1 00:00:00,820 --> 00:00:03,840 I'm waiting to see who's going to show up. I know Carol's going to be here and 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,420 Ben, Maggie, and Jason, but I'm kind of waiting to see who the surprise guest is 3 00:00:08,420 --> 00:00:09,420 going to be, if any. 4 00:00:09,460 --> 00:00:12,600 I'm getting to do an evening like this where I get to see all my old, my second 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,360 family. It's nice with everybody's busy schedules and everybody working. It's 6 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:18,560 kind of hard for all of us to get together. 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,280 Well, for me, it's the food. 8 00:00:20,900 --> 00:00:22,560 I come here for the food. 9 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:27,360 Well, I'm excited. It's always fun when all of us get to sit down and just talk. 10 00:00:27,380 --> 00:00:32,060 And I think to have a structured format to get to talk about the first season 11 00:00:32,060 --> 00:00:36,280 and how we all got our parts and stuff, I always think that's fun. 12 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:37,540 How about you, Joanna? 13 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:39,680 If that's your real name. 14 00:00:40,740 --> 00:00:42,140 Being with you, Al. 15 00:00:43,820 --> 00:00:45,100 That's what I'm excited about. 16 00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:46,940 Well, you'll get over it. 17 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:49,860 I hear Tim O'Donnell is going to be here. 18 00:00:50,410 --> 00:00:55,490 My anticipation tonight is to just get a look at these guys who kind of went out 19 00:00:55,490 --> 00:00:58,910 of my life 15 years ago when growing pains ended for me. 20 00:00:59,230 --> 00:01:03,170 I don't know. Whenever we get around, it's nice to reminisce and, you know, 21 00:01:03,170 --> 00:01:08,150 listen to Al shoot jokes about different scenarios that happened and give Joanne 22 00:01:08,150 --> 00:01:09,390 a hard time like he always did. 23 00:01:09,650 --> 00:01:11,590 I love this hair. 24 00:01:12,130 --> 00:01:16,330 Thank you. And it fits real nicely, too. You don't see any of the seams? 25 00:01:17,570 --> 00:01:18,570 hide everything. 26 00:01:18,990 --> 00:01:23,170 So it's just good to see them, and it's always interesting when all five of us 27 00:01:23,170 --> 00:01:28,570 get together, so we should be good. We got along famously, and we've been the 28 00:01:28,570 --> 00:01:29,790 best of friends ever since. 29 00:01:30,090 --> 00:01:32,430 Maybe that's the secret, to have a daytime husband. 30 00:01:33,430 --> 00:01:35,750 No, not a nighttime husband. 31 00:01:36,050 --> 00:01:39,250 I know, I know, I know. 32 00:01:39,530 --> 00:01:40,530 Come on, Dad. 33 00:01:41,930 --> 00:01:42,930 Leave her alone. 34 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,700 I thought this would finally be the opportunity to put the move on Joanna 35 00:01:51,700 --> 00:01:54,940 Kearns. And if you had played your cards right. 36 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:58,460 I could have been the fifth. She could have had me. I know. 37 00:01:58,820 --> 00:01:59,798 But no. 38 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:04,100 And I'm looking forward to just getting the Growing Pains DVDs to show my kid so 39 00:02:04,100 --> 00:02:06,040 that they can know what their dad did all these years. 40 00:02:26,180 --> 00:02:31,920 Here we are. Now this is something we never did in seven years. 41 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:39,260 I do this at home. Hey, we're lucky to have... You get the marshmallows in here 42 00:02:39,260 --> 00:02:44,940 and the hot marshmallow melts the chocolate for you as you... We had puck 43 00:02:44,940 --> 00:02:45,940 stick. 44 00:02:46,460 --> 00:02:48,320 There she goes. 45 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:50,740 Tracy, your marshmallow's on fire. 46 00:02:51,230 --> 00:02:54,550 Mine will be well done. No, but it's good when it's crispy on the outside. I 47 00:02:54,550 --> 00:03:00,250 don't remember complaining about lines or anything in the show because I always 48 00:03:00,250 --> 00:03:02,030 knew that Joanna would be in your office. 49 00:03:03,430 --> 00:03:08,190 And if there was anything even remotely complainable, we had our designated 50 00:03:08,190 --> 00:03:09,670 complainer. No, no. 51 00:03:10,010 --> 00:03:13,270 That's the way I remember it. I don't think I've even ever asked you guys 52 00:03:13,370 --> 00:03:16,210 How everybody got the part on Growing Plains. Do you remember the first 53 00:03:16,210 --> 00:03:17,290 audition, how you got the part? 54 00:03:17,510 --> 00:03:18,369 Oh, absolutely. 55 00:03:18,370 --> 00:03:19,370 Because I remember mine. 56 00:03:19,710 --> 00:03:22,770 I remember mine. How did you get... I think you were cast first. 57 00:03:23,270 --> 00:03:27,090 Was I? Were you cast first? Well, I think so. I think so. I think Mike told 58 00:03:27,090 --> 00:03:30,670 that you... Wasn't Alan cast first? No. Alan was... I was cast last. 59 00:03:31,190 --> 00:03:32,670 I was cast last. 60 00:03:33,010 --> 00:03:37,750 Yeah. Yeah. Table reading was at 10. I believe the casting was at 9 .45. That 61 00:03:37,750 --> 00:03:38,750 deal closed. 