The doctor is no longer in the house.
Best known for his seven year acting run as Dr. Jason Seaver, the psychiatrist father in the popular American TV sitcom Growing Pains, Canadian actor Alan Thicke suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his youngest son and died in a Burbank California hospital at age 69.
That popular show ran from 1985 to 1992 and Thicke also starred in two spin-off movies.
Born in the northern Ontario town of Kirkland Lake, and later growing up in another northern town, Elliot Lake, Alan Thicke began his career in Canada where he alternated between writing, producing, and hosting a number of tv talk and variety shows before moving to the US, although he occasionally returned to Canada for producing and hosting stints.
In Growing Pains, the psychiatrist operates out of his home and juggles the obligations of his practice with raising a family. Earlier this month on a CBC radio show, Thicke said. “”I think I brought some of my own values, my good old Canadian, northern Ontario backwoods values to the character and, in turn, I learned something from what they were writing, so it was a nice exchange”.
In addition to the leading role in Growing Pains, he also appeared continuously in a variety of roles and cameo appearances in several movies and tv shows. He also hosted or co-hosted several major variety and special television events such as Miss USA and Miss Universe beauty pageants and the Walt Disney Christmas Parades.
What is perhaps lesser known is his work as a singer and composer.
He co-wrote the theme music and occasionally sang on a number of TV theme songs, such as the theme for the TV sitcom Diff’rent Folks, and The Facts of Life, the early theme for Wheel of Fortune and several others. He also wrote songs for artists like Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray, Statler Brothers and others as well as for his son, singer Robin Thicke.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted this morning, “Alan Thicke was proudly Canadian, never forgetting his roots as he soared to stardom. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
Alan Thick appears on the CBC show Stroumboulopoulos
Additional information- sources
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.