Tragic Details About The Cast Of Growing Pains

In the '80s and '90s family-centered sitcoms dominated primetime TV, and "Growing Pains," which aired from 1985 until 1992, was a favorite among fans. Viewers loved the Seaver family, comprised of parents Dr. Jason Seaver and Maggie Seaver, and their children, Mike, Carol, Ben, and Chrissy. Most of the plotlines on "Growing Pains" centered around the kids in the family and were often very wholesome and lighthearted. It was a sitcom, after all, and save for a handful of special episodes that dealt with serious themes, the Seaver family was there to make audiences laugh and learn gentle lessons.

But in real life, the cast of "Growing Pains" did not have it easy. Members of the core cast endured some very serious health issues while on the show and later in life. One felt the need to distance himself from his TV family, and others struggled with mental health and substance issues. Furthermore, there was one very famous guest star who met an extremely sad end. Read on to learn more about the tragic details of the cast of "Growing Pains."

Alan Thicke played Dr. Jason Seaver on "Growing Pains," the patriarch of the family and a psychiatrist with a home practice. Dr. Seaver was the quintessential sitcom dad, good-natured and always ready with helpful advice for his children. It seems Thicke was just as loveable off-screen as well. Ashley Johnson, who played his youngest daughter, Chrissy, on the show, had nothing but praise for her TV dad. "He was an amazing guy, and I feel so lucky that I got to work with him and that I got to continue to get to know him as I got older," she shared with Today.

Sadly, Thicke passed away on December 13, 2016 at the age of 69 after collapsing while playing hockey with his son Carter. The cause of Thicke's tragic sudden death was revealed to be a "ruptured aorta" and "a standard type A aortic dissection," according to his death certificate (via People). The actor was seemingly in good health prior to the event, which made his death all the more shocking.

Thicke, who wrote several TV theme songs in addition to acting, was mourned by many, including his wife, Tanya Callou, and his three children Carter, Brennan, and musician Robin Thicke. The "Blurred Lines" singer spoke to the Los Angeles Times in the wake of his father's passing. "The good thing was that he was beloved and he had closure," Robin said. "I saw him a few days ago and told him how much I loved and respected him."

Joanna Kerns played mom Maggie Seaver on "Growing Pains," a reporter who always made time for her husband and kids. Kerns held the role from 1985 until 1992. After the show wrapped, she continued to work steadily over the years, appearing in hit films such as "Girl, Interrupted" in 1999 and "Knocked Up" in 2007.

In 2016, Kerns suffered a major health issue when she was diagnosed with a type of breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ. The cancer diagnosis was discovered via a mammogram, and caught Kerns off guard. "I had been vigilant about screenings and exams, except this time I had missed a couple of years in there due to work and family issues," the actor shared with People, adding, "... two years later, and I hadn't done it and I have cancer — it was quite shocking."

Kerns underwent two lumpectomy procedures, then opted to have a double mastectomy to prevent the cancer from returning. "... because of the reoccurrence and aggressiveness of this particular type of cancer ... I chose to do the mastectomy," she explained. She also noted that breast cancer did not run in her family, which is why regular screenings had been so important. "Had I not caught my cancer this early on, I would have had to have a year of chemotherapy," Kerns said. She underwent the major surgery just one week before her friend and "Growing Pains" co-star Alan Thicke passed away. "It was so devastating," Kerns shared. "It was just a very, very hard time." Luckily, she was able to attend a memorial for Thicke to remember him alongside their former cast members.

Kirk Cameron played Mike Seaver on "Growing Pains," the family's charming oldest son and the object of many teen crushes. While the Seaver family was very tight-knit both on and off-screen, Cameron was the outlier, distancing himself from his TV family while filming the later seasons of the show and after the series wrapped. As Cameron became more involved with his Christian faith and with his now-wife, actor Chelsea Noble, it seemed he grew apart from his "Growing Pains" family. In the mid '90s, Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, and Tracey Gold each got married, and Cameron was noticeably absent from their nuptials. "I totally would have come–I wasn't invited," he told the Los Angeles Times.

