--- description: The then-First Lady appeared on an episode of the sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" title: 'Diff'rent Strokes' Star Says Nancy Reagan Helped Him Recover image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6a4c1d913c544774/69888080ab6d77da446a8bd8/138453725.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Diffrent Strokes_ Star Pays Tribute to Nancy Reagan by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 7, 2016 4:42 PM CUT  DIFF'RENT STROKES-- "The Reporter" Episode 22 -- Aired 3/19/83 -- Pictured: (l-r) Mary Jo Catlett as Pearl Gallagher, Dana Plato as Kimberly Drummond, Conrad Bain as Philip Drummond, Todd Bridges as Willis Jackson, Nancy Reagan as herself (front center) Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson. NBC—NBC via Getty Images DIFF'RENT STROKES-- "The Reporter" Episode 22 -- Aired 3/19/83 -- Pictured: (l-r) Mary Jo Catlett as Pearl Gallagher, Dana Plato as Kimberly Drummond, Conrad Bain as Philip Drummond, Todd Bridges as Willis Jackson, Nancy Reagan as herself (front center) Gary Coleman as Arnold Jackson. NBC—NBC via Getty ImagesNBC—NBC via Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 7, 2016 4:42 PM CUT Actor Todd Bridges says the episode of the 1980s sitcom [Diff’rent Strokes](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nancy-reagans-diffrent-strokes-visit-873052 "undefined") featuring then-First Lady Nancy Reagan helped him when he hit rock-bottom. In an interview with the [_Hollywood Reporter_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nancy-reagans-diffrent-strokes-visit-873052 "undefined"), the former child star — who struggled with addiction to crack cocaine — opened up about the late First Lady’s appearance on the sitcom to promote her anti-drug abuse initiative “Just Say No.” Bridges says he was not yet addicted to drugs when Reagan appeared in an episode as herself, traveling to New York to meet with Gary Coleman’s character to talk about drug abuse. Though the former First Lady did not reach out to him as he struggled with his own addiction issues, Bridges says her message hit home when he was down and out. He tells _THR_: --- > “” --- The actor says he has been sober for 22 years. Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure at age 94 on March 6. Read the full interview at the [_Hollywood Reporter_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nancy-reagans-diffrent-strokes-visit-873052 "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4249658/diffrent-strokes-nancy-reagan-todd-bridges/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4249658/diffrent-strokes-nancy-reagan-todd-bridges/"},"headline":"Diffrent Strokes Star Pays Tribute to Nancy Reagan","datePublished":"2016-03-07T16:42:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T15:40:49.825Z","description":"Todd Bridges says her advice about drugs on the show helped him at his \"lowest point\"","url":"https://time.com/4249658/diffrent-strokes-nancy-reagan-todd-bridges/","keywords":["celebrities","entertainment","Nancy Reagan"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6a4c1d913c544774/69888080ab6d77da446a8bd8/138453725.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6a4c1d913c544774/69888080ab6d77da446a8bd8/138453725.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Diff'rent Strokes","caption":"Diff'rent Strokes","creditText":"NBC—NBC via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4249658/diffrent-strokes-nancy-reagan-todd-bridges/","name":"Diffrent Strokes Star Pays Tribute to Nancy Reagan"}}]}] ```