Free Republic

NEW YORK (AP) -- Conrad Bain, a veteran stage and film actor who became a star in middle age as the kindly white adoptive father of two young African-American brothers in the TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," has died. Bain died Monday of natural causes in his hometown of Livermore, Calif., according to his daughter, Jennifer Bain. He was 89. The show that made him famous debuted on NBC in 1978, an era when television comedies tackled relevant social issues. "Diff'rent Strokes" touched on serious themes but was known better as a family comedy that drew most of its laughs from...

Conrad Bain, who starred as Phil Drummond, the rich white businessman who adopts Harlem kids Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges on the popular sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, has died, according to the Associated Press. He was 89. TMZ first reported Wednesday that Bain died Monday night in Livermore, Calif., according to family sources. Other details were not immediately known. Bain, who played in many stage productions during his long career, also was known for his six-year role as Dr. Arthur Harmon, the blundering next-door neighbor on CBS sitcom Maude.