For nearly two decades most of us can remember tuning in to see the latest adventures of the most famous dog on TV – Lassie.
This much-loved Rough Collie dog and her human companions graced our screens for 17 seasons from 1954 to 1973 and even made the transition from black and white to color in the ’60s.
But who could forget the adorable little boy who joined the show in its fourth season when he and his family adopted Lassie – 7-year-old Timmy Martin.
Now Jon Provost, who played Timmy, has celebrated his 74th birthday and shares the joy he had filming with his four-legged friend and how he was discovered by Hollywood at just 3 years old.
The Los Angeles-born actor said when he was 3 years old he was taken to an audition for a Jane Wyman movie because his mom was a huge fan and hoped to get her autograph. But, out of the 200 kids auditioning for the part, Jon got it.
It was far from evident that Jon would become an actor. His father worked with something completely different – he was an aeronautical engineer.
”My parents weren’t Hollywood people. My father is from Alabama and my mother is from Texas,” Jon said.
At age 4, he landed a role in a Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby movie.
“I didn’t have an agent. I got one and that led to more movies like The Country Girl with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. I did about 12 movies before I started ‘Lassie’”, he told Fox News.
Three different Lassies
Recalling the bonds he formed with the three different male dogs that played the part of the female Lassie, Jon said he developed the biggest bond with the last dog to play Lassie.
“I did the show for seven years, 249 half-hour episodes. I worked with three different Lassies. The last dog I worked with, I worked with him for five years alone,” he told Fox News.
“We grew up together. For five years, we saw each other five days a week and sometimes on weekends.
Revealing how well behaved the dog was he added: “The actors made more mistakes than the dog. They were more of a problem,” he laughed.
After leaving the show at 14 years old he starred alongside the likes of Natalie Wood and Kurt Russell and never fell into the Hollywood child actor trap saying: “My parents let me pretty much do what I wanted to do. I didn’t have to take a job.
“When I left Hollywood, I thought it was good that I did.”
Today Jon lives out of the limelight in Northern California but still gets fan mail from his time in “Lassie”. In 1994, the actor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Meanwhile, Lassie, the canine character, became so popular that she even had a “Lassie” riveting radio series.
Jon Provost wife
In 1979, Jon Provost tied the knot with Sandy Goosens. Together, they had two children, Ryan and Katie.
After being married for 14 years, the two divorced on December 20, 1993.
In 1999, Jon Provost found love again when he married Laurie Jacobson, a well-known researcher, and author.
I was such a fan of the adventures this sweet duo got up to. And with a moral to every episode, it was the perfect show for kids.
Please share with all the “Lassie” fans you know.
Meg Ryan took a break from acting to spend time with her children: This is her today…
Journey of Meg Ryan: Juggling Family, Fame, and Personal Development
Meg Ryan, who was born in 1961 in Fairfield, Connecticut, had a difficult childhood that was characterized by her parents’ divorce when she was a teenager. Her natural charm and talent, however, drove her into the spotlight in Hollywood, where she had memorable parts in classic movies like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail.
Contents
- The Rise to Fame
- A Passion for Acting
- Navigating Personal Struggles
- A Heartfelt Expansion
- Charting a New Path
The Rise to Fame
Meg Ryan, widely known as “America’s sweetheart” for her attractiveness and affable nature, was soon accepted by Hollywood. She became well-known in the entertainment business by enthralling audiences in her performances. She made the decision to put her family over performing as a result of her significant accomplishment.
Her highly publicized romance with actor Russell Crowe, which attracted media attention and strained her personal life, had an impact on this decision. Ryan made the decision to temporarily withdraw from the spotlight and concentrate on her mothering duties in order to prevent more difficulty.
A Passion for Acting
Meg Ryan’s acting career began while she was a journalism student at the Universities of Connecticut and New York. Before obtaining her first acting gig in the film Top Gun, where she played Nick “Goose” Bradshaw’s wife, she dabbled in commercial work. Ryan and Anthony Edwards developed a real-life romance as a result of their on-screen chemistry.
Meg’s relevance in Armed and Dangerous was acknowledged by director Joe Dante, who noted that it helped Meg’s career progress. The actress called the connection she felt with Dennis Quaid right away a “bolt of lightning.” However, they had difficulties in their marriage, which eventually resulted in divorce after ten years.
Navigating Personal Struggles
Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe’s intimate relationship was the subject of rumors. Ryan emphasized that her husband’s infidelity had happened earlier than their connection with Crowe, despite these rumors. She felt the strain of the circumstance’s emotional toll.
Despite their divorce from Dennis Quaid, the couple continued to support one another in public. Their son Jack, who entered the entertainment profession with appearances in films including The Hunger Games, benefited from their effective co-parenting relationship.
A Heartfelt Expansion
Meg Ryan’s personal life saw dramatic upheavals at the same time that her professional career grew with parts in movies like When Harry Met Sally. In 2006, she added a 14-month-old Chinese daughter named Daisy to her household. Similar to her journey as a biological parent, Ryan discovered the adoption experience to be filled with love and connection.
Charting a New Path
Meg Ryan has withdrawn from the public eye at the moment to take a break from acting. Sources close to her, however, say that she is thinking about going back to Hollywood. One wants to see her abilities illuminate the silver screen once again as she nears 60 because of her everlasting beauty and charisma.
The path of Meg Ryan illustrates the fine line between family, fame, and personal development. Her choices, which are motivated by the desire for a meaningful existence and real connections, demonstrate her fortitude and dedication to a life of meaning. Ryan’s narrative provides as motivation for accepting change and pursuing one’s ambitions as we anticipate her eventual comeback to Hollywood.
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