Todd Bridges

Infobox actor
name = Todd Bridges
birthname = Todd Anthony Bridges
birthdate = birth date and age|1965|5|27
location = San Francisco, California, U.S.
deathdate =
deathplace =
height = 5'11 (1.80 m)
othername =
yearsactive = 1975 ─ present
spouse =
homepage =
notable role = Loomis in "Fish"
Willis Jackson in "Diff'rent Strokes"
academyawards =
emmyawards =
tonyawards =

Todd Anthony Bridges (born May 27, 1965 in San Francisco, California) is an American actor. Bridges is best known for his role as Willis Jackson on the television series "Diff'rent Strokes" from 1978 to 1986.

Biography

Bridges became the first African-American child actor to have a recurring role on the successful TV series "The Waltons". He also appeared on "Little House on the Prairie", and in the landmark miniseries "Roots". He was a regular on the "Barney Miller" spinoff "Fish".

Bridges has a brother and sister who are both actors, Jimmy Bridges and Verda Bridges. His mother, Betty A. Bridges, was also an actress. Todd is married and has one son, Spencer Todd Bridges, Jr.

In his 20's, Bridges battled a cocaine addiction for several years. In 1988 he was arrested and tried for the attempted murder of Kenneth "Tex" Clay, a Los Angeles area drug dealer, who prosecutors argued had been shot by Bridges while on a binge. Bridges pleaded not guilty to the charges and was represented by the high-profile defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. Cochran successfully portrayed Bridges as an abused minor who had been driven to drugs by an exploitive entertainment industry, and was now being unfairly framed. Bridges was acquitted of all charges by a jury.

Bridges was arrested again in 1997 for allegedly ramming someone's car after an argument and he was charged with attempted murder, but was again acquitted.

Bridges has traveled the U.S. speaking in schools and churches discussing the dangers of drug use and negative peer pressure, and promoting his Christian religious beliefs. In 2001, Bridges rescued a woman who fell from her wheelchair while she was fishing.

He appeared as a contestant on the Fox reality show Skating with Celebrities, but was eliminated on the second episode of the show. Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice on a 2002 episode of Celebrity Boxing. Additionally, Todd Bridges appeared along with Gary Coleman and Vanilla Ice on a VH-1's celebrity-reality show The Surreal Life. (Coleman was featured in the 2004 season of The Surreal Life where he managed a restaurant at which the other cast members worked, and after Todd Bridges appeared, was encouraged by Vanilla Ice to say "What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" much to his dismay and disapproval resulting in Coleman leaving the restaurant.) He appeared as a contestant on a 2006 celebrity episode of the Fear Factor, but was eliminated after the first stunt. In January 2007, he appeared as a member of the "mob" on the US version of the game show "1 vs. 100". He was eliminated on the first question after failing to correctly answer the question, "Which month has an extra day during a leap year?" He appeared on MyNetworkTV's new show, "Decision House" with his wife, Dori Bridges on the episode titled, 'Burned Bridges' aired on November 14, 2007.

Filmography

* "" (2008) (TV) (commentator)
* "Decision House" (2007) (TV)
* "Everybody Hates Chris" (2007) (TV)
* "Big Ball'n" (2007) (Film)
* "Death Row" (2006)
* "Hollywood Horror" (2006) (post-production)
* "Punk'd" (2005) (TV)
* "Issues" (2004)
* "Land of the Free?" (2004)
* "" (2003)
* "May Day" (2003) (V)
* "Pauly Shore Is Dead" (2003)
* "Black Ball" (2003)
* "The Young and the Restless" (2002) TV Series
* " The Climb" (2002)
* "Welcome to America" (2002)

* "Inhumanity" (2001) (V)
* "Dumb Luck" (2001)
* "The Darkling" (2000) (TV)
* "" (2000) (TV)
* "Flat Out" (1998)
* "The Waterfront" (1998)
* "Busted (film)" (1996)
* "She's Out of Control" (1989)
* "High School U.S.A." (1983) (TV)
* "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978) TV Series
* "Fish" (1977–1978) TV Series
* "Little House on the Prairie" (1977) (TV)
* "A Killing Affair" (1977) (TV)
* "Roots" (1977) (mini) TV Series
* "Katherine" (1975) (TV)

External links

*imdb name|id=0004775|name=Todd Bridges
*amg name|2:8424
*tvtome person|id=4881|name=Todd Bridges