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.
Sister Wives star Janelle Brown’s son Bad News
Garrison Brown, whose family is at the center of the long-running TLC reality series Sister Wives, was found dead at 25.
His mother, Janelle Brown, and his estranged father, Kody Brown, posted similar messages on their social media.
“Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown,” the statement by Janelle read.
“He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away.”
It went on: “We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory.”
Flagstaff Police said that Garrison died “as a result of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” as reported by Variety.
His deceased body was discovered by his brother Gabriel, 22, after Janelle asked her children if anyone could check on Garrison since he stopped responding to her messages. Prior to his suicide, Garrison was sending “troubling” messages to some of his friends.
According to TMZ, Janelle revealed to the police that “Garrison had texted a group of people that the Brown family works with [presumably from their show].”
In one of the messages, he allegedly stated: “I want to hate you for sharing the good times. But I can’t. I miss these days.”
When Janelle got a word about these messages, she texted Garrison directly. The two had a brief conversation but he then stopped responding.
Those who knew Garrison could witness his troubles. Some of his friends even spoke of him as of not a happy man.
According to TMZ, his roommates heard a pop on Monday night but they had no idea it could be a gunshot. They, however, didn’t check on him.
They said they were aware he was having troubles with alcohol abuse as well as problems with his ex-girlfriend. He was said to be battling depression, too.
Garrison was part of the show Sister Wives, which features the lives of his father and his four wives and many children, from the start. At the time the show first aired in 2010, he was just 12 years old.
His parents were together for thirty years, with Janelle becoming Kody’s second wife, but they split in 2022. They had six children together.
Last year, Kody opened up about his recently estranged relationship with his eldest son.
“I haven’t been in touch with Gabriel and Garrison for quite a while,” he shared at the time.
“I’m pretty sad that I’m not close [to them] anymore. There was just so many things in our lives that we did that were rich together, you know, just special experiences.”
He went on: “I think and hope that in time we’ll just get over this and that we’ll be safe being back around each other.
“Right now, there’s not really an open door with Gabe and Garrison. They’re they’re not willing to engage me.”
We are so very sorry for this loss.
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