A publicist says Alan Thicke, who played the likable father on the sitcom Growing Pains, has died at age 69.
Carleen Donovan, who is a publicist for Thicke’s son, singer Robin Thicke, says the actor died from a heart attack on Tuesday in Los Angeles. TMZ, which was first to report the news, and other sources said Thicke was playing ice hockey with his 19-year-old son, Carter, at a rink in Burbank, Calif. He was transported to Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center around noon Tuesday and pronounced dead there.
Alan Thicke starred as Dr. Jason Seaver in the ABC series Growing Pains, which aired from 1985 until 1992. The Canadian-born actor had a prolific career, including cameos in recent years on the comedy How I Met Your Mother, NBC’s new drama This Is Us and the Netflix series Fuller House. He was also a frequent pitchman for ads on Sirius.
Thicke’s Growing Pains role is among the most beloved television dads of all time. He played a psychiatrist raising his children along with his wife, played by Joanna Kerns. Seaver’s oldest son, Mike, played by Kirk Cameron, was a constant source of trouble for the family.
Thicke was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1947 and was a popular Canadian talk show host before making his name in the United States. He was nominated for three Emmy Awards for his work in the late 1970s as a writer for Barry Manilow’s talk show, and later for a satirical take on the genre in the variety show America 2-Night.
He was also the composer of several popular theme songs, including the original theme to The Wheel of Fortune, and shows such as The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes.
Associated Press writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report from Los Angeles.