The Todd Bridges Time Machine
Todd Bridges is a groundbreaking, veteran television personality, actor and comedian with nearly five decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Todd has lived and worked amongst some of the most famous and influential individuals in the world. Best known for his role as Willis Jackson on the hit TV show Diff'rent Strokes, Todd is widely respected as a talented and versatile performer and is a sought-after host and commentator. (Read Todd's Bio)
A tech guru, Todd grew up alongside technology. Step into our time machine as we journey though six decades of Todd Bridges...
1965
1965
Hello World!
May 27, 1965 - Todd Bridges was born to Betty A. Bridges in San Francisco, CA. Todd was Betty's third child following Jimmy and Verda Bridges. Sadly, we can't currently find any baby pictures of Todd.
"Mini" Computers
With a smart phone in your pocket, it's hard to think of this big machine as a "mini" computer, but in 1965 early electrical engineers were plugging away in a steady march to revolutionize the world. The PDP-8 12-bit minicomputer was introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). It's the first commercially successful minicomputer selling over 50,000 units during its lifetime. Engineer Gardner Hendrie for Computer Control Corporation (CCC), announced the DDP-116 at the 1965 Spring Joint Computer Conference. It was the world's first commercial 16-bit minicomputer costing $28,500.
1969
1969
Kitchen Computer
Winter 1969 - The DDP-116 was the predecessor of the more popularized Honeywell 316 "Kitchen Computer" featured in the Neiman Marcus holiday gift catalog for just $10,000. The minicomputer weighed over 100 pounds and was advertised as useful for storing recipes, meal planning and balancing the family checkbook. The price tag included a two-week programming course. The Kitchen Computer represented the first time a computer was offered as a consumer product.
1971
1971
First Commercial
At just 6 years old Todd’s first acting job was a Jell-O commercial he did with his mom and siblings. Betty was a budding actress and was excited to book the commercial with her children.
Gaming is Born
August 1971 - the first arcade game, Computer Space, debuted. Developed by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, the pair would go on to create the Atari company. Building on their success with coin-operated gaming, Atari released its iconic Pong game the next year. Want to try your hand at the retro favorite? Check out our Todd Pong game!
1972
1972
"I Want to Be on TV!"
At age 7, Todd’s favorite TV show was Sanford & Son. Todd told his mom that he wanted to be on TV like Red Foxx.
Move to Hollywood
Betty wanted more acting opportunities, so she decided to move to the LA area. She chose Culver City from a magazine and found a house she liked. After running their credit and confirming financials over the phone, the family visited the realtor. Todd's first experience with racism -- when Betty met the realtor in person, he claimed the house was suddenly sold. Of course it wasn't. They still managed to buy the house through a white friend who acted on their behalf.
1974
1974
Tinkering Todd
Betty recalls Todd at age 9 or 10 tinkering with the family's radios, 8-track player and TV. Todd was incredible at fixing things, but sometimes he would take them apart without permission. His mother thought they'd be broken forever, but she said he'd always find a way to put them back together.
1975
1975
Personal Computers
January 1975 - A company called Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS) offered a build-it-yourself computer kit called the Altair 8800 through mail order (because, you know, no internet). The kit was featured on the cover of Popular Electronics and even with no keyboard and no screen, hobbyists flooded MITS with orders for the $397 computer kit. MITS hired Paul G. Allen and Bill Gates, a couple of bright students at Harvard, to adapt the BASIC programming language for the Altair. The software was a hit, making Altair easier to use. Gates & Allen took their earnings from “Altair BASIC” and formed a little company of their own called Microsoft, you might have heard of it.
First TV Appearance
April 14, 1975 - Todd's first big gig in California was doing an episode for a show called Barney Miller. Todd played a kid, Truman Jackson, who held up Mrs. Miller with a pointy stick. She disarmed him of his stick and made a citizen's arrest. At the 12th Precinct station, the detectives put Todd's character in jail to teach him a lesson. Todd enjoyed being in front of a live studio audience. "As an actor in front of a live audience, you get that immediate response to things you’re saying," Todd explained. "You get to hear the people laugh at your jokes – I loved it!"
