Phillip Drummond (character)
Encyclopedia
Phillip Drummond is a fictional character
on the hit television series
, Diff'rent Strokes
, he was portrayed by Emmy Award
nominee and Golden Globe winning television
actor
, Conrad Bain
, who previously worked on Maude
.
er, who runs the Trans Aillen Co. Housing Development, and was born December 3, 1931 in Manhattan
, New York
.
Phillip has a daughter, named Kimberly
, and two adopted African American
sons, 12-year-old Willis
, and 8-year-old Arnold Jackson
. Arnold and Willis's mother, Lucy Jackson, worked as a housekeeper for Phillip Drummond many years ago, but her death-bed wish was that Mr. Drummond would take care of her two sons. In the first episode of the series, Phillip welcomes Arnold and Willis into his home. Arnold quickly becomes attached to his new environment, but Willis nearly ruins it for him by hastily deciding that he and Arnold will move back to Harlem
.
Phillip starts planning some "quality time" with the family by telling both Arnold and Willis that the whole family will be going on fun trips together. Arnold wants to agree, but Willis destroys his fun, and bosses him around.
The next night, after taking advice from Mrs. Garrett, Phillip decides to create "Family Fun Time" with magic tricks (that never worked) and dancing, but when Willis informs that it was time for him and Arnold to leave for Harlem
, Phillip surprises them with a truckload of toys. Arnold becomes very happy, and Willis becomes selfish by deciding that it is time to move back to Harlem
with his little brother. Phillip had confronted Willis for the first time, implying that he is turning out to be selfish, but when Willis and Philip fall on good terms, they decide to start a new relationship together.
Phillip Drummond had dated some women, such as Arnold's teacher, Ms. Osbourne (Mary Ann Mobley
who later replaced Dixie Carter as Maggie), and later got re-married to Maggie McKinney, a television aerobics instructor (Dixie Carter
/Mary Ann Mobley
). Maggie subsequently introduced her son by her ex-husband, Sam McKinney (Danny Cooksey
), to the family.
Dixie Carter
had portrayed Phillip Drummond's new love interest and soon-to-be wife, Maggie McKinney Drummond in the middle of the 1983-1984 season, and 1984-1985 season, then Carter had started having problems with fellow co-star, Gary Coleman
, and she left the show, she was later replaced in the eighth and final season (1985–1986), by Mary Ann Mobley
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the hit television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
, he was portrayed by Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominee and Golden Globe winning television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, Conrad Bain
Conrad Bain
Conrad Stafford Bain is a Canadian-American actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and as Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude.-Personal life:...
, who previously worked on Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
.
Fictional character biography
Phillip Drummond is a wealthy white widowWidow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
er, who runs the Trans Aillen Co. Housing Development, and was born December 3, 1931 in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Phillip has a daughter, named Kimberly
Kimberly Drummond (character)
Kimberly Drummond is a fictional character on the popular television series, Diff'rent Strokes, and was portrayed by child actress Dana Plato from 1978 until 1984, at the end of the show's sixth season....
, and two adopted African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
sons, 12-year-old Willis
Willis Jackson (character)
Willis Jackson is a fictional character on the popular late 1970s-early 1980s television series, Diff'rent Strokes, and he was portrayed by child actor Todd Bridges.-Character background:...
, and 8-year-old Arnold Jackson
Arnold Jackson (character)
Arnold Jackson is a breakout character on the television series Diff'rent Strokes. He was portrayed by Gary Coleman.-Character Theme:Arnold John Jackson is the younger brother of Willis Jackson , and was born in Harlem, New York City on October 19, 1971...
. Arnold and Willis's mother, Lucy Jackson, worked as a housekeeper for Phillip Drummond many years ago, but her death-bed wish was that Mr. Drummond would take care of her two sons. In the first episode of the series, Phillip welcomes Arnold and Willis into his home. Arnold quickly becomes attached to his new environment, but Willis nearly ruins it for him by hastily deciding that he and Arnold will move back to Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
.
Phillip starts planning some "quality time" with the family by telling both Arnold and Willis that the whole family will be going on fun trips together. Arnold wants to agree, but Willis destroys his fun, and bosses him around.
The next night, after taking advice from Mrs. Garrett, Phillip decides to create "Family Fun Time" with magic tricks (that never worked) and dancing, but when Willis informs that it was time for him and Arnold to leave for Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, Phillip surprises them with a truckload of toys. Arnold becomes very happy, and Willis becomes selfish by deciding that it is time to move back to Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
with his little brother. Phillip had confronted Willis for the first time, implying that he is turning out to be selfish, but when Willis and Philip fall on good terms, they decide to start a new relationship together.
Phillip Drummond had dated some women, such as Arnold's teacher, Ms. Osbourne (Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality.-Career:After serving her reign as Miss America 1959, Mobley embarked on a career in both film and television...
who later replaced Dixie Carter as Maggie), and later got re-married to Maggie McKinney, a television aerobics instructor (Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
/Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality.-Career:After serving her reign as Miss America 1959, Mobley embarked on a career in both film and television...
). Maggie subsequently introduced her son by her ex-husband, Sam McKinney (Danny Cooksey
Danny Cooksey
Danny Cooksey is an American singer, actor and voice actor. He has been in show business since he was very young and is best remembered for playing the roles of Sam McKinney on the last years of the TV show Diff'rent Strokes and Robert "Bobby" Budnick on the Nickelodeon program, Salute Your...
), to the family.
Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
had portrayed Phillip Drummond's new love interest and soon-to-be wife, Maggie McKinney Drummond in the middle of the 1983-1984 season, and 1984-1985 season, then Carter had started having problems with fellow co-star, Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
, and she left the show, she was later replaced in the eighth and final season (1985–1986), by Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality.-Career:After serving her reign as Miss America 1959, Mobley embarked on a career in both film and television...
.