62 00:03:38,910 --> 00:03:45,610 Alan and I got cast, like, back to back. And I think you were first. What was 63 00:03:45,610 --> 00:03:46,610 your audition like? 64 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:53,100 Well, I auditioned. See, I thought I had this show kind of in the bag early on 65 00:03:53,100 --> 00:03:58,840 because I went to the network to test, and I go in, and there's about 30 women 66 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:04,980 and Alan, and one other actor, Canadian actor, right? 30 women and Alan. I've 67 00:04:04,980 --> 00:04:06,520 seen that lots of times. 68 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:11,900 One other Canadian actor, it was Wayne Gretzky. No, it wasn't Wayne Gretzky. It 69 00:04:11,900 --> 00:04:15,460 was a guy that was on SCTV or something. 70 00:04:16,010 --> 00:04:19,810 Could have been. Something like that. Anyway, we went in, and we were supposed 71 00:04:19,810 --> 00:04:23,690 to kiss in it, and I went up kissing him on the end of his nose because it was 72 00:04:23,690 --> 00:04:24,690 in the way. 73 00:04:25,870 --> 00:04:32,390 I remember getting the call and walking into 74 00:04:32,390 --> 00:04:38,310 the audition room, and I was simply told, go kiss that girl over there, the 75 00:04:38,310 --> 00:04:39,310 blonde girl. 76 00:04:39,710 --> 00:04:43,930 And so I walked over. You and I had about two lines together, and then we 77 00:04:43,930 --> 00:04:44,930 intimate. Yeah. 78 00:04:46,010 --> 00:04:49,450 You say you were into it? Well, that too, yes. Oh, I'm sorry. 79 00:04:49,690 --> 00:04:55,250 And we had some chemistry, and it worked out. And the next thing I remembered is 80 00:04:55,250 --> 00:04:59,470 the audition takes place in this sort of amphitheater with a bunch of guys in 81 00:04:59,470 --> 00:05:04,610 darkness, a bunch of suits in darkness, and Rose up there somewhere, and we were 82 00:05:04,610 --> 00:05:06,450 auditioning and kissing. 83 00:05:06,710 --> 00:05:12,090 And then I heard a voice from the top saying, Alan, you sure you want to do 84 00:05:12,090 --> 00:05:16,060 this? He gave me the job on the spot just for kissing her. 85 00:05:17,860 --> 00:05:19,660 And then the next day we showed up. 86 00:05:20,220 --> 00:05:26,600 What was your audition like? Well, I remember going to the audition. It was 87 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,520 like every other audition where my mom picked me up from school and she had a 88 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:35,500 nice pressed shirt hanging in the VW bug and a pair of pressed... 89 00:05:36,059 --> 00:05:40,320 and I had to tuck in my shirt, and she would, you know, brush my hair. And we 90 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,200 were there about 45 minutes late. You know, I had kind of like that little 91 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,100 haircut, you know, when I was younger. 92 00:05:46,660 --> 00:05:51,020 And we were about 45 minutes late, and I was one of the last auditions for the 93 00:05:51,020 --> 00:05:54,360 day. And I ran in there while my mom was out in the parking lot. She said, run, 94 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:55,620 run, run, maybe you can still get in. 95 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:57,160 And the door was closed. 96 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:02,380 and the casting director said, I'm sorry, we're closing up, we're finished. 97 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,480 And I said, oh, my mom's going to kill me. 98 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,540 I've been dragging my feet to get down here, and please let me in. 99 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,440 And I went in, and it was Mike Sullivan and John Pasquin were in there, and they 100 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,520 read with me, and they let me be the last guy to come in. 101 00:06:17,020 --> 00:06:23,680 And I remember just reading the lines, and then after I was finished, I was a 102 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:28,610 little confused, and I asked Pasquin and Sullivan, I said, now, is this show a 103 00:06:28,610 --> 00:06:29,630 comedy or what? 104 00:06:30,750 --> 00:06:35,670 And I think they kind of, I heard later that they had kind of said, well, he's 105 00:06:35,670 --> 00:06:38,310 not the therapist's knife in the drawer, but let's call him back for the next 106 00:06:38,310 --> 00:06:39,310 audition. 107 00:06:39,950 --> 00:06:43,310 So I got called back and then eventually got the part, and I thought, oh, great. 108 00:06:44,090 --> 00:06:47,570 If you're waiting around for a smart actor in casting, it could be a while. 109 00:06:48,950 --> 00:06:52,690 You've got to take someone who's cute and can do the jokes, which you sure 110 00:06:52,690 --> 00:06:57,640 could. I remember when I first saw Kirk and I said, I had been, already 111 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,360 producing and writing some shows, so I knew how the business part worked. 112 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,900 And I remember seeing Kirk and saying, this guy is really cute. 113 00:07:06,460 --> 00:07:09,660 So when we negotiate my contract, I want whatever he's getting. 