Alan Thicke (born Alan Willis Jeffrey; 1 March 1947 – 13 December 2016) was a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is the father of American singer Robin Thicke. In 2013, Thicke was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. Thicke was best known for playing Dr. Jason Seaver on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains on ABC.
Early life
Thicke was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, the son of
Shirley "Joan" Isobel Marie
(née Greer), a nurse, and William Jeffrey, a stockbroker. They divorced in
1953. His mother remarried Brian Thicke, a physician, and they moved to Elliot Lake.
Alan Thicke graduated from Elliot Lake
Secondary School in 1965 and was elected homecoming king. He went on to attend
the University of Western Ontario joining the Delta Upsilon fraternity.
Career
Hosting
Game shows
Thicke hosted the Canadian game show "Face The Music" for CHCH-TV by Niagara Television in
1975 (not affiliated with the Sandy Frank Productions 1980-81 version). He
hosted the Canadian game show First Impressions on the CTV network during the
1976-77 season, taped at CFCF-TV in Montreal, the Saturday morning celebrity
game show Animal Crack-Ups in the late 1980s, and, in 1997, a television
version of the board game Pictionary. In the early 2000s, he hosted the All New
3's a Crowd on the Game Show Network.
Talk shows
Norman Lear hired Thicke to produce and head the writing
staff of Fernwood 2 Night, a tongue-in-cheek talk show based on characters from
Lear's earlier show, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. In the late 1970s, he was a
frequent guest host of The Alan Hamel Show, a popular daytime talk show on
Canadian TV, usually hosted by Alan Hamel. When the Hamel series ended in the
early 1980s, it was replaced by The Alan Thicke Show. The show at one point
spawned a prime-time spinoff, Prime Cuts, which consisted of edited highlights
from the talk show.
Thicke was later signed to do an American syndicated
late-night talk show, Thicke of the Night, for the 1983–1984 TV season. Heavily
promoted prior to broadcast as a competitor to NBC's The Tonight Show Starring
Johnny Carson, Thicke of the Night was short-lived.
Producing and
composing
Thicke had a successful career as a TV theme song composer,
often collaborating with his then-wife Gloria Loring on these projects, which
included the themes to the popular sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of
Life. He also wrote a number of TV game show themes, including The Wizard of
Odds (for which he also sang the vocal introduction), The Joker's Wild,
Celebrity Sweepstakes, The Diamond Head Game, Animal Crack-Ups (which he co-wrote
with his brother Todd Thicke and Gary Pickus), Blank Check, Stumpers!, Whew!,
and the original theme to Wheel of Fortune. Thicke was a popular songwriter. He
co-wrote "Sara", a solo hit
for Bill Champlin and included on the latter's Runaway album (1981).
Thicke produced a variety of television shows, including
Anne Murray Christmas specials for the CBC, beginning in the late 1970s.
Growing Pains
Thicke became well-known when he played Jason Seaver, a
psychiatrist and father, on the family sitcom Growing Pains. When the show
began, Jason was moving his psychiatry practice into the home to be closer to
the family's children while the family matriarch Maggie, played by Joanna
Kerns, resumed her career as a reporter. Growing Pains debuted on ABC in 1985
and ran until 1992.
Thicke reprised his role in two reunion TV movies, The Growing
Pains Movie (2000) and Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers (2004).
Television and film
appearances
Thicke co-hosted the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas
Parade (now the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade) with Joan Lunden from 1983
to 1990, when he was succeeded by Regis Philbin. Thicke also hosted the 1987
and 1988 Crystal Light National Aerobic Championships.
In 1987, Thicke appeared as Dr. Jonas Carson, who creates an
android that looks just like a human teenage boy (played by Jay Underwood), and
he "adopts" him as his son
in the Disney Channel film Not Quite Human. Thicke reprised his role as Jonas
Carson in two sequels, 1989's Not Quite Human II and 1992's Still Not Quite
Human.
In 1988, he hosted the Miss USA Pageant in El Paso, Texas,
replacing Bob Barker (who quit over fur being involved in the pageants). He
replaced Barker again as host of the 1988 Miss Universe Pageant (along with
Tracy Scoggins) in Taipei, Taiwan. Thicke was replaced by Dick Clark as host of
the 1989 Miss USA Pageant in Mobile, Alabama and by John Forsythe as host of
the 1989 Miss Universe Pageant in Cancún, Mexico.
