Growing Pains Cast Reunites 35 Years After Show Premiere: 'We're Just Missing Alan'
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There's nothing quite like a family reunion.
The hit sitcom Growing Pains celebrated 35 years since its debut earlier this week. In order to commemorate the special occasion, the cast came together for a special virtual reunion to reflect on their favorite memories from filming.
While most of the Seaver family, including Joanna Kerns (Maggie), Kirk Cameron (Mike), Tracey Gold (Carol) and Jeremy Miller (Ben), was present for the call, the family's patriarch Alan Thicke (Dr. Jason Seaver) was noticeably missing.
"We're just missing Alan. He always had us laughing, had me laughing," Kerns told Entertainment Tonight, adding, "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."
Thicke died in December 2016 after collapsing while playing hockey with his youngest son, Carter. His cause of death was later revealed to be from a “ruptured aorta” and a “standard type A aortic dissection,” according to his official death certificate.
"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,'" Miller said. "He was a huge part of our lives."
RELATED: Robin Thicke Says Dad Alan's Death Made the Singer a 'Much Better, More Focused' Man
Growing Pains premiered on Sept. 24, 1985, and ran for seven seasons.
"It always felt like I was coming to my second family when we were on the set," Cameron said of his time on the show.
As for his favorite on-set memory? Cameron said Thicke used to give him advice on how to talk to women — including his now-wife Chelsea Noble.
"I knew that I had to talk to Chelsea before he talked to Chelsea," he joked. "And I'm really glad that I did. It worked out really well for me personally, and here we are 29 years later with six kids."