He died in 2010 at the age of 42. different strokes Star Gary Coleman is remembered in a familiar way in many obituaries – as a talented child actor who encountered personal difficulties later in life.
new documentary Gary, About the Peacock, trying to bring a new perspective to his well-known story. Directed by British director Robin Dashwood (Hitler’s Countdown to War), a film that follows the famously cheeky, witty Coleman from his appearances in bank commercials to his breakthrough in “Arnold Jackson.” different strokes (His oft-repeated catchphrase: “What are you talking about, Willis?”). Featuring interviews with many people in Coleman’s life, including friends, parents and ex-wives, the film chronicles some well-known periods in his life – his troubled marriage, arrests and health problems – as well as some lesser-known experiences Everything from his lifelong fascination with outer space to his excitement as an adult working as a security guard.
Dashwood said in interviews that he hoped the film would enrich a life that would eventually make many tabloid headlines. “Of course there’s a cautionary tale in there, and that’s what can happen to a child actor, but I hope people are moved by the fact that he was attacked by all these issues that were beyond his control, but he kept going,” he said. “He never gave up.”
hollywood reporter Dashwood also spoke to Dashwood about the “misinformation” surrounding some events in Coleman’s life and Coleman’s troubled relationship with his own celebrity.
What first interested you in Gary Coleman as a potential documentary subject?
There has been a recent crop of celebrity doctors who are doing a great job and seem to be quite popular, I think [Peacock] Thinking, “Oh, no one can do Gary Coleman.” They took the idea to RAW, which was a London-based production company. Americans are very aware of a lot of what happened to Gary Coleman, and he is part of popular culture. He’s not very well known in the UK, I think. [Peacock] Probably thought a British company could bring a fresh perspective to it, uninfluenced by much of what has been written over the years. RAW came to me and said, “Would you be interested in doing this?” I remember [Diff’rent Strokes] There was a TV channel here when I was a kid. So I realized that and looked a little bit and thought [Coleman] Great, but I know nothing about what happened to him, nothing about the court case, nothing about his illness, nothing about his move to Utah and his acrimonious marriage to Shannon [Price]. I was fascinated to delve into it and discover all these things for myself. I just think it’s an absolutely tragic story, but at the heart of it is an indomitable spirit, and that’s who Gary is. That’s the appeal.
The film touches on many of the key players in Gary’s story. What was the process of convincing them to appear in the documentary?
Some people are happy to show up: people like Todd [Bridges] It was a great chat, and so was his agent, Victor Perillo. Others were less enthusiastic: the parents took a lot of convincing, and so did Shannon. They were the toughest, but we just got into a pretty lengthy process of talking to them. We met their parents, and last fall we took a trip to where they lived and took them out to lunch to try to convince them. Apparently they were wary of the media after everything that had happened, and they agreed. It took Shannon longer, but she woke up and I think she realized that if we were doing a big documentary about Gary, it would be weird for someone else to tell her story for her. She recognized the benefits of being able to tell her story on camera.
As you mentioned, there was a lot of media coverage of Coleman’s life in the United States. What surprises do you hope Coleman’s story will bring to audiences?
We hope we can dispel a lot of rumors and gossip and basically present what we know to be the facts. What I found in my interviews and conversations with key people was that they all had their own version of what happened, which they adhered to closely and often contradicted what others were saying. I think the truth is out there. All we have to do is state the facts of what happened as best we can.
There’s a lot of gossip out there about what happened in the court case, but we’ve laid out the facts. Similarly, the relationship with Shannon is also the way many people gossip about it [Coleman] Possibly dead and if she was involved. What I find interesting when I interview people is that they don’t necessarily know that the police have investigated and found no evidence of foul play. So I hope we can clear up some of the misinformation. I think people who watch this documentary will make their own decisions based on the evidence we present.
Coleman’s friend Anna says in the film that he specifically asked for no funeral or tombstone when he died because, he said, “I wanted to be alone last.” In making a documentary about him, did you Have you considered his wish?
This is a good question. Of course, I didn’t know he said that until we started the project. Yes, there’s that side to it, but I think because we’re blessed with people like Anna and Dionne, who are probably the two closest people to him in his life, I think we feel like we’re on safe ground. I wanted this movie to honor him and show him as he was. That’s my hope. Sadly I can’t ask him, but I hope this serves as a reminder, firstly, of what an amazing genius he was, but secondly, how sad his life was for so many reasons, none of which were within his control middle.
Did making this documentary change your perspective on children’s acting?
Yes, it got me thinking. I know nothing about the situation in Hollywood right now, how child actors are treated, how their money is cut and taken away from the people who work for them, but what Gary went through seems so unfair because so many The money was completely taken away. So he had a decent amount of money left, but not a lot. But I also think, honestly, would you allow your child to become a child star? I’m not sure I will. I’m not sure it’s on the path to a happy, healthy life. But apparently someone has proven that you can be a child star and have a successful career when you grow up, [like] Jason Bateman and [others]. But I’m not sure that watching this movie will push my kids to act in Hollywood or anywhere.
What do you hope audiences ultimately take away from this film about Coleman and his life?
I really hope people remember how smart he was. Especially the first three parts different strokeshe’s incredible and has great comedic timing. There’s a cautionary tale there, of course, and that’s what can happen to a child actor, but I hope people are moved by the fact that he was attacked by all these problems that were beyond his control, but he kept going. He keeps picking himself up and moving forward. He never gave up. Even if it wasn’t acting, he would find a job he wanted to do, so he took the security job. I think he was in poor health for a long time in his life and didn’t feel good, but he caught up and kept going, which I think is inspiring.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