Thicke continued to host a wide range of variety TV events.
In 1989, he co-hosted with SCTV alumna Andrea Martin the TV special Opening of
SkyDome in Toronto, which aired across Canada on the CBC. In 2004, he hosted
the Miss Universe Canada Pageant in Ontario.
In 1992, Thicke appeared as himself in the pilot episode of
the sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. He appeared in the end-credits scene,
alongside series star Mark Curry, humorously referencing the pilot episode
being filmed on the same set used as the Seavers' home on Growing Pains. He
also made guest appearances on shows such as Murder, She Wrote, Married... with
Children, Son of the Beach and 7th Heaven.
From 1995-96, Thicke appeared on the American television
series Hope & Gloria, which ran for 35 episodes. In March 2002, Thicke
participated in a celebrity version of Fear Factor. In May 2002, he appeared in
the season six finale of Just Shoot Me, "The
Boys in the Band." From 2006 to 2009, Thicke was talk show host Rich
Ginger on The Bold and the Beautiful.
From 2001 to 2003, Thicke hosted Animal Miracles on the Pax
TV network. In April 2006, he hosted Celebrity Cooking Showdown on NBC, in
which celebrities were teamed with famous chefs in a cooking competition.
Later Appearances
In 2008, Thicke appeared in a major supporting role as Jim
Jarlewski in the television series adaptation of Douglas Coupland's jPod. That
same year, he had a cameo appearance in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Sandcastles in the Sand" as
the dad in Robin Scherbatsky's second "Robin Sparkles" music video.
He guest starred as himself in the episodes "The
Rough Patch", "Glitter", "P.S. I Love You", and "The Rehearsal Dinner".
In February 2009, Thicke made guest appearances on Adult
Swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job. And the web series Star-ving. He
also had a role in the 2009 film, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. On 10 July
2009, Thicke appeared on the 1000th episode of Attack of the Show!, singing
with Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn.
Thicke made a guest appearance on a few episodes of Canada's
Worst Handyman 5. In January 2010, Thicke appeared on the television program,
Tosh.0. In March 2010, he made an appearance in La La Land as himself. In
October 2010, he appeared as a celebrity contestant on Don't Forget the Lyrics,
where he played for the charities ProCon.org and the Alan Thicke Center for
diabetes research.
In March 2013, he participated on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap.
He swapped wives with comedian Gilbert Gottfried. From 2014 to 2015, Thicke
starred in his own reality series, Unusually Thicke, which aired on Pop.
In October 2016, Thicke appeared as himself in the pilot episode
of NBC's This is Us.
Other hosting
During 2014 and 2015 Thicke hosted a travelling dance show
Dancing Pros Live which toured the United States.
Commercials
In the 1990s, Thicke was the spokesman for the Canadian
division of Woolco department stores until its demise in 1994. In 2007, Thicke
appeared in a television ad for Tahiti Village, a Las Vegas time-share resort.
In 2009, Thicke began appearing in TV ads endorsing CCS Medical, a distributor
of home-delivered diabetes supplies. In 2014, he began representing Optima Tax
Relief.
From 2011, Thicke was the spokesperson for Cambridge Life
Solutions, a Canadian company that promised to reduce unsecured consumer debt
through a method known as debt settlement, which had been outlawed in the
United States by the Federal Trade Commission as a predatory practice in 2010
and was subsequently banned in Ontario in 2015. According to Scott Hannah, the
president and CEO of the Credit Counseling Society of Canada, the company, which
was accused of “bilking thousands of
vulnerable Canadians” eventually, dominated half of the Canadian market due
to Thicke’s hiring “as a spokesman who
was very credible to Canadians?"
Philanthropy
Thicke lent his name and star power to supporting the Alan
Thicke Center for diabetes research. Also, for several years in the mid-1980s,
Thicke and Gloria Loring were co-hosts of Telemiracle, an annual 20-hour
telethon that alternated between Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, to support
programs run by the Kinsmen Club.
