Killing Willis : from Diff'rent strokes to the mean streets to the life I always wanted / Todd Bridges with Sarah Tomlinson.
"For Todd Bridges early stardom was no protection from painful childhood events that paved the road to his own personal hell. One of the first African-American child actors on shows like Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, and Roots, Bridges burst to the national forefront on the hit sitcom Diff<U+2019>rent Strokes as the subject of the popular catchphrase, "What<U+2019>chu Talkin About Willis?" When the show ended, Bridges was overwhelmed by the off-camera traumas he had faced. Turning to drugs as an escape, he soon lost control. Now, for the first time, Bridges opens up about his life before and after Diff<U+2019>rent Strokes: the incredible reversals of fortune brought on by fame and the precipitous<U+2014>and very public<U+2014>descent that followed; the persecution from police; the drug addiction that nearly consumed him; the criminal charges that almost earned him a life sentence; and his successful legal defense led by Johnnie Cochran. Through it all, Bridges never relented in his quest to fight his way back from the abyss, establish his own identity<U+2014>separate from Willis Jackson<U+2014>and offer his ordeal as a positive example for those struggling to overcome similar challenges. His triumphant story of recovery and redemption is recounted here as well. Todd Bridges has lived a life of remarkable twists and turns<U+2014>from the greatest heights to the lowest lows imaginable. In this shocking but ultimately hopeful memoir, he proves that what he was really talking about was survival." -- from publisher's website.
Record details
- ISBN: 1439148988
- ISBN: 9781439148983
- Physical Description: x, 275 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm
- Edition: 1st Touchstone edition
- Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2010.
Content descriptions
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Preface: Everybody's got a special kind of story -- Suicide by cop -- "I want to be just like him when I grow up" -- Sky's the limit! -- Hollywood teen -- Everything changes -- There's only stars in the sky -- What's an officer like you doing in a uniform like that? -- Life after Willis -- Billy the kid -- Life in the hood -- The fall -- Justice and its aftermath -- Methamphetamine blues -- Back on the chain gang -- Seventh heaven.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Bridges, Todd, 1965-
Television actors and actresses > United States > Biography. - Genre:
- Autobiographies.
Available copies
- 9 of 9 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Brown Library System.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 9 total copies.
Show All Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George H. & Laura E. Brown Library | B Bri (Text) | 30308100891663 | Adult Biography | Available | - |
