Dana Michelle Plato was born in Maywood, California, on November 7, 1964. Her first excursion into the film world occurred when she was eleven in the television film Beyond This Place There Be Dragons. Dana never really made an impact on the TV screen until she landed the part of Kimberly Drummond in the TV hit sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" from 1978-1984. After the series ended, Dana had a hard time trying to find other acting work. Sometimes she would surface in a made-for-TV movie or a low-budget film for the silver screen. Times were rough. Her marriage to Lanny Lambert lasted a year, but produced a son. She was arrested in 1991 for robbing a video store in Las Vegas but was placed on probation. The following year, Dana was, again, arrested for forging a prescription for Valium. Things were at a low ebb. She had just finished an interview with Howard Stern, in the spring of 1999, when she and her fiancé, Robert Menchaca, were headed back to California. The interview was one in which Dana hoped to revive her stalled career. They stopped at his parents house in Moore, Oklahoma, for a weekend Mother's Day visit before continuing on to California. On Saturday, May 8, 1999, Dana died of what appeared to be an accidental overdose of a painkiller called Loritab. Later, on May 21, a coroner's inquest ruled her death a suicide due to a large amount of drugs in her body and her history of past suicide attempts. She was 34 years old.
Arrested for armed robbery in 1991. Arrested for forging a valium prescription in 1992. Died in Moore, Oklahoma, in the home of her fiancé Robert Menchaca where they had visited for Mother's Day. With Lanny Lambert, Dana Plato has a son born in 1985 named Tyler Lambert who lives in Tulsa. Appeared on The Howard Stern show shortly before her suicide. Calls came in from Stern's fans to the show literally embarrassing Plato on the air. Attended Sutter Jr. High in Winnetka, CA (1978). Was adopted. Birth mother's name is Linda Strain. Was fired from Diff'rent Strokes at the end of the 1983-84 season due to her pregnancy. The producers were unwilling to write the pregnancy into the show, but she was able to return for guest appearances after her son was born. Childhood dream was to be an Olympic figure skater. Wanted to accept the role of Regan in The Exorcist but turned it down due to her adoptive mothers insistence that the content was not suitable. Linda Blair took the part and went on to become big. Dana had a role in the Exorcist sequel which turned out to be a flop. Had breast implants done in 1994 in hopes of landing better film roles. Won the part of Violet in the movie Pretty Baby, but turned it down, so she wouldn't be typecast in this type of role. Brooke Shields ended up playing the part. Plato's older son, an aspiring actor himself, is represented by another former child actor, Johnny Whitaker. Had an acting role in the Sega CD game "Night Trap." Was number 91 on vh1's 100 Greatest Kid Stars.