Personal life
Thicke was married three times: His first marriage, to Days
of Our Lives actress Gloria Loring, lasted from 1970 until 1984; they had two
sons, Brennan and Robin. In 1987 at the age of 40, Thicke began dating 17-year
old Kristy Swanson. Two years later, they were engaged but never married. He
married his second wife, Miss World 1990 Gina Tolleson, on 13 August 1994, and
had a son, Carter William Thicke, before their divorce was finalized on 29
September 1999. In 1999, he met Tanya Callau in Miami, where he was a celebrity
host and she was a model. They were married from 2005 until his death.
Death
On 13 December 2016, Thicke collapsed while playing ice
hockey with his son Carter at Pickwick Gardens in Burbank, California. The
manager of the rink said he was talking and even joked to his son to take a
photo as he was being wheeled out on a stretcher. Thicke died later that day of
type-A aortic dissection at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank,
at the age of 69. On 19 December 2016, the cast of Growing Pains, including
Leonardo DiCaprio, reunited at Thicke's funeral; a eulogy was given by his
friend Bob Saget, and his son, Robin, offered a humorous remembrance. He was
buried at Santa Barbara Cemetery in Santa Barbara, California.
Filmography
Film
1971 The Point! Narrator / Father Voice, third telecast
1987 Not Quite
Human Dr. Jonas Carson
1989 Not Quite
Human II Dr. Jonas Carson
1991 And You
Thought Your Parents Were Weird Matthew
Carson / Newman Voice
1992 Still Not
Quite Human Dr. Jonas Carson / Bonus
1993 Stepmonster George Dougherty
Betrayal of the Dove Jack
West
1995 Open Season Xanex
1996 Demolition
High Slater
1998 Anarchy TV Reverend Wright
Casper Meets Wendy Baseball
Announcer
2000 Bear with Me Ken Robinson
Ice Angel Coach
Parker
2001 Xin shi zi
jie tou (X-Roads) Steve
Teddy Bears' Picnic Alan
Thicke
2003 Carolina Chuck McBride – Perfect Date
Host
Hollywood North Peter
Casey
2004 Raising
Helen Hockey Cantor
Childstar J.R.
2006 Alpha Dog Douglas Holden
The Surfer King Pipeman
2009 The Goods:
Live Hard, Sell Hard Stu Harding
RoboDoc Dr.
Roskin
2012 That's My
Boy TV Version Donny's Dad
Hemingway Paul
Hemmingway
2013 Cubicle
Warriors Peter Hoss
2015 Being
Canadian Himself Documentary
2017 It's Not My
Fault and I Don't Care Anyway Patrick
Spencer Posthumous release
The Clapper Himself Posthumous release
Love's Last Resort Paul
Roberts Posthumous release (final
film role)
Television
Series
1969 It's Our
Stuff Regular
1974 Jack: A
Flash Fantasy Jack of Diamonds
1978 America
2-Night Doug Episode: "I Am Democracy"
1980–1982 The
Alan Thicke Show Himself/host Also writer and producer
1983–1984 Thicke
of the Night Also writer and
executive producer
1984 Masquerade Episode: "Sleeper"
The Love Boat Alan
Price / Robert McBride / Senator Bob Townsend 3
episodes
1985 Scene of the
Crime Craig Spears Episode: "A Vote for Murder"
1985–1992 Growing
Pains Jason Seaver
1990 The
Hitchhiker Mickey Black Episode: "Tough Guys Don't Whine"
1992 Travelquest Host
1993 Murder, She
Wrote Harrison M. Kane Episode: "The Phantom Killer"
1994 Burke's Law Episode: "Who Killed the Beauty Queen?"
1995 Minor
Adjustments Roger Episode: "The
Ex-Files"
Hope & Gloria Dennis
Dupree
1996–1997 Married...
