Leonardo DiCaprio Writes Touching Message Remembering Alan Thicke

Leonardo DiCaprio's breakout role was arguably his television turn on the sitcom Growing Pains. The family show was led by Alan Thicke, who died at the age of 69 on Tuesday, December 13. Now, DiCaprio — who played troubled teenager Luke, whom Thicke's character Jason accepted into the Seaver clan — is sharing a touching tribute to his one-time TV dad via social media. The Revenant star typically uses his official Facebook page to discuss his environmental activism, but on Wednesday, he posted kind words about Thicke. "He knew how to harness the power of the entertainment industry to be a positive influence in so many lives — including mine," writes DiCaprio of his former co-star. "Quite frankly, no one was cooler."

Having an inspirational force like Thicke clearly helped DiCaprio forge his own path. The actor appeared with Thicke in 23 episodes of the sitcom, from 1991 to 1992, before moving on to a film career. DiCaprio wasn't the only cast member to share a tribute to the Growing Pains father. Tracey Gold, who played Jason's daughter Carol, posted a photo on her Twitter account:

In response to Mean Girls star Daniel Franzese, Joana Kernes, who played Thicke's onscreen wife Maggie, stated that Thicke never failed to make her laugh:

Growing Pains may have long since ended, but its stars and fans are surely mourning this loss right now.