Beloved ‘Growing Pains’ Mom Joanna Kerns Is Honored by Her Onscreen Son for Mother’s Day

Megan JohnsonSun, May 10, 2026 at 12:14 AM UTC

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Jeremy Miller is honoring his onscreen mom, Joanna Kerns, who played Maggie Seaver on Growing Pains.

Miller, 49, played young Ben Seaver on the hit series, which followed Alan Thicke as a psychiatrist and Kernsas a TV reporter as they run their Long Island family. The series catapulted Kirk Cameron to stardom as sweet and rebellious Mike Seaver, and Tracey Gold as nerdy Carol. Ashley Johnson came on board as Chrissy Seaver, the youngest child, in season 4, and Leonardo DiCaprio was introduced as a homeless teen who was adopted by the family at the tail end of the show’s run.

In a new Instagram post, Miller honored Kerns, now 73, with a throwback photo from a 1987 episode, "Not Necessarily the News."

"In honor of the upcoming Mother's Day celebration, a pic of me and my 'other mom.'Joanna Kerns was truly like a second mom to us. Loving, compassionate, stern when needed, and always there for us. Sounds like a mom to me. 😁," Miller wrote in the touching caption, which showed him in his onscreen mom's arms.

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What's Joanna Kerns Up to These Days?

At 73, Kerns is still glowing like she was back in the days of playing Maggie Seaver. She hit the red carpet a few years back in 2020 at the opening night of the new play, "Grand Horizons," on Broadway at The Second Stage Hayes Theater in New York City. Still as stunning as ever!

Photo by Bruce Glikas on Getty ImagesWhat Has Miller Said About His Costars Saving Him From Homelessness?

When Miller’s role concluded on Growing Pains in 1992, he went on to build a career as a private chef. But when the 2008 financial crisis hit, his business went under. Luckily, it was his former co-stars who saved him from ending up homeless.

During a recent interview with Scott Austalosh on the “Youngstown Studios” podcast, Miller recalled how Thicke and Cameron saved him, the New York Post reported.

“My catering company went under, and I was really struggling,” Miller recalled. “I mean, really struggling, on the brink of homelessness.”

“Things got really bad, and Alan and Kirk were the only two who stepped up to help me,” Miller shared. “Alan set up interviews with all of his restaurateur friends in Santa Barbara and a few other places, and got me connected to different places where I could utilize my chef skills and earn some money to help take care of my family.”

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Miller went on to say, “All it took was a phone call to say, ‘Hey, Al, I’m really struggling. Do you know anybody who might…’ and that’s all I had to say. He was on the phone for the next two days, making connections and doing everything he could to try to help me. That was just the kind of guy he was.”

Check out Miller’s interview below:

What Did Miller Say About His Relationship with Alan Thicke?

Miller had nothing but love for his onscreen dad, who passed away in 2016 at age 69.

“And he was always so full of life,” Miller shared during the podcast. “That was why losing him was such a shock. All of us, we really thought he was gonna be the next Dick Clark — 102 and still going. He was so full of life and so full of energy.”

“He was just such a kind, generous, and amazing man,” Miller continued. “He and I would talk probably once a month, once every two months. He would call just to check up on me, make sure everything was good.”

Miller went on to say that Thicke “really did fill that father role.”

“He was my other dad. As close as I am to my real father, I was almost as close to Alan. He did step into that role in a prominent way,” he added.

Clearly, Miller is thriving these days. It sounds like Thicke’s influence was a wonderful one!

Related: Jeremy Miller, Who Played Ben on ‘Growing Pains,’ Posts Hilarious Throwback to the Beloved Series

This story was originally published by Parade on May 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”