Before he was known as Philip Drummond on the popular television series "Diff'rent Strokes", he played obnoxious neighbor, Dr. Arthur Harmon, on the long running comedy "Maude", starring Bea Arthur, and before that Conrad Bain was virtually unrecognized.

A quiet man who relished his acting career, his daughter said Bain had "a kind heart", and was truly bothered by the problems of his "Strokes" co-stars, Todd Bridges (substance abuse), and Gary Coleman (personal/financial difficulty).

Others have quietly speculated that the show, although "filled with love", was cursed with evil.  Dana Plato, who played Bain's daughter, died of a drug overdose in 1999.

Bain began acting at Ontario's Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada, and also studied at New York's prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, but his stage and set presence was usually that of a "second banana", whereas his costars shined.

Conrad Bain was 89 years old when he died of natural causes on January 14.

 

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