114 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:17,520 I know. And I was smart enough to tie our contract together for a while 115 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:22,600 because I knew that you would become what they called the breakout star, that 116 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:29,580 every show looks for somebody with really 117 00:07:29,580 --> 00:07:34,200 special qualities and a great look and somebody you think will be easy to work 118 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:35,200 with. 119 00:07:35,580 --> 00:07:39,460 And you had it all, and you had it instantly, and everybody saw it. 120 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:41,960 But I was the guy who cashed in on it. 121 00:07:43,940 --> 00:07:48,060 What was yours? All right, my story is way more complicated than your guys' 122 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:53,040 story. I went up for growing pains, and I didn't get it. 123 00:07:53,660 --> 00:07:55,060 And I went, like, one time. 124 00:07:55,580 --> 00:07:57,160 I went to a casting, then I went to producers. 125 00:07:57,620 --> 00:07:58,620 Didn't get it. 126 00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:02,380 Be careful. She doesn't spare you with that. You and I knew each other. Kirk 127 00:08:02,380 --> 00:08:05,460 I knew each other before. So I knew Kirk was auditioning for Growing Pains also. 128 00:08:05,660 --> 00:08:09,400 And he got it. That's right. We played brother and sister before we were ever 129 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:11,620 brothers. Like a couple times. Yeah. 130 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,020 And then. We even kind of boyfriend and girlfriend a little bit on the best of 131 00:08:15,020 --> 00:08:16,020 times. Yeah. 132 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,340 And that was right before. Like that was right before. 133 00:08:19,780 --> 00:08:23,380 And we went on. And I had my sweet 16. 134 00:08:24,250 --> 00:08:27,970 And I saw Kirk there, and he had gotten Growing Pains, and I hadn't gotten it, 135 00:08:27,990 --> 00:08:30,370 and you guys had shot it. And I was like, that would have been a fun one to 136 00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:32,110 I was kind of a bummer. I didn't get it. 137 00:08:32,470 --> 00:08:37,150 And my dad got a phone call saying that they were recasting Growing Pains, and 138 00:08:37,150 --> 00:08:41,130 they wanted to see me. And they wanted to bring me back. And I'm sort of like, 139 00:08:41,270 --> 00:08:44,790 well, they already saw me. They didn't like me. What, do I need to go back so 140 00:08:44,790 --> 00:08:46,430 they can say, oh, yeah, that's right, we didn't like her? 141 00:08:46,830 --> 00:08:49,850 I'm like, I'm not going back. And also, I'm vacationing. I don't want to do 142 00:08:49,850 --> 00:08:52,770 this. So my dad said, look, we'll bring her back. 143 00:08:53,810 --> 00:08:56,430 They said, we're going to see girls all week. And he says, look, if you haven't 144 00:08:56,430 --> 00:08:58,110 found anyone by the end of the week, I'll bring her back with me. 145 00:08:58,530 --> 00:09:01,070 And I'm thinking, all right, they'll find somebody. Not a big deal. That's a 146 00:09:01,070 --> 00:09:01,989 good deal. 147 00:09:01,990 --> 00:09:03,650 I'll come back at the end of the week thinking. 148 00:09:04,130 --> 00:09:05,330 No way they won't find someone. 149 00:09:05,850 --> 00:09:07,170 Get the phone call at the end of the week. 150 00:09:07,450 --> 00:09:08,450 They hadn't found anyone. 151 00:09:09,150 --> 00:09:10,129 I went back. 152 00:09:10,130 --> 00:09:11,470 I auditioned for the show. 153 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:13,320 And they liked me. 154 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:16,460 And then I got it, and I was at the Growing Pains photo shoot, like, the 155 00:09:16,460 --> 00:09:19,760 day. Right. And meeting all you guys, like, the new kid in school. 156 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:25,280 And basically, like, I think your mom gave me a tape of the pilot, which I had 157 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:26,059 never seen. 158 00:09:26,060 --> 00:09:29,300 I had no idea what it was. So I'm like, got home that night and was like, oh, I 159 00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:31,700 guess I should probably watch and see what I'm going to be doing for the next, 160 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,500 you know, little while. And I'd always been in shows that, like, failed. 161 00:09:35,940 --> 00:09:38,300 So I never thought this would, like, go far at all. 162 00:09:39,070 --> 00:09:45,630 Well, I think it's neat that most people don't even know that there was a 163 00:09:45,630 --> 00:09:48,210 different Carol in the very beginning, and then it was all re -shot. 164 00:09:48,510 --> 00:09:50,670 We didn't hear your audition story. 165 00:09:51,070 --> 00:09:53,690 Mine, being as young as I was, was short. 166 00:09:54,010 --> 00:09:56,850 The story around it is a lot more interesting. 167 00:09:57,150 --> 00:10:01,630 Going in for the first audition was like any other, probably 300 kids there. 168 00:10:02,510 --> 00:10:06,630 waited around 45 minutes to an hour to get in, got in and saw him. And I don't 169 00:10:06,630 --> 00:10:09,730 even remember reading the lines. Being at that age, they were more interested 170 00:10:09,730 --> 00:10:12,970 personality and everything else. So we sat and talked for 15 minutes before I 171 00:10:12,970 --> 00:10:17,310 think I even read the three lines. And what Mike and them still say is that 172 00:10:17,310 --> 00:10:20,710 gave it to me because of my dolphin calls, which was one of the first things 173 00:10:20,710 --> 00:10:23,730 showed them when I got in there was these high -pitched squeals I could do. 174 00:10:23,730 --> 00:10:26,350 don't know. Okay, let's hear it. No, you're hitting my voice change. What do 175 00:10:26,350 --> 00:10:28,210 want from me? You just chewed yourself. 