Before Leonardo DiCaprio was Leonardo DiCaprio, he was a child actor who scored a recurring role on the beloved TV sitcom “Growing Pains.” He played Luke Brower, a homeless teen who was taken under the wing of the Seaver family in the show’s final season.
DiCaprio obviously went on to bigger and better things, but he’s spoken about his time on the ABC series fondly. Following the death of Alan Thicke, who played TV dad Jason Seaver for seven seasons, DiCaprio shared a touching tribute to the actor on Facebook.
“Alan was a devoted father, husband, friend and role model,” he wrote. “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.”
“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,” DiCaprio wrote.
Thicke suffered a fatal heart attack on Tuesday while playing hockey with his son Carter. He was pronounced dead later that night at at Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, California.
Those touched by Thicke’s legacy, including his son Robin Thicke and fellow “Growing Pains” cast members, memorialized the actor with emotional tributes across social media.
Watch a clip from “Growing Pains” featuring DiCaprio and Thicke below: