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.
Keanu Reeves’ Shocking Injury on Set: You Won’t Believe What Happened!
Keanu Reeves is a much-loved celebrity, and everyone who’s met him has great things to say about him. So when he recently shared some bad news about himself, many people were worried.
Here’s what happened:
Keanu has been busy working on his new project, *Good Fortune*. He appeared on *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert* this week and shared a story that got people concerned.
The 59-year-old actor revealed that he broke his kneecap while filming. Known for his action roles in movies like *The Matrix* and the *John Wick* series, he explained that the injury came from something surprisingly minor.
Colbert asked, “What happened? Who got to you?”
The actor replied playfully in a tough guy voice, “No one got to me,” adding, “Accident got to me.”
“Were you jumping from building to building? Were you doing a cartwheel past razor blades? What were you doing?” Stephen further probed.
“No, Stephen, I was walking into the dressing room, a room. I will tell it quick,” Keanu explained.
Keanu explained that his injury happened while filming a comedy called *Good Fortune* with Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogen. The three were in a cold plunge, and Keanu was having a good time. Afterward, he was doing a “cold shuffle” in a room with soft carpets when his foot got stuck in a pocket.
To show what happened, Keanu walked in front of Stephen Colbert’s desk and demonstrated how his knee gave way. He described it as if his knee “spiked” into the ground.
He said his kneecap cracked like a potato chip, although he didn’t realize it at first. It wasn’t until his knee started swelling up that he knew something was seriously wrong.
“Comedy is hard, man,” Keanu added as a joke.
“This was not an action film with Aziz and Rogen,” Stephen clarified once again.
“No, it was comedy,” Keanu confirmed.
“Welcome to my life,” Stephen joked.
In January, Keanu was seen filming with crutches and an ice pack on his knee.
*Good Fortune* not only stars Aziz Ansari but is also his first time directing. He wrote and co-produced the movie, which also features Sandra Oh and Keke Palmer.
It’s great to hear that Keanu Reeves has recovered well. Feel free to share this update with anyone who wants to know how he’s doing!
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