Superstar comedian Kevin Hart is set to play the iconic role of Arnold Jackson, which was immortalized by the late Gary Coleman, in the upcoming reboot of “Diff’rent Strokes.”
The ABC special will recreate classic episodes of the venerated sitcom that ran from 1978-86. The network announced in a press release, obtained by TVLine.com, that they will air the 90-minute event, titled “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” on Dec. 7, 2021.
Adding to the excitement is the fact that comedic great Damon Wayans will reprise the role of Arnold’s big brother Willis Jackson, which was originally mastered by Todd Bridges. Additionally, upper-tier actor John Lithgow will play the role of Mr Phillip Drummond, which was played by Conrad Bain back in the day. Ann Dowd has been pegged to play Charlotte Rae, who shined the role of the housemaid Mrs. Garrett in the 1980s.
The 90-minute special will also feature a recreation of an episode of another seminal 80’s sitcom, “The Facts of Life,” which was a spin-off from “Diff’rent Strokes and starred a teenage Kim Fields.
Check out a clip of the news below.
