Troubled actor Gary Coleman has a fan to thank for his release from prison - a stranger posted the star's bail money.

The Diff'rent Strokes star was arrested and jailed on Sunday after police discovered a misdemeanour failure to appear warrant for Coleman and took him into custody.

Coleman was released from the Utah prison on Monday, after the $1,725 bail was handed over.

It has now emerged businessman Jarrod Clarke of Draper, Utah, paid the money after seeing the star's "sad" mugshot in the press.

And Clarke is such a fan of the former child star, he even offered to give him a ride home - but Coleman's dad picked him up instead.

Clarke tells GossipCop.com, "If you see his mugshot, I mean, what a sad face... To see that he was sitting in there - and he'd been there for 27 hours - and bail was only $1,700, I thought somebody probably ought to do something."

Coleman's wife reportedly rang Clarke to thank him for the kind gesture.

The actor is due to appear in court on February 8.