Thicke refuted Cameron's claim that he hadn't been invited to his wedding, but Gold said she did not invite him because she didn't think he would come. "At the end, Kirk had drifted away from the show," she explained. "When he got married ... none of us were invited. He had pretty much made it clear he needed his separation from us."

That was something Cameron didn't deny. "I shifted my focus from 100% on the show, to 100% on [my new life], and left 0% on the show — and even the friendships that were a part of that show," he admitted. But he also expressed regret about isolating himself from his co-stars. "If I could go back, I think I could make decisions that were less inadvertently hurtful to the cast — like talking and explaining to them why I just wanted to have my family at my wedding," Cameron explained.

Tracey Gold played middle child Carol Seaver on "Growing Pains," a brainy bookworm who was often at odds with her older brother. Gold was already a seasoned child actor by the time she landed this role, having appeared in a slew of sitcoms and TV movies. Gold's career was impressive, but the entertainment industry was tough on her and she was diagnosed with anorexia at age 12. After a four-month stint of treatment, Gold had recovered, only to struggle with disordered eating again while starring on "Growing Pains."

According to Gold, she felt she needed to lose weight due in part to the fact that many of the show's jokes were written about her physical appearance. On an episode of the podcast "Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty," Gold spoke at length about her experience with the "intimidating" writers of "Growing Pains," recalling that they told her, "You don't have any brothers, so you don't know what this is like." "It really was a boys' club," Gold explained.

She then learned that the show's producers wanted her to lose weight and she was put on a 500-calorie per day diet, which was dangerously unhealthy. When Gold returned to set, she got so many compliments that it made her wonder. "I think everyone meant well, but in my view of it I was like, 'Was I that embarrassing before?'" she revealed.

Gold's anorexia got so bad that she was hospitalized and couldn't perform in many of the show's later episodes. She did appear in the finale while right in the midst of her struggle, which she was candid about in a 1992 issue of People. "After that, all of a sudden, my voice with the eating disorder became more powerful," Gold explained.

Jeremy Miller played Ben Seaver on "Growing Pains," a pretty typical sitcom younger brother who tended to annoy his older siblings while also looking up to his big brother. Off-screen, Miller's life was not so wholesome. During a 2016 episode of Oprah Winfrey's "Where Are They Now?" the actor made a shocking admission. "I began drinking at 4 years old," he said. "My grandparents used to throw a lot of parties and I would run around after the parties and finish off all the empty beers."

Sadly, Miller's drinking took an even unhealthier turn while he was still young. "That was the first time I ever got hammered, I was 12 years old," he revealed. "There was always something there ... I never had that 'off' switch.'" Miller went on to say that he knew he had a problem when he woke up and felt as though he needed to have a drink. According to Miller, he was in a very low place mentally and emotionally, which was made even worse by his alcohol intake. "...it's a very good thing I never owned a gun, because I don't know what would have happened," the actor admitted. "And that's scary."

Miller finally got sober in 2011, but the road to recovery was not easy. "[I] had a couple little stumbles," the actor shared with Fox News. "Nothing helped me get past that constant bombarding craving that was always there," he said. Miller found relief through a prescription injection called BICX104, for which he became an ambassador. But even with a helpful recovery tool, Miller expressed feeling a lot of regret. "It's probably the thing I'm most ashamed of in my drinking career, is how many times I put other peoples' lives at risk by getting behind the wheel," he confessed.

Andrew Koenig played Richard "Boner" Stabone on "Growing Pains," the best friend of Kirk Cameron's character, Mike Seaver. Koenig was a reliable source of comic relief on the show, and found success appearing in other '80s sitcoms as well, such as "My Sister Sam" and "My Two Dads." He also lent his voice to the animated series "G.I. Joe" in 1990.

