Likely, he is well known for his role as Willis Jackson on the sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, and for his recurring role as Monk on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.
Todd Bridges were born on 27th May 1965 in San Francisco, California, in the United States. His birth name is Todd Anthony Bridges and he is currently 55 years old.
His father’s name is James Bridges Sr. and his mother’s name is Betty A. Bridges. At the age of four, he got his first modeling job posing for a magazine ad.
Whereas, his parents’ divorce in 1982 hit him hard. He has two siblings namely, Jimmy Bridges and Verda Bridges.
Todd Bridges holds American citizenship, but his ancestry is unknown. His birth sign is Gemini.
Education, School/ College University
Talking about Todd’s educational history, he attended Hollywood Professional School.
Todd Bridges: Professional Life, Career
Talking about his profession, Bridges appeared on The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and the landmark miniseries Roots, and was a regular on the Barney Miller spinoff Fish.
But it was playing Willis Jackson, on the long-running sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, that made him a household name, along with those of fellow co-stars Conrad Bain, Charlotte Rae, Dana Plato, and Gary Coleman.
Likewise, Todd Bridges also appeared in ‘Little House on the Prairie’, a drama television series about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota in the 1870s and 1880s.
Additionally, his performance in ‘Fish’ caught the attention of producer Norman Lear, who cast 12-year-old Todd in a starring role in the comedy show, ‘Diff’rent Strokes’.
It proved to be his big break which changed his life and career. He played an orphan taken in by a wealthy white businessman.
Todd then became a heartthrob and a household name. By the age of 18, he was wealthy enough to own a house of his own in Los Angeles. In the 1980s, he appeared in a few music videos as well.
In the year 1984, he appeared in Penny Ford’s single ‘Change Your Wicked Ways’. Despite enjoying considerable fame, his professional life soon spiraled downward due to his drug addiction and brushes with the law.
By 1986, Todd Bridges had become so deeply embroiled in legal troubles that it was becoming hard for him to get meaningful work.
Moreover, the lack of substantial roles for ‘Black’ actors further made his career difficult. Depressed by the situation, he delved deeper into drugs and crime.
In the 1990s, he sought professional help to deal with his drug problem. After rehab, he saw a resurgence in his acting career and made appearances on multiple reality shows.
Besides that, he defeated Vanilla Ice in an episode of the show ‘Celebrity Boxing’ in 2002.
In an episode titled ‘Burned Bridges’ on MyNetworkTV’s show ‘Decision House’. He also accepted a recurring role on the sitcom ‘Everybody Hates Chris.
In 1998, he opened the Todd Bridges Youth Foundation which provides sports, computer training, and acting courses for children.
Todd Bridges also appeared as a frequent commentator. In October 2008, he appeared as a contestant on ‘Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling’ on the CMT Network.
Judges praised him for his athleticism and for defeating Harding. After reaching the finals, he was defeated by Dennis Rodman.
In 2010, Todd Bridges wrote a book, ‘Killing Willis, and appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to promote it.
In 2015, Todd Bridges served as the host of a live game show, ‘Lovers or Losers: The Game Show’, at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Awards, Nomination
This actor was nominated for Quintessential Non-Traditional Family for Diff’rent Strokes (1978) at the TV Land Award. He was nominated for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Series for Diff’rent Strokes (1978).
He won Best Actor for Frankie D (2007) at the Feature Film Award.
Todd Bridges: Net Worth, Salary
Todd Bridges has an estimated net worth of around $400 thousand (as per 2022 data) and he has earned that sum of money from his professional career.
Todd Bridges: Rumors and Controversy
There was a rumor about Bridges’ death. There was a controversy that during his 20s, Bridges battled a crack cocaine addiction.
In the year 1989, Todd Bridges was also 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.
Todd Bridges pleaded not guilty to the charges and was represented by the high-profile defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. Currently, he is far from rumors and controversies.
Body Measurements: Height, Weight
Todd Bridges has a height of 5 feet 11 inches. Additionally, he weighs 78 kg.
His hair color is bald and his eye color is hazel.
Social Media
Todd Bridges is active on Twitter rather than on Facebook and Instagram.
Todd Bridges has around 27.9K followers on Twitter. But, he doesn’t have an official page on Facebook or Instagram.