About Dana Plato
Dana Michelle Plato (née Strain; November 7, 1964 – May 8, 1999) was an American actress. She rose to fame for playing Kimberly Drummond on the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1978–1986), which established her as a teen idol of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Plato was born to a teen mother and was adopted as an infant. She was raised in the San Fernando Valley and trained in figure skating before turning to acting. Her acting career began with numerous commercial appearances, and her television debut came at the age of ten with a brief appearance on the television series The Six Million Dollar Man (1975). She then appeared in the horror film Return to Boggy Creek (1977) and the Oscar–winning film California Suite (1978). In recognition for her tenure on Diff'rent Strokes, she received nominations for a Young Artist Award and two TV Land Awards. Following the show, she worked sporadically in independent films and B movies, and appeared in the video game Night Trap (1992). Plato was married twice and she had a child in 1984 during her marriage to guitarist Lanny Lambert. She struggled with substance abuse for most of her life. She was arrested in 1991 for robbing a video store, and again the following year for forging a drug prescription. On May 8, 1999, at age 34, Plato was found dead in her motor home from an overdose of prescription drugs. Her death, initially considered accidental, was ruled a suicide. Plato starred in the video game Night Trap (1992), becoming one of the first celebrities to appear in a video game. The game was a moderate success, and is considered a pioneering title because it was the first to use live actors. It is best remembered for the controversy it created over the violence and sexuality that, along with that surrounding Mortal Kombat, eventually led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.