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Revision as of 02:40, 30 November 2009
| Dick Van Patten | |
|---|---|
 Dick Van Patten, May 2008 | |
| Born | Richard Vincent van Patten |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1937–present |
| Spouse(s) | Pat Van Patten (1954-present) married 70 years 3 children |
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten (born December 9, 1928) is an American actor.
Personal life
Van Patten was born in New York City, the son of Josephine Rose (née Acerno), an Italian American who worked in advertising, and Richard Byron Van Patten, a Dutch American interior decorator. He is the older brother of actress Joyce Van Patten and film Director Tim Van Patten and the uncle of Talia Balsam. He has been married to Patricia Poole (aka Pat Van Patten) since 1954. They have three sons, all actors: Vincent Van Patten, Nels Van Patten, and James Van Patten. Nels is named for the character Dick played on the CBS TV series Mama.
In January 2006, Van Patten was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a diabetic stroke. Van Patten, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, made a full recovery.
Career
Van Patten started his career in showbiz as a child actor on Broadway in 1937 in The Eternal Road as Dickie Van Patten; he went on to appear in twelve other Broadway plays as a teenager. He moved on to television and movies with the 1949 TV series Mama which ran from 1949 to 1957, and as patriarch Tom Bradford on Eight is Enough, 1977 to 1981. Patten also appeared in episodes of Sanford and Son, Banacek, Arrested Development, The Brian Keith Show, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, and Happy Days.
He has appeared in several Mel Brooks films, including High Anxiety, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, as well as cameos in the music videos for "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, and on The Weird Al Show.
Van Patten co-founded Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989.
He also was a commentator for the World Series of Poker from 1993 to 1995.
He has recently penned a book describing his 80-year journey through the entertainment industry. http://dickvanpatten.net, published by Phoenix Books, discusses Dick Van Patten's journey from his humble beginnings in Queens, New York; his rise as a childhood star on Broadway during the Great Depression; working as an actor on the radio; the advent of television and his role in the second-ever live situation comedy "I Remember Mama;" a rough period between acting gigs; a rise back to the top that led the TV icon to the lead role on the popular hit show "Eight is Enough;" and subsequent roles in television and movies.
References
External links
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Dick Van Patten at the Internet Broadway Database
- 2007 Interview in the Sherman Oaks Sun, page 16
Dick Van Patten at http://dickvanpatten.net
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