According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dick Van Patten has died at the age of 86.
“He was the kindest man you could ever meet in life. A loving family man. They don’t make them like him anymore,” Ballard said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Dick Van Patten has been acting since he was a child. He made his first of 27 Broadway appearances at age seven in Tapestry in Grey. Since then, he has appeared in many films including Freaky Friday (with Jodie Foster) Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Space Balls. His TV credits include his starring role on the hit 80’s comedy-drama Eight is Enough, where he played Tom Bradford – the patriarchal head of the pack. Dick is also the author of several bestselling books including How To Get Your Child Into Show Business and his autobiography Eight Isn’t Enough. Dick is also known for starting the leading his name to Natural Balance, a line of high-end dog food that is intended to be indistinguishable from stews and other dishes that are normally intended for human consumption. Dick is married to former June Taylor Dancer Pat Poole and recently celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary. They have three sons, Nels, Jimmy and Vincent.