176 00:10:28,610 --> 00:10:30,530 You told jokes and all kinds of different... 177 00:10:31,910 --> 00:10:34,690 How, like, they dyed your hair, like, dark, and then you went blonde? 178 00:10:34,990 --> 00:10:40,070 Well, that was the first, when I first auditioned, it was dark still from the 179 00:10:40,070 --> 00:10:43,790 movie I'd done, the Deception film I'd done in London, and they thought that 180 00:10:43,790 --> 00:10:45,710 good because I matched Alan a little bit better. 181 00:10:45,990 --> 00:10:50,150 That's when he had dark hair. And then the first year, quite literally, that 182 00:10:50,150 --> 00:10:53,410 they put in me started wearing off, and they kept dyeing my hair to match Alan. 183 00:10:53,410 --> 00:10:54,510 I'll lend you some of the stuff I use now. 184 00:10:55,650 --> 00:11:00,590 It was still nice. But actually, the interesting thing was they had me slated 185 00:11:00,590 --> 00:11:01,590 to... 186 00:11:02,070 --> 00:11:07,250 screen test for another show that same week for Fathers and Sons with Merlin 187 00:11:07,250 --> 00:11:13,190 Olsen and a bunch of other people and my agent as well as everybody else was 188 00:11:13,190 --> 00:11:16,610 telling me that that's the one I should do that they had never heard of this 189 00:11:16,610 --> 00:11:20,690 Growing Pains thing and you know who knew what was going to happen and that I 190 00:11:20,690 --> 00:11:23,450 should take the big names and Merlin Olsen and this and that and the other 191 00:11:23,450 --> 00:11:26,470 and I don't know my mom and my grandmother were dead set on me going 192 00:11:26,470 --> 00:11:30,030 Growing Pains one and what a great choice they made. 193 00:11:30,970 --> 00:11:37,610 I was in the ABC executive offices as a writer pitching 194 00:11:37,610 --> 00:11:38,670 a new show. 195 00:11:39,819 --> 00:11:46,740 And having just come off the canceled Thick of the Night, where every 196 00:11:46,740 --> 00:11:49,540 time I read about it, it was the ill -fated. 197 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:54,000 I thought my middle name was ill -fated. And as I'm pitching the show to ABC, 198 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:59,100 and they're listening, and it wasn't a bad show idea. And they said, but, you 199 00:11:59,100 --> 00:12:01,960 know, we got this other thing you might be interested in. 200 00:12:03,540 --> 00:12:07,460 They're looking for an Alan Thicke type. I said, well, excuse me, I've just been 201 00:12:07,460 --> 00:12:08,460 canceled. 202 00:12:08,650 --> 00:12:14,690 My show was a national joke, and I could be driving Zamboni next year for all I 203 00:12:14,690 --> 00:12:18,610 know. So if you're looking for an Alan Thicke type, maybe I could read. That's 204 00:12:18,610 --> 00:12:19,610 how I got the reading. 205 00:12:19,730 --> 00:12:24,990 There were two people, one other guy being considered. There were two shows 206 00:12:24,990 --> 00:12:29,890 that year, and they kind of liked me for something, and they liked this other 207 00:12:29,890 --> 00:12:30,890 actor for something. 208 00:12:31,210 --> 00:12:34,830 And they weren't sure who to put on what show. 209 00:12:35,090 --> 00:12:37,530 And it was like kind of a coin toss. 210 00:12:38,489 --> 00:12:43,990 I don't know. It was a coin toss as to who might have ended up in which 211 00:12:44,770 --> 00:12:47,490 Okay, here's the question. Was there bonding the first year? 212 00:12:47,710 --> 00:12:49,910 No, I didn't have my teeth done until you were. 213 00:12:50,330 --> 00:12:55,050 All right. I'll feed that from a kid's point of view. I mean, yeah, absolutely. 214 00:12:55,270 --> 00:12:58,090 I mean, very first year I was already looking at. 215 00:12:58,510 --> 00:13:03,250 You as my older sister, him as my obnoxious brother, and, you know, my 216 00:13:03,250 --> 00:13:06,530 mean, I had already started, I mean, given very young and very immature at 217 00:13:06,530 --> 00:13:09,790 time, but had already started to care about everybody on the show like a 218 00:13:09,910 --> 00:13:13,610 And those feelings were constantly there. And it was, I mean, no one ever 219 00:13:13,610 --> 00:13:16,770 treated me any different than you treated me like a little brother. I 220 00:13:16,770 --> 00:13:19,190 was fun. We'd go out and throw the ball around. You'd beam me. 221 00:13:19,830 --> 00:13:24,110 You know, as a little kid, that's fun. You look back on it now and you go, hey, 222 00:13:24,230 --> 00:13:26,310 wait a second. But at the time. 223 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:28,359 Oh, dear. 224 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:30,060 What do I see here? 225 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,540 It's just like you ordered. Three parts peanut butter, one part marshmallow, a 226 00:13:34,540 --> 00:13:37,440 dollop of cream cheese topped with one and a half raisins. 227 00:13:37,980 --> 00:13:40,520 Yes, but I still see a speck of crust. 228 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,760 You know my feelings about crust. 229 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,300 Okay, I'll cut it off. 230 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:49,700 No, Michael, that just won't do. 231 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:53,880 In the state I'm in, I'll need an all -new another sandwich. 