1976
1976
Apple I
April 1976 - A couple of other smart guys name Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak were also at work on a homemade computer. They released Apple I, which sold for $666.66. It was more sophisticated than the Altair, with more memory, a better microprocessor and a monitor with a screen.
More TV Time
Todd continues to work as a child actor, including appearances in The Practice and the popular Police Story.
1977
1977
Discovering His Roots
January 23, 1977 - Todd got a history lesson in his role on Roots. He recalls learning about slavery from the script. "It made me so angry," Todd said. "I still vividly remember the scene where the slave owner (played by Lloyd Bridges) grabbed George Stanford Brown (who was playing my father), tied him to a tree, and whipped him. We weren’t taught much about black history in school, so I learned a lot about it, making and watching that movie."
Fish Out of Water
February 5, 1977 - Back when Todd did the Barney Miller show, producer Danny Arnold promised to get Todd and Abe Vigoda a show of their own. He delivered with FISH. A spin-off of Barney Miller that aired on ABC from February 5, 1977 to May 18, 1978. The series starred Vigoda as NYPD Detective Phil Fish with Florence Stanley as his wife Bernice. The couple became foster parents to a racially-mixed group of five children, where Todd fit in. After FISH aired, Todd got his first tastes of being a celebrity, beginning to be recognized in public.
The Wisdom of Solomon
March 7, 1977 - Todd plays Solomon on Little House on the Prairie. Even as a child, Todd spoke really good English, and he recalls his mom training him to speak with broken English for this role. Todd's performances opposite Michael Landon challenging racism were so emotional powerful, Todd's mother Betty recalls from on set, that even executives who watched filming from the studio's upper decks were moved to tears.
Apple II
June 10, 1977 - Steve Jobs and Stephen Wozniak introduced the Apple II computer with a keyboard, color screen and the ability to store data on external cassette tapes. For the first time, an attractive plastic housing hid the inner electronics. The Apple II with 4 KiB of RAM sold for $1298.
Joysticks at Home
September 1977 - Atari releases their first home video game console originally called the Atari Video Computer System or VCS. With that iconic joystick, the cartridge-based gaming system allowed users to play a variety of video games. The Atari VCS, which later became known as the Atari 2600, marked the beginning of a new era in video gaming. For Todd and his friends it was a total game changer. “We were just so happy not to have to go stand around in the arcade anymore,” Todd said. “Now we could just play video games at home!”
The Stray
September 22, 1977 - Todd plays a 12-year-old runaway, found hiding out in the barn, on an episode of The Waltons.
1978
1978
Hacking Isn’t Illegal Yet
At 12 years old, Todd and his buddies hacked into his original Atari home gaming system. They found a way into a backdoor in one of the games, gaining free access to a bunch of extra games. "We were living it up until guys in suits from Atari showed up on my doorstep," Todd said. "My mom was so mad, but the Atari guys were cool about it. They just wanted us to show them how we had done it."
Love Boat
October 21, 1978 - In an episode of the Love Boat a rich couple are aboard with their young son, played by Todd. The plotline: the father spends more time on work than with his son.
Diff'rent Strokes
November 3, 1978 - Diff'rent Strokes debuts on NBC. As Fish was winding down, Todd was cast as Willis Jackson on Diff'rent Strokes. Todd was also offered a spot on Mork & Mindy but had to choose between the two roles. Luckily he chose Diff'rent Strokes which was his big break. For 8 years, Todd starred alongside Gary Coleman, who played little brother Arnold in the series featuring two black boys from Harlem taken in by a rich, white businessman and his daughter, played by Conrad Bain and Dana Plato. Charlotte Rae rounded out the cast as the housekeeper.
1979
1979
The Hero
October 24, 1979 - World champion boxer Muhammad Ali makes a guest appearance on Diff’rent Strokes. The storyline involved little brother Arnold wanting to meet the boxer, his childhood hero. Willis and Kimberly get in touch with Ali and fib that their little brother is dying and that his last wish is to meet the boxer who agrees under the false pretenses. Todd fondly remembers the filming of what he calls his favorite episode of Diff’rent Strokes.
