As one of television's most beloved father figures, psychiatrist Jason Seaver on ABC's “Growing Pains,” Alan Thicke has enjoyed an award-winning career on stage and screen. But it has been his work away from the cameras that has earned him "Father of the Year" accolades by organizations including The Father's Day Council and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Thicke is the father of a diabetic and author of both How Men Have Babies: The Pregnant Father's Survival Guide and How to Raise Kids Who Won't Hate You. He is a seven-time Emmy nominee, a syndicated humor columnist, and a regular contributor of satiric essays on NPR. He is the poster boy for illness from A to Z, with family members felled by Alzheimer's, alcoholism, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and beyond. His approach is to offer facts, data, and tips with an entertaining spin, peppered with amusing anecdotes.
Alan grew up in the rough-and tumble gold mining town of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, in the far north of Canada. "There were two ways a guy could get out of town, " he muses, “play hockey or get a girl pregnant. I wasn't good enough at either." Consequently, Alan entertained his way out, doing stand-up comedy and singing in a rock-and-roll band.
After attending the University of Western Ontario with the intention of becoming a minister or a doctor, Alan graduated in English and Psychology before beginning his show biz career as an all-night disc jockey.
His television career began behind the scenes as a writer for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. That talent soon led to the U.S., where he wrote and/or produced TV specials for Bill Cosby, Flip Wilson, Richard Pryor, Bobby Darin, Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, Anne Murray and Barry Manilow, as well as the revolutionary comedies "Fernwood 2 Night", "America 2 Night", and the NBC movie, "The Secret She Carried".
Alan has seven Emmy nominations (five as a writer, two as an actor). He has produced the mid-70's NBC game show "Celebrity Sweepstakes" and "Wizard of Odds" (for which he brought his friend Alex Trebek from Canada to host) and has written over 45 television themes including "Facts of Life", "Different Strokes", and "Wheel of Fortune".
From 1980-1983, he hosted "The Alan Thicke Show", a talk-variety series that remains the biggest hit in the history of Canadian daytime television. The success of that series spawned "Thicke of the Night", a late night show which lost its challenge to Johnny Carson's venerable "Tonight Show". It was a difficult year for Thicke who, as he puts it with characteristic wry humor, was "divorced and canceled in the same day."
In 1985, Alan's role as psychiatrist and father Jason Seaver on ABC-TV's hit series "Growing Pains" propelled him into the international spotlight as one of television's most beloved father figures. The series reigned for seven years earning Alan numerous awards including a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. Alan then turned 180 degrees to become Dennis Dupree, a hilariously pompous TV talk show host on the hit NBC series "Hope and Gloria".
Other starring roles include the Disney Channel's "Not Quite Human" trilogy. Alan has played dramatically against type in bad guy roles including "Obsessed", "Shadow of the Bear", "Any Place But Home" and "The Windsor Protocol". Leading ladies have included Kelly LeBrock, Michelle Phillips, and Sharon Stone.
One of the most sought-after hosts in the business, Thicke emceed the 1987 Emmy Awards, ABC's Disney Christmas and Easter Parades, ABC's Fall Preview Special, ABC's "Animal Crack-Ups", the Miss Universe, Miss World USA and Miss USA pageants, Showtime's "Comedy All-Stars", Olympics Kick-Off Gala, TV's "Funniest Families", NBC's "Worlds Greatest Magic" and the Emmy nominated, "Pictionary".
Alan’s early training in musical theater paid off in 1997 when he co-starred with Jason Alexander in "Promises, Promises" and just recently ended a critically acclaimed role as Billy Flynn in the musical "Chicago".
Recently, Alan has revisited his writing craft to create sitcom pilot scripts for studios including Castle Rock and Warner Brothers, as well as a television movie, "When Love Grows Old" for the Family Channel, a feature film, "The Noone Hour" for Steve Tisch Productions, and the comedy for Allegro Films, "Beauty Queens Must Die".
Suggested Program Topics
- How to Raise Kids Who Won't Hate You
- Coping with Cancer, Diabetes, & Alcoholism
- Connected by Cancer
- The Pregnant Father's Survival Guide
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