232 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:56,520 A new sandwich? 233 00:13:57,370 --> 00:14:02,570 I see salami and cheese and a tiny French mustard. 234 00:14:03,270 --> 00:14:10,030 I remember you being 235 00:14:10,030 --> 00:14:14,790 so sad at the end of the season because you have to go back to school and we 236 00:14:14,790 --> 00:14:20,110 have the stairway that we would make our entrances on that the audience didn't 237 00:14:20,110 --> 00:14:23,650 see and you'd sit way up at the top behind the stage. 238 00:14:24,990 --> 00:14:30,190 Putting your gum on the wall and being very upset. Or buried in a book, one of 239 00:14:30,190 --> 00:14:36,670 the two. But we all knew when you got kind of melancholy about going back to 240 00:14:36,670 --> 00:14:38,830 school. Absolutely. Having to leave you guys was hard. 241 00:14:39,730 --> 00:14:44,210 And then you come back a few months later and you'd have grown like four 242 00:14:44,850 --> 00:14:46,970 I remember always thinking that like... 243 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,800 Especially, like, you know, like, that first season. I mean, it was so 244 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:52,800 I mean, it really felt, like, exciting. 245 00:14:53,220 --> 00:14:55,480 And, like, being with all you guys and everything. 246 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:59,560 And the weekend would come, and I couldn't wait for, like, Monday. I was 247 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,560 excited to go back because it was just so much fun. 248 00:15:02,820 --> 00:15:07,420 I mean, it was just such a fun experience, and it was exciting, and I 249 00:15:07,420 --> 00:15:11,780 of you. And it was just a neat, like, I just felt really lucky to, like, be 250 00:15:11,780 --> 00:15:15,300 there. The reason you're not chaperoning is because... 251 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:18,380 Your unacceptable parents. 252 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:21,120 Unacceptable parents? 253 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:22,820 Carol, you heard this? 254 00:15:23,140 --> 00:15:24,140 Not just me. 255 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,080 Scotty Siegler heard every word of it. 256 00:15:27,780 --> 00:15:28,780 All right! 257 00:15:32,740 --> 00:15:34,020 I don't get it. 258 00:15:34,260 --> 00:15:37,420 She said, I have a mother who abandoned me, a brother who's a delinquent, a 259 00:15:37,420 --> 00:15:39,040 father who runs a mental ward at home. 260 00:15:39,420 --> 00:15:43,120 She made my life sound like a movie of the week. 261 00:15:44,849 --> 00:15:47,910 Alan and I were both going through divorces at the time. 262 00:15:48,410 --> 00:15:54,290 And on one side of it, it was kind of a, you know, that part of it was not a 263 00:15:54,290 --> 00:15:57,050 great thing. It was a big transitional time for both of us. 264 00:15:57,250 --> 00:16:00,510 And we became really great friends right away. 265 00:16:01,310 --> 00:16:03,450 We were bonding. We had a lot in common. 266 00:16:03,690 --> 00:16:04,690 We did. 267 00:16:06,030 --> 00:16:10,110 But I remember thinking it just took off when the show took off. 268 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,960 I think we all knew what a gift it was. It was like an energy. 269 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:18,060 There was an energy about it, and the audiences would come in. 270 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:24,900 I remember Dan Gunselman saying that the test of a really good writing, 271 00:16:24,940 --> 00:16:28,820 when you've created a character well, is that a character can walk across the 272 00:16:28,820 --> 00:16:32,100 stage and never say the line you think they're going to say, and you get the 273 00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:33,520 laugh because they didn't say the line. 274 00:16:33,820 --> 00:16:39,280 And that started to happen that year. Just walk in. You'd walk in. All you had 275 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:40,280 to do was look. 276 00:16:40,910 --> 00:16:45,870 And the laugh would come. And it was just fun. It was great fun. 277 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:52,120 I remember the set being so much fun that you guys will remember that my real 278 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:56,980 -life kids, who were Jeremy's age, came over every day after school. So it 279 00:16:56,980 --> 00:16:58,320 became almost daycare. 280 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,680 My guys would come over, and when there was an appropriate scene going on in the 281 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:08,079 classroom or the school cafeteria where you could use extras, my guys would get 282 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:10,780 thrown into the thing. And then our younger brother, our younger sisters. 