Bob Saget, Alyssa Milano, Minnie Driver and More React to Alan Thicke's Death
Friends, family and fans of Alan Thicke have been sharing their condolences since news of the actor's death on Tuesday.
The Canadian actor, who was best known for his role as patriarch Jason Seaver on Growing Pains, suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his 19-year-old son, Carter, at the Pickwick Gardens ice skating rink in Burbank, California, on Tuesday afternoon. Thicke was later pronounced dead at Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center. He was 69.
Thicke most recently starred in an episode of Fuller House, and Bob Saget, who played Full House patriarch Danny Tanner on both the original series and Netflix revival, was one of the first to remember the actor on Twitter.
"So sad is the passing of Alan Thicke," he wrote. "Such a good husband, father, brother, and friend. He will be deeply missed. Rest in peace dear Alan."
Thicke's ex-wife, Gloria Loring, with whom he shared two sons, Robin and Brennan, thanked fans for their condolences in a Facebook statement, writing, "Thank you for your kindness concerning Alan Thicke's passing. It is a shock. We were all just together for Thanksgiving. He was talented, funny and deeply devoted to his family. Rest in Peace, dear one."
Alyssa Milano, who starred on the '80s sitcom Who's the Boss, tweeted, "Alan Thicke was always the nicest and happiest person in the room. Gone way too soon. Rest In Peace."
Speechless star Minnie Driver, a good friend of Thicke's, recalled fond memories with her friend. "Dear,kind,funny gorgeous generous Alan. Loved you, loved all the holidays we all went on. Will miss you so greatly," she tweeted."
Not only was Thicke a well-known actor, he was also a composer who wrote the original theme song for Wheel of Fortune, as well as for Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes.
Mindy Cohn, who starred on Facts of Life and was also a co-host of the radio show, TalkZone, with the Ontario native, tweeted that the actor was "a true gentleman of our business."
In recent years, Thicke has popped up as a memorable guest star on not just Fuller House,but a number of sitcoms. Some of his most memorable appearances were on How I Met Your Mother, where he played a friend of Robin Scherbatsky, from her days as a Canadian pop star. The show's co-creator, Carter Bays, shared a clip from season nine on Twitter along with a sweet note: "Alan Thicke was one of the greats. An old-school pro and a genuinely nice guy. Prayers for his family tonight. RIP."
Thicke was also known as one of the kindest men in Hollywood, a trait Ben Stiller pointed out while sharing a little known fact about his one-time boss. "Just heard of #AlanThicke's passing. 1st job in LA was as an intern for him..." Stiller tweeted. "He was a very nice boss. Sending good thoughts to his family."
In addition, Thicke was a fan of the the Edmonton Oilers, and the NHL team was quick to share a heartwarming photo of the late actor on the ice with hockey great Wayne Gretzky. The NHL itself also paid tribute to the lifelong hockey fan, with the organization tweeting, "The NHL family is sad to learn of the passing of longtime hockey fan Alan Thicke. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."
UPDATE: On Wednesday, Gretzky retweeted the Oilers and shared his own message about Thicke from him and his wife, tweeting, "Janet & I are deeply saddened to hear of Alan's passing. He was a wonderful man,father,husband and friend.He will be missed by all. RIP Alan."
FLASHBACK: Get An Inside Look At Alan Thicke's 'Unusual' Life
Plenty of other stars and Thicke's former co-stars shared their love on social media. See more reactions: