For almost twenty years, many of us remember watching the adventures of TV’s most famous dog – Lassie.
This beloved Rough Collie and her human friends were on our screens for 17 seasons, from 1954 to 1973. The show even switched from black and white to color in the 1960s.
But one of the most unforgettable parts of the show was when 7-year-old Timmy Martin joined in the fourth season. Timmy and his family adopted Lassie, creating some of the most memorable moments in the series.
Jon Provost, who played Timmy on *Lassie*, just celebrated his 74th birthday. He looks back fondly on his time filming with his four-legged co-star and remembers how Hollywood discovered him at only 3 years old.
The actor, born in Los Angeles, recalls that when he was 3, his mom took him to an audition for a Jane Wyman movie. She was a huge fan and just wanted her autograph. But out of 200 kids, Jon got the part.
Acting wasn’t something that ran in the family. Jon’s father had a completely different job—he was an aeronautical engineer.
“My parents weren’t Hollywood people,” Jon said. “My father is from Alabama, and my mother is from Texas.”
At age 4, Jon Provost landed a role in a movie with Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby.
“I didn’t have an agent at the time. After that, I got one, and it 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.
Jon also shared memories of working with the three different male dogs who played the role of Lassie. He said he formed a special bond with the last dog who portrayed the famous female collie.
“I did the show for seven years, filming 249 half-hour episodes. I worked with three different Lassies,” Jon Provost told Fox News.
He shared that the last dog he worked with was by his side for five years straight. “We grew up together. For five years, we saw each other five days a week, and sometimes even on weekends.”
Jon also revealed how well-behaved the dog was on set. “The actors made more mistakes than the dog,” he laughed. “They were more of a problem than Lassie.”
After leaving *Lassie* at 14 years old, Jon Provost went on to star with big names like Natalie Wood and Kurt Russell. Despite growing up in Hollywood, he avoided the common pitfalls many child actors face.
“My parents let me pretty much do what I wanted to do. I didn’t have to take a job,” Jon said.
Looking back, he added, “When I left Hollywood, I thought it was good that I did.”
Today, Jon lives away from the spotlight in Northern California but still receives fan mail from his time on *Lassie*. In 1994, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The character Lassie became so famous that she even had her own radio series.
In 1979, Jon married Sandy Goosens, and they had two children, Ryan and Katie. However, after 14 years of marriage, they divorced in December 1993.
In 1999, Jon found love again when he married Laurie Jacobson, a well-known researcher and author.
I’ve always been a big fan of the adventures this sweet duo went on. And with a moral in every episode, it was the perfect show for kids.
Please share this with all the *Lassie* fans you know.
A famous star was hospitalized.
A representative for Oprah Winfrey just revealed on Instagram that the author will be making an appearance on CBS Mornings to discuss her most recent book recommendation.Sadly, over the weekend, the well-liked host contracted a stomach virus.Gayle King assumed command and gave the reason behind Winfrey’s absence.A spokesman for Winfrey told CNN in a statement on Tuesday that “Ms. Winfrey is recovering from a stomach virus and was given an IV due to dehydration at the recommendation of her doctor.”
“She is getting more rest and improving every day.”Winfrey admitted to her best friend and journalist that she “couldn’t keep enough water down to stay hydrated” in a video chat that was shared on Gayle King’s Instagram page. This ultimately caused Winfrey to visit the hospital.King assured viewers that despite the health setback, Winfrey will eventually “be OK.”
She said, “I hope sharing that detail doesn’t bother her.”During a joint interview with the New York Times in January, Winfrey and King expressed their deep relationship and gave one other high accolades.She tells the truth with brutality. Even if it’s not what you want to hear,” King once observed in reference to Winfrey.
“[We] really, really enjoy each other.”In January of last year, Winfrey demonstrated that, at seventy, she is still in excellent physical shape.The media titan was seen running on the beach with her dog and another woman in the footage that she shared on Instagram.She thanked everyone who had sent her birthday greetings in the caption, praising health as the greatest gift.
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