1980
1980
First Love
December 31, 1980 - The Diff'rent Strokes storyline called for Willis to get a girlfriend. Todd suggested a recent acquaintance named Janet Jackson might be perfect for the role. When Janet is cast as Charlene DuPrey, Todd is excited to spend more time with her. Eventually the pair start dating off screen as well.
Facts of Life
Todd also appears as Willis Jackson on episodes of The Facts of Life, a series spinoff from Diff'rent Strokes. The Drummond family's housekeeper Mrs. Garrett, played by Charlotte Rae is offered a position at Kimberly Drummond's all-girls private school, the setting for The Facts of Life. You probably remember Blair, Tootie, Natalie, and Jo. Although it was Kimberly's school she wasn't a regular on the series. Still there was quite a bit of crossover between the two shows, which aired simultaneously for six years.
1983
1983
The Internet Age Begins
January 1, 1983 - Considered the official birthday of the Internet. Prior to this, the various computer networks did not have a standard way to communicate with each other. A new communications protocol was instituted called Transfer Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol.
"Just Say No"
March 19, 1983 - First Lady Nancy Reagan appears in a Diff’rent Strokes episode of Season 5. The plot involves Arnold as an investigative reporter for the school paper discovering drugs being sold on his fictional elementary school’s campus. Nancy’s cameo was part of the first lady’s “Just Say No” campaign aimed to fight drug abuse among the nation’s youth. The irony is not lost on Todd, who would later fall deep into a drug addiction and recalled the First Lady's words when he hit rock bottom.
Coming of Age
May 27, 1983 - Todd turns 18. As an adult he’s still working on Diff’rent Strokes, and loves acting so much. Even though he’s battling many emotional demons from abuse he suffered at the hands of his Father and publicist, Todd is keeping it together for the show. Todd’s parents are now divorced and he credits Conrad Bain, his TV Dad, with being the closest thing he had to a caring father figure.
High School
October 16, 1983 - The made-for-television comedy film High School U.S.A. airs on NBC. Todd starred alongside Michael J. Fox, Nancy McKeon, Dana Plato and many more of the biggest names of 80s television.
1984
1984
Todd's First Computer
Todd builds his first computer, piecing it together from cast-off parts he was given from the Diff’rent Strokes studio offices. Todd recalls his computer was so slow -- but it worked! Todd has built at least 6 additional computers. "It used to be cheaper to piece together an awesome computer," he said. "Now it is more cost effective to buy a whole unit."
1985
1985
Not The Breakfast Club
February 15, 1985 - The Breakfast Club debuts. Early in development of the film, Todd ended up seated next to director John Hughes on a flight. Hughes offered Todd a part in his upcoming teen film, but the offer was later rescinded by Hughes partner citing, they didn’t know “how to write for black people.” Coupled with the harassment Todd regularly dealt with from the police in his everyday life (yes, even in his pre-drug days), and it was no wonder Todd felt his race becoming a bigger issue as an adult than it had as a child.
White Powder
During his last year filming Diff’rent Strokes, Todd bought a big house in Northridge that had a palm sunset wall mural similar to one he’d seen in the movie Scarface. When Todd first moved into the house, he replaced the carpet. Being handy and frugal, Todd decided to rip out the carpet himself. Under some of the old carpet he found a bag of white powder. Todd had no idea what it was but his buddy recognized cocaine. “The ‘80s were the era of cocaine, and as soon as I knew to look for it, I realized it was everywhere,” Todd said.
1986
1986
The End
March 7, 1986 - Diff'rent Strokes ends after being canceled by NBC but picked up by ABC for one more season. Tensions rise among the young actors due to Gary Coleman's parents' demands. The plot shifts with Mr. Drummond's remarriage and a new stepson named Sam. Gary's character, Arnold, loses comedic scenes to Sam. Gary's health conditions make it difficult to transition his character like they did with Willis. Gary's parents' financial demands clash with declining ratings. Diff'rent Strokes concludes quietly, in fact Todd didn’t even appear in the last episode.
