Leonardo DiCaprio just shared a touching tribute to his TV foster dad, Alan Thicke, and we’re crying all over again
In the wake of TV legend Alan Thicke’s unexpected death from a heart attack on December 13th, celebrities have been honoring the actor. Whether they worked with him in the past or not, the celeb tributes to Thicke have been touching. And now that Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio has posted about Thicke’s passing, we’re even more emotional.
DiCaprio wrote about the time he spent with Thicke back in the ’90s on the sitcom Growing Pains in a heartfelt and articulate Facebook post (what else would you expect from Leo?). He 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."
Although DiCaprio has come a long way from those sitcom days early in his career, they clearly helped form the incredible actor he is today. His Facebook post notes that Thicke was a role model and “positive influence” in his life.
The very cool DiCaprio also claimed that even years after Growing Pains, when Thicke walked into a room, “Frankly, no one was cooler.” As we always had a dad crush on Thicke, we can believe it.
DiCaprio portrayed Luke on the family sitcom. The troubled teen was taken in by Thicke’s character, Dr. Jason Seaver, and his family for the seventh and final season. Of course, other members of the Growing Pains cast have also posted on social media about this loss. Thicke’s TV wife Joanna Kerns, daughter Tracey Gold, and son Kirk Cameron were all understandably upset to hear about the passing of their costar and friend.
While we’re still upset about Thicke’s death, reading the words DiCaprio wrote about the actor prove just what a good guy this iconic TV dad was off screen and prove that his influence will live on. May Thicke’s family find comfort in his words.
