TODD BRIDGES I'm Proud to Be a SURVIVOR

The former Different Strokes star looks back on his long career and shares what he’s learned

- Susan Hornik

Todd Bridges has been famous for most of his life. The San Francisco-born actor, best known as Diff'rent Strokes' Willis, began acting while still in grade school. “I used to watch Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son. I knew I wanted to do the same thing he did,” Todd tells Closer. He did a fine job of it. In addition to Diff'rent Strokes, Todd guest-starred on many of the most influential TV series of the 1970s, including Barney Miller, Little House on the Prairie, Police Story, The Waltons, The Love Boat, and even scored a role in the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries Roots.

In his personal life, Todd has known times of trouble. He's dealt with childhood trauma and drug dependency, and had several well-publicized run-ins with the law in the early 1990s. He became sober in 1993 and feels grateful to have come so far. “I've been through a lot, admits Todd, 56. “But now I know I can get through anything.

A father of two, Todd recently appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, where he shared a different side of himself with viewers. “It was much more difficult than I expected. But at the end of the day, I'm happy. It was really fun,” he says. “I got a chance to show who I am, not how the media has portrayed me. Fans got a chance to see the real me.”

When you are recognized, what do fans most often say to you?

They always say, “What'chu talking about Willis?, which I did get to say to [host] Julie [Chen] during the finale of Big Brother. It had the right timing, and it was hilarious.

What do you consider your big break?