Actor Dick Van Patten, star of TV’s Eight Is Enough, has died. He was 86. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
Van Patten rose to fame as Tom Bradford, the patriarch of the Bradford family, on the ABC sitcom that ran from 1977-’81. However, he acted throughout his entire life, beginning at age seven as a child actor on Broadway. He would return to the Broadway stage a total of 28 times during his career. After a string of live performances as a teen, he began appearing in television series, including stints on the long-running TV shows Mama and Young Dr. Malone.
In addition to his television work, Van Patten appeared in a number of films, including Soylent Green, Freaky Friday, and the Oscar-winning Charly. He found further success in Mel Brooks’ film parodies High Anxiety, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men In Tights. His last televised appearance was a guest-starring role on the TV Land show Hot In Cleveland in 2011.