Read Leonardo DiCaprio’s Moving Reflection on His Growing Pains TV Dad Alan Thicke

Leonardo DiCaprio may only have appeared on ABC sitcom Growing Pains for one season as a child actor, but the Oscar winner had heartfelt things to say about his beloved on-screen dad, Alan Thicke, who passed away Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, DiCaprio reflected on the impact that Thicke had on him as a young actor just getting started in his path to stardom. “He knew how to harness the power of the entertainment industry to be a positive influence in so many lives – including mine,” DiCaprio wrote. “I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I had to work with Alan early in my career. He had tremendous class, a huge heart, and he taught me and so many others the valuable lessons about humility and gratitude. I’ve seen him a number of times over the years and when Alan Thicke walked in the room, quite frankly, no one was cooler.”

On the show, which ran from 1985 to 1992, DiCaprio played a homeless teen that the classic suburban Seaver family decides to take in. He would go on to achieve acclaim in his breakout role in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.