Alan Thicke, Growing Pains Actor, Dies at 69

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Alan Thicke, the Canadian-born actor most famous for his role on the ’80s sitcom Growing Pains, died today (Dec. 13). Thicke reportedly suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son, Carter, in Burbank, California. He was 69.

Today I lost my best friend and my idol, and the world lost one of it's finest. You are a legend and I love you Pops. Until next time. pic.twitter.com/ZQd2NZMTx4

— Carter Thicke (@CarterThicke) December 14, 2016

Thicke was also well known for his role in the Netflix update Fuller House and was recently seen in a cameo on the NBC program This Is Us. He hosted game shows and talk shows and also wrote TV show theme songs for Diff’rent Strokes, Wheel of Fortune and Growing Pains, among others.

Alan Thicke was also the father of singer Robin Thicke, whose hits have included the 2006 #11 single “Lost Without U.” (Scroll to bottom for video.)

Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada, in 1947, Alan Thicke began his TV career in his home country, hosting game shows. In the ’70s, Norman Lear hired him to produce and head the writing staff of the comedy Fernwood 2-Night.

In addition to his television work, Thicke appeared in numerous movies, beginning with The Point! in 1971. In 1983 he hosted the talk show Thicke of the Night for an American audience but it couldn’t compete with The Tonight Show and other late-night programs and was quickly canceled. In its brief time on-air, numerous classic rock acts including Bon Jovi, Frank Zappa, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Los Lobos and Cheap Trick appeared.

Thicke finally found stardom as Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist and father, on Growing Pains, which debuted on ABC in 1985 and ran until 1992. He appeared in two spinoff TV movies, The Growing Pains Movie (2000), and Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers (2004). In 1988, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series–Comedy/Musical for Growing Pains.

This year he appeared on Fuller House, a sequel to Full House.

Just hours before he died, Thicke had tweeted…

Season 2 Fuller House looking good. I even like the ones I’m not in! #fullerhouse @fullhouseguy @bobsaget @candacecbure #netflix

— Alan Thicke (@Alan_Thicke) December 13, 2016

Reflecting on Growing Pains in an interview, Thicke said, “It was a great opportunity that made my life good and something that I can show to my 12-year-old now in reruns. Corny and dated as it is, it’s still relatable, understandable, and he can look at it and say. ‘Yeah, I get it. Now I see what you did before I was born.'”

Watch Alan Thicke and 13-year-old son Robin Thicke on the set of Growing Pains