Todd A. Bridges was born on May 27, 1965 in San Francisco, California. Bridges initially gained fame for his role as Willis Jackson on the television show Diff'rent Strokes from 1978 to 1986.

Bridges was the first black child actor to have a reoccurring role on the hit series, "The Waltons" and "Little House On The Prairie" with the late Michael Landon.

Bridges has a brother and sister who are both actors, Jimmy Bridges and Verda Bridges. His mother, Betty A. Bridges, was also an actress.

Although he was arrested, in 1997, for allegedly ramming someones car after an argument, he has since improved his standing in the public eye. Bridges is very active in the community, as he has traveled the U.S. speaking to over 6,000 kids per day in schools and churches discussing the dangers of drug use, negative peer pressure, and promoting his religious beliefs. In 2001, Bridges rescued a woman who fell from her wheelchair while she was fishing.

Bridges was one of four notorious people when they all punk'd Jermaine O'Neal into a record breaking prank.