Harvey Brownstone Interview with Todd Bridges, CoStar, “Diff’rent Strokes”

[TMC]

Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Todd Bridges, Co-Star, “Diff’rent Strokes”, Author, “Killing Willis”

About Harvey's guests:

Today’s guest, Todd Bridges, is an actor, director and producer who rose to international stardom as one of the most popular and beloved child stars of the 70s and 80s. He first captured our hearts as “Loomis” on the TV show “Fish”, and then as “Willis Jackson” on “Diff’rent Strokes”.

He’s also appeared in dozens of movies including “Thursday the 12th”, “The Sounds of Silence”, “Turning Point”, “Dead Ringer”, “Nightblade”, “Hospital Arrest”, “Hope for the Holidays”, “Cheer Bloody Murder” and many more. And on television, in addition to his iconic work on “Fish” and “Diff’rent Strokes”, he appeared in the groundbreaking miniseries “Roots”, as well as on “Little House on the Prairie”, “The Waltons”, “The Facts of Life”, “Circle of Pain”, “The Young and the Restless”, “Everybody Hates Chris”, and many more TV shows and movies.

But behind that beautiful smile and charismatic talent as an actor, and enormous likeability, this is a man who has had to overcome a number of exceedingly difficult traumas and obstacles, including child abuse and betrayal of the worst kind, as well as police harassment, racism, wrongful prosecution, and vicious treatment by the tabloid press while he was struggling to overcome a very severe and debilitating substance abuse addiction.

In 2010, he wrote a highly compelling, heart wrenching and unforgettable memoir entitled, “Killing Willis: From Diff’rent Strokes, to the Mean Streets, to the Life I Always Wanted”, in which he chronicles his tumultuous and gut-wrenching journey, from the heights of superstardom to the depths of despair, through his addiction, criminal court prosecutions and long road to rehab, recovery and healing, and to rebuilding the highly successful career and family life he is now enjoying and so richly deserves.

Our guest has given so much back to the community. In 1992, he founded the Todd Bridges Youth Foundation, and in 2010 he became the official spokesperson for ICDC College’s Alcohol and Drug Counselling Program. Through his work as an addiction counselor and founder of the Society for Ethical Addiction Treatment, he has helped thousands of people conquer their drug and alcohol addictions and live positive, constructive lives. And I can tell you, as a retired criminal court judge who knows only too well what this man has been through, it’s truly an honor to have him here with us.

[Evil Zebra]

Great interview with Todd... Check it out!


BTW... I'm looking forward to meeting up with Todd
out in Las Vegas in August... will be the first time that
I've seen him in 44 years!

This shot was taken of Todd and I back in 1980 on the
set of Diff'rent Strokes... when I was there to surprise
my good friend, the late Dana Plato...