'Growing Pains' cast reunites, reflects on Alan Thicke: 'A huge part of our lives'

Chrissy Callahan
·2 min read

It's a Seaver family reunion!

Thirty five years after "Growing Pains" first debuted, the cast of the hit '80s sitcom got together again for a virtual reunion.

Joanna Kerns (Maggie), Kirk Cameron (Mike), Tracey Gold (Carol) and Jeremy Miller (Ben) just sat down with "Entertainment Tonight" to reminisce about their popular series and how it's impacted each of their lives.

"It's unbelievable, unimaginable. And yet it feels like yesterday in so many ways," Gold said, trying to process the idea that the show premiered so long ago.

Alan Thicke, who played dad Jason Seaver, died unexpectedly in 2016 from a heart attack. The cast noted that their reunion didn't quite feel the same without him.

"We're just missing Alan. He always had us laughing, had me laughing," Kerns said of her onscreen husband. "He was one of the most charming men I'd ever met. I think I was a little old for him, but we became really good friends. I saw him a week before he passed."

Miller, who played the family's youngest son Ben, admitted that he still can't quite believe that Thicke is gone.

"It's been years now and I still reach for the phone occasionally, just thinking, 'I haven't talked to Alan in a while and want to say hi,'" he said. "He was a huge part of our lives."

GROWING PAINS, Joanna Kerns, Jeremy Miller, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Alan Thicke, 1985-1992. (C)ABC/ ((C)ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection)
GROWING PAINS, Joanna Kerns, Jeremy Miller, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Alan Thicke, 1985-1992. (C)ABC/ ((C)ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection)

Cameron, who met his wife of 29 years, Chelsea Noble, on the show's set, said Thicke was a father figure to him and often gave him tips on how to talk to girls. When he saw Noble on set, though, he went straight for her, rather than ask Thicke for advice.

"Well, I knew that I had to talk to Chelsea before he talked to Chelsea," he said with a laugh. "And I'm really glad that I did."

The 49-year-old also revealed that the cast was just as close offscreen as they appeared to be onscreen.

"It always felt like I was coming to my second family when we were on the set," he said.

GROWING PAINS, 1985-92, top. l-r: Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, bottom, l-r: Jeremy Miller, Kristen or ((C)ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection)
GROWING PAINS, 1985-92, top. l-r: Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, bottom, l-r: Jeremy Miller, Kristen or ((C)ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection)

With so many other '80s and '90s shows coming back for special reunion seasons, the question remains: Would the "Growing Pains" cast ever consider filming the show again?

"What would we call it? I think Alan had an idea once it was 'Groaning Pains.' We've actually talked about this so I don't know guys, I think if we're gonna do this we've gotta do this soon," Cameron said.

"I agree, we gotta get on board," Gold said.