Actors of 'Growing Pains' Gather for Reunion on 'Good Morning America'
Almost 20 years after "Growing Pains" went off the air the main cast was brought back together on "Good Morning America" for their Totally Awesome 80s week and a photo shoot for the next issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine on Thursday Oct. 6.
The Seavers were an iconic all-American family who's values helped shape the views and beliefs of what family was at the time.
One of the main keys of the show's success was the on screen chemistry between the actors. The way the onscreen parents, actors, Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns, interacted with the children (Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, and Jeremy Miller) made the show feel believable to many of its young viewers and followers.
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Even more so was the seemingly romantic link of Thicke and Kerns. When asked about it on "Good Morning America" Thicke replied: "We actually spent some time together off the set rehearsing lines, and I thought you were terribly attractive,” Thicke said. “But we were also smart enough to make the executive business decision that the series looked like it was pretty good and it would probably last longer than our relationship.”
"We were just really good friends," Kerns laughingly replied.
Although the main cast never achieved super-stardom outside of the show, a few bit players used the show as a launch pad before they hit it big.
Matthew Perry, Hilary Swank, and Leonardo DiCaprio all got their start on the show with DiCaprio playing an adopted son of sorts in the final two seasons.
"We loved him so much! He could mimic anybody," Kearns said.
"He...brought a great light touch to the set," said Thicke.
Since the show ended the cast has been reunited in two movies, one in 2000 and the other in 2004 and on "Larry King Live" in 2006 when the first season DVD's were released.
Notably missing from the cast shoot was the youngest Seaver, Ashley Johnson, although she was in small roles for three years.
It is commonly said the show met its demise because of Kirk Cameron's Christianity turn at age 17.
Cameron was at the peak of teen heartthrob status during the late 80s, gracing the covers of Teen Beat and Tiger Beat almost monthly.
He began to demand that parts of scripts and scenes be rewritten because he deemed them detrimental to his beliefs or too racy for television.
Cameron's on air girlfriend was also removed from the show for his real life girlfriend and future wife, Chelsea Noble.
Many years have passed and Cameron was able to apologize to his cast-mates and form an adult relationship with them.
Now Cameron is in an evangelist partnership with Ray Comfort where they train other Christians how to evangelize.
He most recently starred in 2008's hit indie movie "Fireproof."
