One of our favourite actors from film and TV dies
Beloved actor from film and television, Dick Van Patten has died aged 86. Best known for his roles in The Love Boat and 1980s series Eight is Enough, Van Patten died on Tuesday morning at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California, due to complications from diabetes.
Born in Kew Gardens, New York, in 1928, Van Patten made his Broadway debut at the age of 7 in Tapestry in Gray. He would go on to appear in another 30 Broadway shows. From 1949 to 1957, Van Patten played the role of Nels Hansen in I Remember Mama, and from there he appeared in many other TV shows, including Happy Days, The Love Boat, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, and, more recently, you may have seen him on Arrested Development, Hot in Cleveland and That ‘70s Show.
Van Patten also appeared in numerous films, including Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In 2009, Van Patten released his autobiography, Eighty Is Not Enough, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Patricia Van Patten, and their three sons.
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