Celebrity Nooz: Alan Thicke

Alan Thicke (Actor) as Jason Seaver - Growing Pains

Updated: 12/04/17

Name: Alan Thicke

Birth Name: Alan Willis Jeffrey

Born: March 1, 1947, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

Claim To Fame: He is best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC television series Growing Pains.

Family Life: Thicke has been married three times - to actress Gloria Loring from 1970-1983, to the Miss World 1990 pageant winner, Gina Tolleson, from 1992 to 1999, and has been married to Tanya Callau since 2005. He has two sons, Brennan and Robin, from his first marriage, and a son Carter from his second marriage.

Info: Originally planning to be either a minister or a doctor, Thicke abandoned these plans to move to Hollywood and become a writer and sometime performer on the syndicated Norman Lear series Fernwood 2-Night. In 1980, he returned to his native Canada to replace talk host Alan Hamel on a popular daytime Chatfest.

His success on this show earned Thicke an invitation by onetime network executive Fred Silverman to star in Silverman's first non-network effort, a nighttime variety show titled Thicke of the Night. Although the show was a disaster, Thicke got back on his feet and was cast in the 1984 TV movie The Calendar Girl Murders, which proved his talents as an actor.

In 1985, Thicke originated the role of psychiatrist Jason Seaver in Growing Pains, a popular ABC sitcom which ran until 1994. The following year, he appeared as a bombastic talk show host on the NBC comedy series Hope and Gloria. Additionally, Thicke has hosted the children's series Animal Crack-Ups (1987-1990), and has composed the theme songs for several other TV series.

Trivia: Appeared in the music video and sang in the choir on the song Voices That Care.

Was the manager for Canadian teen-singer Ren? Simard'.

Member of Delta Upsilon fraternity.

Graduated in 1965 from Elliot Lake High School, and was elected Homecoming King

Attended the University of Western Ontario.

Worked as a disc jockey while in college.

Was named Father of the Year by The Father's Day Council of Los Angeles, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

Composed the original score to Wheel of Fortune (1975), titled Big Wheels. The original theme was used until 1983.

Sang and composed the theme to the cult-classic TV game show The Wizard of Odds (1973), hosted by Alex Trebek.

Once had his nose broken by Gordie Howe in a celebrity hockey game.

Hosted Wayne Gretzky's wedding in Edmonton, Canada.

In May 2003, Lost five teeth and required 30 stitches after getting hit in the face by a flying puck while playing hockey with actor Michael Vartan.

Hosted the 2004 Miss Universe Canada Pageant in Rama, Ontario from January 23-25, 2004.

Son Robin is a platinum album-selling musician, and his son Brennan was a voice actor for cartoons when he was younger.

Where Are They Now: Thicke guest starred on The Bold and the Beautiful as talk show host Rich Ginger, and made a cameo appearance in the 2007 movie Alpha Dog as the father of the lead character's girlfriend. In 2008, Thicke appeared in a major supporting role as Jim Jarlewski in the television series adaptation of Douglas Coupland's jPod. In February 2009, he made a guest appearance on adult swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job. In the same month, he made a guest appearance on the web series Star-ving.

Write To Alan Thicke:
Agent Harry Gold
Gold Liedtke Associates
3500 West Olive Ave., Suite 1400
Burbank, CA 91505

Official Website: http://www.alanthicke.com/home/index.asp

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