Concorde to London
Feeling he’d earned a break, Todd decided to take a trip after finishing off Diff'rent Strokes. He was planning to head to New York and take the Concorde supersonic jet to London. Todd called his longtime accountants and asked them to make his funds available to book the tickets. They took a few days to get back to him, which was somewhat unusual but Todd figured they were busy. Right before Todd was scheduled to leave on his trip, his mother Betty made a startling discovery that their accountants were embezzling from both Todd's and her own accounts. In addition to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, the accountants had also failed to make the proper payments to the IRS. With accounts depleted and a $200,000 tax bill, Todd had to cash in his Concorde ticket and cancel his trip, staying home to try to salvage what was left.
1987
1987
Black Hole
Fueled by a desperate desire to escape his emotional pain – from the racism, molestation by his publicist, and abuse and rejection by his father – Todd was sucked into a black hole of hard-core drugs.
1989
1989
World Wide Web
March 12, 1989 - CERN computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web. He published a proposal for a "web" of hypertext documents that could be viewed through a "browser." Although the first web pages, hosted by CERN, didn't go live until August 1991.
1990
1990
It’s Photoshop
February 19, 1990 - The original Adobe Photoshop is released. This trailblazing software was developed in C++ by two brothers, Thomas and John Knoll, who sold the distribution license to Adobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe Photoshop has forever changed the way the world sees photos.
1992
1992
Did You Get My Text?
December 3, 1992 - The first text message was sent from a computer to a cell phone. Mobile phones didn't have keyboards at the time, so the message was typed on a PC by Neil Papworth, a former developer at Sema Group Telecoms. Papworth's text was successfully sent to Richard Jarvis at Vodafone – it read, “Merry Christmas.”
1993
1993
One Day at a Time
After several bouts of rehab, Todd found the path to recovery. Letting "the program" work in his life, he spent several years as a manager of a sober living house in Venice, CA. Todd also worked as a chemical dependency tech in a rehab hospital and volunteered with the Santa Monica court system, mentoring teen addicts.
1995
1995
The Mancow Show
Todd moved to Chicago to do the sports report on The Mancow Show. After a couple years, Todd couldn’t handle the Windy City’s cold weather and headed back to sunny Los Angeles.
1996
1998
2002
2002
"Mad Dog" Bridges
March 13, 2002 - Todd appeared on the first episode of FOX’s Celebrity Boxing. He was billed as Todd “Mad Dog” Bridges in the fight against “Bi-Polar” Vanilla Ice. Todd defeated the former rapper. Todd controlled nearly the entire fight, flooring Vanilla Ice in rounds one and two. All three judges scored the match in Todd’s favor.
2007
2007
Everybody Hates Chris
January 22, 2007 - Todd first appears as Monk on Everybody Hates Chris. Monk is Doc’s nephew and helps manage the store while his uncle is away. Todd continues with the TV series until its conclusion in 2009.
2008
2008
World's Dumbest
March 13, 2008 - Todd appears on the debut episode of World’s Dumbest. Todd gets to be himself, making commentary to accompany videos of dumb criminals. Todd became a regular on the “World’s Dumbest” series, featured in 166 episodes.
2010
2010
Killing Willis
April 28 - Todd releases a memoir co-authored with Sarah Tomlinson called, "Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted." The autobiography was widely praised as a compelling survival story. It includes surprising detail as Todd is incredibly open about his struggle with the police, addiction and Hollywood life.
2022
2022
Big Brother
February 2, 2022 - Todd appears on reality TV series Celebrity Big Brother, Season 3. Todd makes it to the final four.
Todd's Livestream
Todd launches his livestream on Twitch. He's online almost everyday hanging out with other gamers and fans playing mostly Fortnite among other things.
2023
2023
30 Years
Todd celebrates 30 years in recovery and begins working on the Society for Ethical Addiction Treatment and My Best Rehab Foundation. These organizations are working to overhaul the addiction treatment industry, bridging the gap between addiction research and care.