with Children Henry / Bruce 3 episodes
1997 The Outer
Limits Donald Rivers Episode: "A
Special Edition"
Pictionary Host
1999 Arliss Doctor Episode:
"Rules of the Game"
2000 Beggars and
Choosers Episode: "The Woodhouse Conundrum"
Son of the Beach Captain
'Buck' Enteneille / Captain Buck
Enteneille 3 episodes
2001 7th Heaven Ed Palmer Episode: "Parents"
2001–2003 Animal
Miracles Himself Host
2002 Just Shoot
Me! Episode: "The Boys in the Band"
2003 EGG, the
Arts Show Alan Scott Episode: "Broadway Workshop"
2004 My Wife and
Kids Magician Episode: "Fantasy Camp: Part 2"
2005 Yes, Dear Joel Episode: "The New
Neighbors"
Half & Half Gavin
Storm Episode: "The Big Mothers for Others Episode"
Joey Himself Episode: "Joey
and the Poker"
2006–2009 The
Bold and the Beautiful Rich
Ginger 7 episodes
2007 Ned's
Declassified School Survival Guide Hal
E. Burton Episode: "Spring Fever & the School
Newspaper"
2008 About a Girl Dude's Dad Episode: "About a
Homecoming"
JPod Jim Jarlewski 13 episodes
2008–2013 How
I Met Your Mother Himself 5 episodes
2009 Tim and Eric
Awesome Show Dr. Alan Thicke Season 4, Episode 2 (The Cinco Napple)
2010 Canada's
Worst Handyman 5 Himself
Tosh.0 Episode: "Crystal Light Dancers (Reunion)"
2011 I'm in the
Band Simon Craig 5 episodes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes Himself
2012 The L.A.
Complex Donald Gallagher 4 episodes
2013 Celebrity
Wife Swap Himself Season 2, episode 3
2014 Unusually
Thicke Reality show; 14
episodes
American Dad! Episode:
"Permanent Record Wrecker"
2015 Scream
Queens Tad Radwell Episode: "Thanksgiving"
The Jack and Triumph Show Himself Episode: "Commercial"
2016 Grandfathered Episode: "Jimmy's
50th, Again"
Mike Tyson Mysteries Walter
Morgan Episode: "Unholy Matrimony"
This is Us Himself Episode: "Pilot"
The Eric Andre Show David
Alan Thicke (with David Alan Grier) / Himself Season
4, Episode 9
Fuller House Mike Episode: "Mom Interference"
Chopped Junior Judge Season 3, Episode 8
The Stanley Dynamic Episode:
"The Stanley Band"
2017 Chopped Contestant Season 33; 5 epi. "Star
Power" tournament
*Posthumous release
Television movies
1983 Copper
Mountain Jackson Reach
1984 Calendar
Girl Murders Alan Conti
1986 Perry Mason:
The Case of the Shooting Star Steve
Carr
1987 Not Quite
Human Dr. Jonas Carson
1988 14 Going on
30 The real Forndexter
Obsessed Conrad
Vaughan
Dance 'til Dawn Jack
Lefcourt
1989 Not Quite
Human II Dr. Jonas Carson
1990 Jury Duty:
The Comedy Phil Beckman
1992 The Trial of
Red Riding Hood The Wolf
Still Not Quite Human Dr.
Jonas Carson/Bonus Carson
1993 Rubdown Raymond Holliman
1994 Lamb Chop in
the Haunted Studio Alan
1995 Lamb Chop's
Special Chanukah Alan
1996 Windsor
Protocol Senator Joplin Hardy
Shari's Passover Surprise Alan
The Secret She Carried Reed
Epperson Uncredited
1997 Shadow of
the Bear William Andrich
Any Place But Home August
Danforth
1998 Thunder
Point Joplin Hardy
Casper Meets Wendy Baseball
Announcer
1999 Two of
Hearts Hank Powers
2000 Ice Angel Coach Parker
The Growing Pains Movie Jason
Seaver
2004 Growing
Pains: Return of the Seavers Jason
Seaver
2010 Making a
Scene The Producer
2013 Camp
Sunshine Ken Handcourt
Bad Management Tobias
Sr.
Let It Snow Ted
Beck
2014 A Cookie
Cutter Christmas Chef Kruger
2016 Stop the
Wedding Sean Castleberry
2017 Loves Last
Resort Paul Roberts
Books
Thicke, Alan (May 1999). How Men Have Babies: The Pregnant
Father's Survival Guide. Contemporary Books. ISBN 978-0-8092-2806-5.
Thicke, Alan (27 April 2006). How To Raise Kids Who Won't
Hate You: Family Wisdom and Humor from a Favorite TV Dad. iUniverse Star. ISBN 978-0-595-84288-9.
Honors
1988: Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by
an Actor in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for Growing Pains
1998: Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding
Audience Participation Show/Game Show for Pictionary (co-executive producer)
2013: Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
2015: Brampton Arts Walk of Fame
2016: Canadian Icon award, Whistler Film Festival
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