The facts of life according to Thicke
Canadian star in town for WFF Icon Award
It is a fact of life: If you are over 40 and not a former cave dweller, you can identify Alan Thicke in a lineup of classic sitcom dads.
Actually if you are over 40 you will probably be rolling your eyes at the use of the words “fact of life,” as you will also probably know that Thicke was the guy who penned The Facts of Life theme song. He also wrote the theme song for Diff ’rent Strokes.
Thicke has been in show business since 1969 and is best known as the Jason Seavers the dad from the popular sitcom Growing Pains. However, that is just one entry on a resume that includes actor, producer, writer, songwriter and game-show and talk-show host.
“I was discovered ... by Norman Lear, who plucked me from the grinder of relative obscurity.” — Alan Thicke
The boy from Kirkland Lake, Ont., will be back in Canada (he has remained a Canadian citizen all these years despite living in the States) on Dec. 2 to get a Canadian Icon Award at the Whistler Film Festival (WFF). Thicke is also one of the stars of the WFF (on until Dec. 4) film It’s Not My Fault and I Don’t Care Anyway. We caught up with Thicke at his home. What is an icon? I think longevity is definitely a part of it. I suppose there are one-hitwonder type icons. They do something fabulous and have an impact that way. I suspect for a lot of us it is longevity and some degree of accomplishment over a long period that represents a body of work in some cumulative way.
You have done just about everything in show business. Is diversity a key to success?
I took a look at IMDB a couple of weeks ago to see why I was getting this, and yeah, I saw posters of movie and TV projects on there that I barely remember and others I was proud of and I had forgotten about. You know, as long as you keep moving forward in your career and in your life and having fun and doing new projects, I think then you tend not to rest on your laurels … the fun of my career has been the variety.
You worked for TV great Norman Lear (All in the Family, Maude, Good Times) on the cult hit and hilarious Fernwood 2 Night as producer/writer. How did that happen?
I was discovered, or mentored, by Norman Lear, who plucked me from the grinder of relative obscurity.
Norman and I remain in touch and friendly to this day.
He came to my birthday celebration this year. What is Lear like? In real life he is everything you would hope he would be. He is a standup guy who has taken a lot positions socially and politically and he puts his money, his time and his energy where his mouth is. He’s that kind of a guy. He’s a great man and a great friend.
You said Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner gave you good advice early on. The comedy legends told you to ignore Lear’s request for pure improv on Fernwood 2 Night. That advice worked. So that said, what advice do you offer up when asked?
My advice, it’s get involved in any and every aspect of the business that affords itself to you.
What are you most proud of from your career?
I guess I would have to say Growing Pains just simply because of the impact and the ongoing impact. The two things I hear wherever I go, literally walking down the street, through airports or in restaurants is either “you raised me,” or “fellow Canadian.” Not even a paraphrase, those are the exact remarks.
What’s up with Kirk Cameron (son on Growing Pains and an outspoken born-again Christian) anyway?
Of all the things kids can turn to, meaning violence drugs, addictions to whatever, at least I’m glad Kirk turned to religion. I’m sorry he has adopted a form of faith that has so alienated so many other people (Cameron doesn’t believe in evolution and thinks homosexuality is unnatural). Because I believe faith should be inclusive not exclusive. But he’s a good man a good husband and all the things we would want anyone to be in their adulthood. I’ve had a couple of Twitter wars with him over some of his beliefs. I’ve tried to encourage him to believe in dinosaurs and the LGBT community. We haven’t had any real conflict. It’s been fairly lighthearted. I tweeted once that I didn’t agree with all his positions so the next time I saw him I was going to spank him, although not in a gay way. But other than that we have to respect each other’s positions and can disagree with them.
In the movie It’s Not My Fault and I Don’t Care Anyway you play a megalomaniacal self-help guru. Have you attended a self-help course?
I have not, although I do know Tony Robbins ... Tony Robbins had been engaged as the guru for the Los Angeles Kings (in 1994 for the Stanley Cup run). We were there in Montreal together at the final game and after Montreal won there was a riot. Tony and I are locked in a limo outside the stadium with people jumping up and down on the hood of the car, on the top. It was kind of a frightening and life-threatening experience. I remember looking at Tony and saying, ‘What the f--- do we do now? Come on, smart guy, roll down the window and give these people a pep talk so we can get home.’ He had nothing much to say at that point.