EXCLUSIVE

Actor Conrad Bain -- who famously played father figure Phillip Drummond on "Diff'rent Strokes" -- has passed away. He was 89.

Bain family sources tell TMZ, Bain died Monday night at a retirement home in Livermore, CA from natural causes.

We spoke with Bain's daughter Jennifer who tells us, "He was an amazing person. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. He was an amazing father."

Bain -- who became a household name starring opposite Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges on the iconic 80s series -- is survived by his three sons and one daughter. He also has a surviving twin brother Bonar Bain.