always had a soft spot for her and was deeply saddened by her untimely death and the circumstances surrounding it.

Ireneparalegal · 05-10-2008, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willjarmon

Her down fall on DS was her pregnancy if she had gotten married comming back from France and then announced her Pregnancy that way that could have kept her working I mean it worked on the Cosby's plus if she did it 1985 on ABC that would have kepty the show on for another season

Drugs was the problem. It was the root of everything going wrong in her life. Because she did not have the stardom she had with DS, doesn't mean her life had no meaning or value. Not every actor or actress can have fame 24/7. Some get that one chance at stardom and the choices they make during their fame will be the deciding factor on how the rest of their life ends up. If she had saved her $$$, not started with drugs, had made better choices as far as how was she going to survive if she never got another acting job, etc. those are the choices she needed to make but of course once someone chooses to do drugs, you are at the mercy of that drug.

waichingliu81 · 05-11-2008, 07:28 AM

i think it was a combination of all those things these guys have mentioned, not just one main thing. she was one of those child performers, who couldn't handle, nor deal with the fame and pressure and so because of that she turned to drugs as her way out. such a shame that her life ended so early, not just because she was still young but because she had so much promise and potential that dana could've gone onto bigger things after DS. alas, her fragile state of mind and emotional problems took its toll on her and because she didn't handle it well, it became the end of the road for her, sad to say

JamesG · 05-11-2008, 04:57 PM

Thanks for the answers so far everyone. Did any of you ever hear the final interview she did on the Howard Stern radio show? She died a couple of weeks after it and Stern had a lot of unwanted attention (as usual) when people blamed him for causing or somehow being responsible for her death. That wasn't the case as Howard appeared to be not bias whereas the callers were the ones saying the mean spirited things.

Janice · 05-12-2008, 03:17 AM

It was the drugs, combined with being unable to handle the loss of her job that led to her demise, the poor young woman. So sad, especially for her son. I thought she was coming back from the drugs, but evidently not. I've heard the Stern interview. He actually defended her against the nasty callers. Still, he didn't have to allow those calls to come through. If someone like Julia Roberts was sitting in that chair, they would never allow those types of calls.

Ireneparalegal · 05-12-2008, 04:39 PM

Actually Janice, Julia Roberts did appear on Howard Stern's radio show and there were some calls that were not so nice. Howard almost always does defend his guests. He had to reassure Julia as a matter of fact many times that he would not inquire abt her sexual life or anything of a sexual nature on his show if she appeared. She was worried abt appearing and she did great.

Howard did defend Dana when she appeared, but many times when people call in, they lie and say they are calling in to say one thing and end up saying something else. Happens many times on live radio shows.

I feel so bad that Dana's life took such a spiral turn downward. Gary Coleman should be happy he has not resorted to drugs and try and make things better in his life. He has had many chances to do so. Dana didn't.

TVFactFan · 05-13-2008, 10:29 AM

I just never understood why the THS of Diffrent strokes has to deal with the personal life of Dana Plato and Todd Bridges. That has nothing to do with the actual show. That's why I can't watch it anymore because it's too depressing

Ireneparalegal · 05-13-2008, 09:56 PM

THS began and always talks abt the personal issues and lives of celebs and famous people. That is the format. It isn't to talk abt only the show. This is E! entertainment channel, not a sitcoms channel.

catlover79 · 05-13-2008, 11:37 PM

There are so many celebs, many of them child stars, who just can't handle the downside to fame. Dana was one of them, and I don't think anyone will ever really know why.

TVFactFan · 05-14-2008, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

THS began and always talks abt the personal issues and lives of celebs and famous people. That is the format. It isn't to talk abt only the show. This is E! entertainment channel, not a sitcoms channel.

Well then it needs to stop including sitcoms and just focus on celebs. It kind of misleading when you think u will hear about the show and it's something completely different

Janice · 05-16-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Actually Janice, Julia Roberts did appear on Howard Stern's radio show and there were some calls that were not so nice. Howard almost always does defend his guests. He had to reassure Julia as a matter of fact many times that he would not inquire abt her sexual life or anything of a sexual nature on his show if she appeared. She was worried abt appearing and she did great.

Howard did defend Dana when she appeared, but many times when people call in, they lie and say they are calling in to say one thing and end up saying something else. Happens many times on live radio shows.

I saw one Julia Robert's interview, on tv, and she was treated like a queen, royalty. A couple of joke remarks were made in a couple of phone calls about her ex-boyfriends, but nothing even remotely like what was allowed with Dana. Not even close. Julia was laughing.

If you listen to the callers that were allowed through with Dana, they were allowed to bash her. It was awful. Howard's got a cut off button, and he didn't use it as he should have, and as he would if it as someone else. I don't hold him responsible for Dana's death one bit, but no, he didn't protect her that day. He pretended to, but he didn't.