283 00:17:11,980 --> 00:17:16,880 And we never, ever, any of us had a birthday party or a Halloween or 284 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:21,760 special occasion where everybody didn't come and get invited so my boys felt 285 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:28,200 like part of the extended family and I remember when I heard that I got the 286 00:17:29,199 --> 00:17:34,360 I was in a parking garage somewhere, and I had gotten that phone call, and I was 287 00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:39,840 in tears because I had just been canceled months ago off this 288 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:46,520 debacle that I hosted against Johnny Carson. And I was so beaten 289 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:52,300 up and so defeated that as soon as I heard that I got it, I just kind of 290 00:17:52,300 --> 00:17:57,580 down. And the first calls, in fact, the only calls I made were to my sons. I 291 00:17:57,580 --> 00:18:02,470 said, you got it. to hear what has happened our lives will be good yeah 292 00:18:02,470 --> 00:18:09,450 and because it was it was a frightening desperate time just before that I 293 00:18:09,450 --> 00:18:16,370 was I was worried yeah I didn't I thought I would be too young for 294 00:18:16,370 --> 00:18:17,370 the part 295 00:18:17,470 --> 00:18:21,890 When I was testing for it, of course, Alan's got a joke coming. I know what 296 00:18:21,890 --> 00:18:22,950 going to get me on this one. 297 00:18:23,970 --> 00:18:26,910 You guys made me older than him on the show. 298 00:18:27,150 --> 00:18:28,190 Yeah. Remember? 299 00:18:28,410 --> 00:18:31,130 I was like, I wasn't 40 yet. That was one of my favorite episodes. 300 00:18:32,090 --> 00:18:36,310 And you guys had me celebrate my 40th birthday. I must have complained about 301 00:18:36,310 --> 00:18:40,150 something. That's all I can say. It's in the writer's book. We'll get her. We'll 302 00:18:40,150 --> 00:18:40,929 get her back. 303 00:18:40,930 --> 00:18:42,310 Will you like your character, Alan? 304 00:18:44,259 --> 00:18:50,380 The Jason Seaver and Seaver family values, I think, are very close to my 305 00:18:51,100 --> 00:18:57,700 My own style of parenting was probably very similar. I think as Jason, I was 306 00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:02,060 kind of a cheerleader, and you always wanted to see the good in the family and 307 00:19:02,060 --> 00:19:06,100 rely on the better instincts of your children, of course, none of which 308 00:19:06,100 --> 00:19:07,380 to be true in real life. 309 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:12,360 And that's what made our show funny, because dads, moms, we always want to 310 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:14,660 that. Moms are probably a little more suspicious. 311 00:19:16,380 --> 00:19:18,560 our cheerleaders, especially with boys. 312 00:19:19,380 --> 00:19:26,040 But I was proud of the role because I did feel that it reflected things that I 313 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:27,360 would be happy to stand for. 314 00:19:27,740 --> 00:19:28,740 Hi, Ben. 315 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:30,700 Hi. Where's your brother? 316 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:31,979 Up the down. 317 00:19:31,980 --> 00:19:32,980 Where's your sister? 318 00:19:33,140 --> 00:19:35,020 In her room. Where's the couch? 319 00:19:35,940 --> 00:19:37,720 I don't know. Was there a minute ago? 320 00:19:40,700 --> 00:19:42,380 Okay, I'll clean it up. 321 00:19:42,780 --> 00:19:45,200 Nah, nah, don't clean it up. Don't worry. 322 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,340 Come here, put those feet up here. Leave those shoes on. Be a kid. 323 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:56,960 And I always felt responsible out in public for our roles and who we were. 324 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:00,440 I'd be in a restaurant and be... 325 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:06,360 conscious of the table next next door that would recognize me and i want to 326 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:10,820 sure my manners were good and i wasn't slopping food and i wasn't minding my 327 00:20:10,820 --> 00:20:15,200 language i mean i was i was very aware of what we were putting out there and in 328 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:19,880 public you know i i learned a lot from you alan because i remember when we were 329 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:24,720 going through when they launched the show and i don't remember if they did 330 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:29,080 with you guys because you were younger but alan and i went out and we did all 331 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:30,080 the press 332 00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:34,800 And he kind of coached me on what I should say and what I shouldn't say. And 333 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:36,100 first of all, say it faster. 334 00:20:36,700 --> 00:20:37,940 One thing, say it faster. 335 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:44,120 But I remember you saying to me that we were going to get a lot of attention 336 00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:48,460 initially because of this going back to the thick of the night thing, that you'd 337 00:20:48,460 --> 00:20:49,820 had such negative press. 338 00:20:50,300 --> 00:20:53,660 And you put your arm around me and you said, don't worry about it. They're 339 00:20:53,660 --> 00:20:54,660 tuning in. 340 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,240 And in an interesting way, they did. 341 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:04,040 And it was, I watched you handle that whole situation with such 342 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,360 class and humor. 