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David Gordon Strickland, Jr. (October 14, 1969 – March 22, 1999) was an American television actor best known for playing the boyish rock music reporter Todd Stites in the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan before committing suicide on March 22, 1999. Strickland was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, and moved to Princeton, New Jersey, with his family, before relocating to California. His earlier television roles before Suddenly Susan included Dave's World, Roseanne, Sister, Sister, and Mad About You. He had suffered from bipolar disorder and had a history of drug and alcohol abuse. He was... MORE

David Gordon Strickland, Jr. (October 14, 1969 – March 22, 1999) was an American television actor best known for playing the boyish rock music reporter Todd Stites in the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan before committing suicide on March 22, 1999. Strickland was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, and moved to Princeton, New Jersey, with his family, before relocating to California. His earlier television roles before Suddenly Susan included Dave's World, Roseanne, Sister, Sister, and Mad About You. He had suffered from bipolar disorder 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. News reports of events leading up to his death suggest that he had chosen to stop taking the lithium he was prescribed to control his bipolar disorder. Strickland died during the morning hours of March 22, 1999. After checking in at the Oasis Motel at 1731 Las Vegas Boulevard South in Las Vegas, Strickland consumed several bottles of beer and later hanged himself with a bed LESS