David Gordon Strickland Jr. (October 14, 1969 – March 22, 1999) was an American actor best known for his role as the boyish rock music reporter Todd Stites in the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan (starring Brooke Shields). is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... This article is about the television network. ... Suddenly Susan 1997 promotional Emmy advertisement. ... Brooke Christa Camille Shields[1] (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and supermodel. ...

Early life, career

Strickland was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, USA. He moved to Princeton, New Jersey, with his family, before relocating to California. Glen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. ... This article is about the island in New York State. ... This article is about the state. ...

His earlier TV roles during the 1990s include Dave's World, Roseanne, Sister, Sister, and Mad About You. He also co-starred in the film Forces of Nature (starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock), which had just opened in U.S. cinemas at the time of his death. Daves World was a 1993–1997 CBS sitcom that was based on the writing of Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry. ... Roseanne is an Emmy Award winning American sitcom which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997, starring stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr. ... Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about twin girls, separated and adopted at birth, one day find each other face to face after fourteen years. ... Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992, to May 24, 1999. ... This page has been deleted, and should not be re-created without a good reason. ... Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American Golden Globe Award-nominated film actor, director, an Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning screenwriter. ... Sandra Annette Bullock (born July 26, 1964) is a German-American film actress. ...

Addiction and death

Strickland suffered from bipolar disorder ^[1] and had a history of drug and alcohol abuse. He was arrested in October 1998 for the possession of cocaine, pleaded no contest in December and was sentenced to 36 months probation and ordered into rehabilitation. He was due in court on the day of his death for a progress report. For other uses, see Bipolar. ... Comparison of the perceived harm for various psychoactive drugs from a poll among medical psychiatrists specialized in addiction treatment[1] This article is an overview of the nontherapeutic use of alcohol and drugs of abuse. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Nolo contendere, in criminal trials, in some common law jurisdictions, is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of guilty or not guilty. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Substance-abuse rehabilitation is a process of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances. ...

News reports of events leading up to his death, at the age of 29, suggest that he had chosen to stop taking the lithium he was prescribed to control his bipolar disorder. He spent the last three days of his life on an alcohol and drug binge with a friend, actor Andy Dick^{[citation needed]}. Lithium salts are chemical salts of lithium used primarily in the treatment of bipolar disorder as mood stabilizing drugs. ... Andrew Dick[1] (born December 21, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and voice artist best known for his roles on the sitcoms NewsRadio, The Andy Dick Show and Less Than Perfect and provided voiceovers in The Lion King II: Simbas Pride, Hoodwinked!, and Happily NEver After. ...

Strickland checked in to the Oasis Motel in Las Vegas during the early hours of March 22, 1999. He consumed several bottles of beer and then hanged himself with a bed sheet over the ceiling beam. His body was discovered by a maid. Vegas redirects here. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Beer (disambiguation). ...

He left no note, and no evidence of drugs was found in the room. The Clark County coroner's report stated that his body bore the marks of a previous suicide attempt. At the time of his death, he was romantically linked with actress Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (Saved By The Bell and Beverly Hills 90210). Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. ... For the thrash metal band, see Coroner (band). ... Tiffani in FHM Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (born January 23, 1974 in Long Beach, California) is an American television and film actress. ... Saved by the Bell is an American sitcom that originally aired between 1989 and 1993. ... Beverly Hills 90210 was a popular primetime television soap opera that aired from October 1990 to May 2000 on the Fox Network in the United States and subsequently on various networks around the world. ...

After much discussion, the producers of Suddenly Susan decided to deal with Strickland's death rather simply. Todd simply did not show up to work one day. When Susan, played by Brooke Shields, called him regarding tickets to a show, his pager vibrated on his desk. Susan spends the day searching for Todd, finding out about a number of good deeds he did throughout his life that Susan had no idea about. As the episode comes to an end, the police visit Susan and the office staff as she asks hopefully if they know where Todd is. It turns out that Todd has been in an accident, and the staff will not be seeing him again. Brooke Christa Camille Shields[1] (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and supermodel. ...

The entire episode was interspersed with interviews of Shields as well as fellow Susan costars Judd Nelson, Kathy Griffin, Barbara Barrie and Nestor Carbonell. Judd Asher Nelson (born November 28, 1959) is an American actor and writer. ... Kathy Griffin (born November 4, 1960) is an Emmy Award-winning American stand-up comedienne, Producer, and actress. ... Barbara Barrie (born Barbara Ann Berman on May 23, 1931 to a Jewish family in Chicago, but raised in Texas) is an American actress and author of childrens books. ... Nestor Carbonell (born December 1, 1967 in New York, New York) is an American actor best known for his role as Luis Rivera on the sitcom Suddenly Susan. ...

References

External links

• David Strickland's IMDB profile
• Info on his death