343 00:21:06,820 --> 00:21:09,660 I mean, it was, I really learned a lot from you. 344 00:21:10,740 --> 00:21:11,740 You bet. 345 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:13,560 I did. 346 00:21:13,580 --> 00:21:15,880 We'd always just get our clothes from the wardrobe room. 347 00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:20,000 Yeah, we'd wear them home. Alan, you lived in the wardrobe room. Judith was 348 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:20,809 best. Oh, yeah. 349 00:21:20,810 --> 00:21:25,510 To this day, I have stuff that says GP or WB for Warner Brothers. Are you 350 00:21:25,510 --> 00:21:29,570 serious? On a belt or a shoe or a pair of pants. Oh, yeah. As writers, we used 351 00:21:29,570 --> 00:21:33,770 to do something occasionally. I could admit to it after all these years. 352 00:21:34,250 --> 00:21:40,170 Because Alan had a habit, he was a guy on the go, he was comfortable, he had 353 00:21:40,170 --> 00:21:41,650 stuff to do right after the show. 354 00:21:42,410 --> 00:21:44,250 he would often leave wearing his wardrobe. 355 00:21:45,110 --> 00:21:50,110 So for a few weeks in a row, we made sure that whatever scene we shot last, 356 00:21:50,110 --> 00:21:54,230 tag, would usually happen at night, and he'd come downstairs in his robe or the 357 00:21:54,230 --> 00:21:57,550 bedroom. Because we knew, although you were pretty clever, you probably weren't 358 00:21:57,550 --> 00:21:59,190 going to go home in your pajamas and robe. 359 00:21:59,650 --> 00:22:02,150 And that's kind of how we broke it down. 360 00:22:03,130 --> 00:22:04,130 Dad, 361 00:22:06,290 --> 00:22:08,210 I'm confident when you hear my story. 362 00:22:09,070 --> 00:22:10,230 I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 363 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,600 to tell Ben to be quiet, but did he listen? No. He persisted. 364 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,340 I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was wrong. 365 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:20,900 How's the paper coming, honey? 366 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,880 They kept wondering why that wardrobe budget was so big. 367 00:22:26,140 --> 00:22:28,180 I never went shopping for seven years. 368 00:22:29,460 --> 00:22:35,040 The word, though, was you started showing up in clubs around town in 369 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:35,739 a robe. 370 00:22:35,740 --> 00:22:39,120 You did come to work one day in a robe. 371 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,160 Because you've gotten locked out of your closet was the story. 372 00:22:44,180 --> 00:22:49,780 Well, you lived close enough to fight. I recall you riding a bike to work. I 373 00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:54,180 did. I used to ride a bike. I knew exactly how long it would take. It was a 374 00:22:54,180 --> 00:22:56,800 seven -minute bike ride or a three -and -a -half -minute car ride. 375 00:22:57,420 --> 00:23:02,160 Sometimes I'd be on the tennis court and I'd get the call saying, we're doing 376 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:03,940 your scene in 12 minutes. 377 00:23:04,340 --> 00:23:08,160 Fine, put the racket down on the bike and I'm there on time. 378 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:09,880 I was freeway close. 379 00:23:10,220 --> 00:23:15,940 One of the things that I remember from Growing Pains was all of the kids that 380 00:23:15,940 --> 00:23:20,380 met through organizations like Make -A -Wish Foundation and Starlight who would 381 00:23:20,380 --> 00:23:21,420 come down to meet the cast. 382 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:23,760 You started your camp then, didn't you? 383 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:25,940 Was that first year or was that later? 384 00:23:26,180 --> 00:23:27,840 Well, we started Growing Pains, what, 1985? 385 00:23:28,140 --> 00:23:29,140 Right. Tracy? 386 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,340 September, wait, no, June 1985. 387 00:23:32,740 --> 00:23:33,740 June 1985, there you go. 388 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:34,880 June 1985. 389 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:39,920 Yeah, and then after meeting a lot of families who had come down to the set, 390 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:41,380 started Camp Firefly in 1989. 391 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:47,800 And it was just wanting to do something more for the families than, hi, how are 392 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,340 you, signing an autograph, taking a picture. And we thought, boy, isn't 393 00:23:51,340 --> 00:23:53,380 something else we can do? And so we started Camp Firefly. 394 00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:58,720 which is a week -long retreat for seriously ill children and their 395 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:05,740 Watching civilians come to that stage every week and meet you guys, they 396 00:24:05,740 --> 00:24:08,340 certainly weren't there to see the writers or the producers. They were 397 00:24:08,340 --> 00:24:10,820 see the stars that played the characters that they loved so much. 398 00:24:12,620 --> 00:24:16,300 I've done a lot of shows since I've done Growing Pains. I've never seen a cast 399 00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:21,840 that was as gracious and as patient as you guys were with those fans. 400 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:23,040 I've never seen it. 401 00:24:23,580 --> 00:24:27,360 You guys have all been on other series and other showbiz situations since then. 402 00:24:27,820 --> 00:24:31,440 You've probably never seen it either. It's gotten faster and people are a 403 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:32,440 colder. 