03-09-2008, 03:20 AM	#2
desilu #1 Lucy/Desi 4-EVER Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 23, 2000 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan USA Posts: 724	I always thought that Hollywood was a place of insanity because of the fame and fortune surrounding it, especially for the child stars and most couldn't handle it. Of course I didn't know the young lady or her upbringing and home life, but again being so young when she started out, I'm sure she was just another Hollywood victim who got all caught up in the "excitement" and "party" of Hollywood and just self distructed and lost all sense of reality. I think I probably wouldn't have handled it well either. I grew up in a very strict and sheltered home and when I did leave home and got a taste of freedom, it damn near killed me so I know that I wouldn't have done much better if I lived as a child star in Hollywood, especially today! It was truely sad that she went down that path and unfortunetly there were and are so many doing the same thing. I read that Gary and Todd had their share of problems too.
	__________________ Amy M. Weaver

04-08-2008, 05:04 PM	#4
BarneyFife Retired Forum Fanatic Join Date: Mar 02, 2008 Posts: 8,460	I think her Drug problem is what done her in. They can take over your life and completely ruin you. Thank the lord I kicked the habit. JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS!
	__________________ BarneyFife has left the building.

05-11-2008, 04:57 PM	#8
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,049	Howard Stern Show Interview Thanks for the answers so far everyone. Did any of you ever hear the final interview she did on the Howard Stern radio show? She died a couple of weeks after it and Stern had a lot of unwanted attention (as usual) when people blamed him for causing or somehow being responsible for her death. That wasn't the case as Howard appeared to be not bias whereas the callers were the ones saying the mean spirited things.

05-13-2008, 11:37 PM	#13
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	There are so many celebs, many of them child stars, who just can't handle the downside to fame. Dana was one of them, and I don't think anyone will ever really know why.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

03-06-2008, 06:23 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,049	What Do You Think Caused Dana Plato's Fall From Grace? After Diff'rent Strokes, Dana Plato really had not had another tv/movie break. She went into B-movies, soft-core pornography, and worked on video games (Night Trap for Sega-CD). It was said of her that she faked prescriptions for drugs and apparantly robbed a store. What happened to her after the show? Why do you think she became like this and died this way?

04-08-2008, 04:14 PM	#3
willjarmon Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 31, 2001 Posts: 182	Her down fall on DS was her pregnancy if she had gotten married comming back from France and then announced her Pregnancy that way that could have kept her working I mean it worked on the Cosby's plus if she did it 1985 on ABC that would have kepty the show on for another season

05-10-2008, 12:32 AM	#5
OnTheMarkTexas Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 05, 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 61	I remember seeing a few bits and pieces of the E! True Hollywood Story about DS, and I would concur that it seems the beginning of her downward spiral was her pregnancy. From statements made by Conrad Bain, I got the impression that as Dana Plato matured physically, she had not done so emotionally. His reaction to the news of her pregnancy was one of shock, seeing as how he obviously thought she lacked the emotional maturity to handle it. And then once she was let go by the producers, that only compounded her problems. I gather that she must not have managed her money well, either, seeing as how by the age of 25, she was broke. I always had a soft spot for her and was deeply saddened by her untimely death and the circumstances surrounding it.

05-11-2008, 07:28 AM	#7
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	i think it was a combination of all those things these guys have mentioned, not just one main thing. she was one of those child performers, who couldn't handle, nor deal with the fame and pressure and so because of that she turned to drugs as her way out. such a shame that her life ended so early, not just because she was still young but because she had so much promise and potential that dana could've gone onto bigger things after DS. alas, her fragile state of mind and emotional problems took its toll on her and because she didn't handle it well, it became the end of the road for her, sad to say

05-12-2008, 03:17 AM	#9
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	It was the drugs, combined with being unable to handle the loss of her job that led to her demise, the poor young woman. So sad, especially for her son. I thought she was coming back from the drugs, but evidently not. I've heard the Stern interview. He actually defended her against the nasty callers. Still, he didn't have to allow those calls to come through. If someone like Julia Roberts was sitting in that chair, they would never allow those types of calls.

05-12-2008, 04:39 PM	#10
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	Actually Janice, Julia Roberts did appear on Howard Stern's radio show and there were some calls that were not so nice. Howard almost always does defend his guests. He had to reassure Julia as a matter of fact many times that he would not inquire abt her sexual life or anything of a sexual nature on his show if she appeared. She was worried abt appearing and she did great. Howard did defend Dana when she appeared, but many times when people call in, they lie and say they are calling in to say one thing and end up saying something else. Happens many times on live radio shows. I feel so bad that Dana's life took such a spiral turn downward. Gary Coleman should be happy he has not resorted to drugs and try and make things better in his life. He has had many chances to do so. Dana didn't.

05-13-2008, 10:29 AM	#11
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,027	I just never understood why the THS of Diffrent strokes has to deal with the personal life of Dana Plato and Todd Bridges. That has nothing to do with the actual show. That's why I can't watch it anymore because it's too depressing

05-13-2008, 09:56 PM	#12
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	THS began and always talks abt the personal issues and lives of celebs and famous people. That is the format. It isn't to talk abt only the show. This is E! entertainment channel, not a sitcoms channel.