Diff'rent Stroke actor Conrad Bain dies aged 89

Actor Conrad Bain, best known for playing a white millionaire who adopts two young black boys in 80s sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, has died aged 89.

Bain, who starred opposite a young Gary Coleman in the show, died in California of natural causes, his daughter said.

The comedy, which played on the contrasting lifestyles of rich white and poor black communities in the US, was seen as groundbreaking in the 70s.

It ran for eight seasons, over six years, coming to an end in 1986.

Its success was largely attributed to the play-off between the mischievous young Arnold (played by Coleman) and Bain's character, Phillip Drummond, a rich, widowed industrialist who takes in the two young sons of his housekeeper after she dies.

His first prime-time role was opposite The Golden Girls' Bea Arthur in Maude (1972-78), playing an uptight physician. The success of the show led to his casting in Diff'rent Strokes.

After becoming a household name in the 1980s, Bain starred in the short-lived political comedy Mr President, and returned frequently to the stage throughout his career, last appearing on Broadway in 1992.

He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer, and two sons, Mark and Kent. His wife Monica died in 1999.