404 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:39,220 You guys absolutely enjoyed that feeling of those people were just crazy about 405 00:24:39,220 --> 00:24:42,960 you, and it seemed like you'd stay there talking to them until they were all 406 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,740 done. Maybe I'm wrong, but you guys can give your own memories. It was a 407 00:24:46,740 --> 00:24:50,000 phenomenon how popular you were, and it was phenomenal to me how... 408 00:24:50,430 --> 00:24:54,350 good you were with your time and your charity work. It was truly amazing. 409 00:24:56,310 --> 00:25:00,830 Alan used to go out into the audience and do warm -up. 410 00:25:02,290 --> 00:25:06,450 One of my favorite things was when I wasn't, which happened often being as 411 00:25:06,450 --> 00:25:09,610 as I was, wasn't in a lot of the different scenes or whatever. 412 00:25:09,910 --> 00:25:12,910 I'd just go out and sit with the people who were in line waiting for the show 413 00:25:12,910 --> 00:25:13,910 before filming day. 414 00:25:14,300 --> 00:25:17,760 talk and i mean they were they were awesome they loved everything about the 415 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,360 and just were so thoroughly interested in everything it was it was great 416 00:25:21,360 --> 00:25:24,820 to meet everybody i think what was also fun like being a kid is that like in 417 00:25:24,820 --> 00:25:28,460 doing the show is like people would say oh i'm such a fan of the show and i 418 00:25:28,460 --> 00:25:33,400 would i would feel like me too you know it's like when people say now like oh my 419 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:37,340 god i grew up with you i'm like i did too like i feel the same way because i 420 00:25:37,340 --> 00:25:42,240 love tv and i loved growing pains i liked watching it and so it was like a 421 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:46,270 of like something that we hadn't common and it was fun to share that it was just 422 00:25:46,270 --> 00:25:51,590 really like it was just such a neat experience and it was like a gift you 423 00:25:51,590 --> 00:25:57,490 that we had able to run around and be there i i hear from people now in person 424 00:25:57,490 --> 00:26:04,150 in public in places and uh i often hear somebody say oh i grew up with you you 425 00:26:04,150 --> 00:26:05,150 raised me 426 00:26:05,580 --> 00:26:09,900 To which, you know, you're stuck after a while. I didn't do a very good job, did 427 00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:15,980 I? Or, well, I'm very proud of the way it turned out. But a lot of people 428 00:26:15,980 --> 00:26:21,860 identify with our stories and the characters and how we parented. And I 429 00:26:21,860 --> 00:26:27,100 that they genuinely do feel that they were in our family and in our home. 430 00:26:27,540 --> 00:26:28,540 I'll tell you. 431 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,860 I've been on the number one or two show on television, and I've been on the 432 00:26:33,860 --> 00:26:35,540 number 102 show on television. 433 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,380 And what makes hit television show is television stars. 434 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,640 And nobody talks about the writing more than I do. I love to talk about it as a 435 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:45,100 writer, and the directing's great too. 436 00:26:46,030 --> 00:26:50,650 But the hits that are on television today are because people want to watch 437 00:26:50,650 --> 00:26:52,110 folks who are on camera. 438 00:26:52,330 --> 00:26:55,890 It's always been that way, and it's never been any more that way than it was 439 00:26:55,890 --> 00:26:56,709 with this show. 440 00:26:56,710 --> 00:27:01,750 And you look around here, you look at five television stars, and that's what 441 00:27:01,750 --> 00:27:04,290 guys were in that series from the get -go. 442 00:27:04,630 --> 00:27:08,010 You each had followings. You each had fans out there who wanted to stop you, 443 00:27:08,030 --> 00:27:09,030 talk to you, touch you. 444 00:27:09,790 --> 00:27:11,530 That's what made Growing Pains a big hit. 445 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:13,440 One, two, three, four, five. 446 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,640 And that's the absolute truth, you guys. 447 00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:17,680 Shouldn't we get more money? 448 00:27:19,260 --> 00:27:21,820 Anybody know the Growing Pink theme song? 449 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,120 Show me that smile again. 450 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:28,120 Don't waste another minute on your crying. 451 00:27:28,740 --> 00:27:29,740 We're nowhere near. 452 00:27:31,220 --> 00:27:34,180 The best is ready to begin. 453 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:40,120 As long as we got each other. 454 00:27:55,639 --> 00:28:01,780 We can take anything that comes our way, baby, rain or shine, 455 00:28:02,100 --> 00:28:03,820 all the time. 456 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:09,220 We got each other sharing the laughter and love. 457 00:28:29,260 --> 00:28:30,820 We'll see you next time.