Tom Green on the death of friend Alan Thicke: 'It's a loss for Canada and the world'

Yesterday, it was announced that actor Alan Thicke had died of a heart attack. The Canadian star, best known for his role as Jason Seaver on the '80s sitcom Growing Pains, was 69 years old.

Fellow Canadian Tom Green is among those who considered Alan Thicke a friend. The two met in Green's living room where Thicke was a guest on his online talk show, Tom Green's House Tonight (and later, was also a guest on Tom Green Live).   

Growing up, Green was a huge fan of Thicke's and he remembers watching his talk show, Thick of the Night. "He really was there in the golden era of talk," Green says. "Up against Johnny Carson, he was one of the legends."  

When Green finally met Thicke on Tom Green's House Tonight, the two quickly bonded over their Canadian roots and similar trajectories. 

"Los Angeles can be a lonely city at times and when you meet a Canadian, you have a connection," Green says. (Both Green and Thicke moved to the U.S. several years into their careers.) "When you're Canadian, you support other Canadians." 

Green adds that it's a sad day and ultimately, "It's a loss for Canada and the world."