After his sitcom success, Koenig went on to become a director as well as a human rights activist, notably advocating for refugees from Myanmar. Despite Koenig's work and his activism, he suffered from bouts of depression and tragically died from suicide in February of 2010.

Koenig was found dead in a park in Vancouver, Canada, after having been reported missing several days prior. "Andrew has recently been despondent, and his family and friends are concerned for his well-being," police said in a statement after he failed to return from Vancouver to California (via ABC News).

Lance Miccio, a friend and collaborator of Koenig told ABC News that the actor was not in a good place leading up to his disappearance, explaining that he'd recently returned a bag of Miccio's belongings. "He hooked it on my doorknob — a plastic bag of video tapes and stuff we had worked together on," Miccio said. "Even gifts I had given him. He just returned everything, with no note or anything." Koenig was just 41 years old when he was found dead.

Ashley Johnson played the baby of the family, Chrissy Seaver, on Season 6 and 7 of "Growing Pains," taking over for the twins who portrayed Chrissy as a toddler. Johnson went on to have a fruitful career after "Growing Pains," appearing in series such as "Phenom," and "The Killing," but is best known as a voice actor on series like "Recess" and the video game "The Last of Us" in which she voiced the character of Ellie.

While Johnson's professional life has been successful, she dealt with a very difficult period in her personal life. In 2023 she filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend, writer and actor Brian Foster. In the court filing, Johnson alleged that Foster had committed domestic violence, sexual battery, assault, stalking, emotional distress and other violations. She filed the suit along with six other women, one being her sister, Hayleigh Langseth.

According to the lawsuit, Johnson and Foster began dating in 2012, and in 2015 he started to become violent, screaming obscenities in her face, and breaking items in their shared living space. She also alleged that he made a threatening Instagram post featuring the two dogs they shared and refused to leave their home once they'd broken up in 2023. Foster responded via a court filing in which he denied most of the allegations and claimed he had no recollection of certain events. Johnson requested a restraining order, but it was not granted.

Long before he played Chandler on "Friends," Matthew Perry had a guest-starring role on "Growing Pains." Perry played Sandy, a college student dating Carol, who died tragically after a drunk driving accident. The three-episode arc was a departure from the show's light-hearted themes, and Perry made an impact with viewers and the cast.

Sadly, Perry died at 54 of an accidental overdose in October 2023, shocking fans and his former co-stars. Joanna Kerns fondly remembered working with Perry on "Growing Pains," telling People, "We had many young actors come through 'Growing Pains' over the years but Matthew stood out."

She went on to praise his humor and intelligence, and shared that his struggle hit home for her. "I lost my younger brother to drugs and alcohol eleven years ago," Kerns revealed. "Like Matthew, he tried desperately to live a sober life ... He will be missed by so many. RIP Matthew."

He may be one of Hollywood's biggest film stars, but Leonardo DiCaprio got his start in TV. He joined the cast of "Growing Pains" in 1990, portraying Luke, a homeless teenager who Mike meets while working as a substitute teacher. Mike persuades his parents to take Luke in, and he becomes a part of the Seaver family.

While DiCaprio has been working in the entertainment industry for decades and is undoubtedly a huge success, he comes from humble beginnings. In fact, DiCaprio revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that he grew up in a rough neighborhood in Los Angeles. "It was bad news — I stayed home a lot," the actor explained. "... You'd go to get a piece of candy, and there'd be a dude standing there with every drug you could possibly imagine in his trench coat. Then there were all the prostitutes coming out of the hotel."

DiCaprio also admitted that when was young he liked to pick fights with older kids. "I would talk back to anyone and be up for any fight," the actor said, adding, "I needed to be heard, and I was too little to get any respect." His attitude didn't really do him any favors, but it may have toughened him up. "... when you tell a kid that's three years older than you to shove it, you're going to get your a** beat," DiCaprio said.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, an eating disorder, or mental health, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• The Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

• The National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).