After Alan Thicke’s death was announced on Thursday, tributes have flooded onto social media from friends, family and fans alike.
The 69-year-old Growing Pains actor suffered a fatal heart attack while playing hockey with his son, his publicist told The Hollywood Reporter.
Since, Leonardo DiCaprio shared a touching message with his followers on Facebook, paying tribute to his on-screen dad in the 1980s American sitcom that jump started DiCaprio’s career.
Although Alan Thicke – father of Blurred Lines‘ Robin Thicke – was best known for playing quintessential TV dad Dr Jason Roland Seaver, Leo confirmed our suspicions: That Thicke was in fact the coolest guy in the room.
Leo wrote:
Alan was a devoted father, husband, friend and role model. He knew how to harness the power of the entertainment industry to be a positive influence in so many lives – including mine.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I had to work with Alan early in my career. He had tremendous class, a huge heart, and he taught me and so many others the valuable lessons about humility and gratitude.
I’ve seen him a number of times over the years and when Alan Thicke walked in the room, quite frankly, no one was cooler. I miss him already – my thoughts and prayers are with the entire Thicke family during this difficult time.
DiCaprio played the youngest character in the final season of Growing Pains, when the story line saw the family welcome a homeless boy, Luke Brower – portrayed by Leo – into their warm embrace.
Thicke was a multi-faceted entertainer; he was a songwriter, a daytime chat show host and, as Leo so eloquently put it, a ‘role model’.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.