Jon Provost | Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson, | Source: facebook.com/Jon Provost | Getty Images
- Jon Provost was on TV from the age of two and got his breakthrough role on "Lassie."
- The actor ducked the Hollywood child star curse and found a career in real estate.
- He's now been happily married for 25 years after falling into depression when his first marriage ended.
Jon Provost made his acting debut when he was only two years old. The actor is famously known for his role as Timmy on the hit show "Lassie." "Lassie" aired in 1954, and Provost joined the show in 1957.
At a young age, the now 73-year-old was lucky to work with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. He starred alongside actors like Grace Kelly, Clint Eastwood, Kurt Russell, and Robert Redford.
Jon Provost on "Lassie in 1964 | Source: Getty Images
At the time, television felt like a fantasy, and the actor was not confident the series would take off. However, "Lassie" ended up becoming one of the historical shows in pop culture. It aired in about 50 countries and over a dozen cable networks in America.
Several decades later, the show is still being watched and has a cult following. Provost believed this was because the show was created with much more intention than the "mindless entertainment" that is being created today.
He praised everyone from the writers, producers, and directors for putting a lot of care into the show and delivering something special for their audience.
George Chandler, Jon Shepodd, Jon Provost. and Cloris Leachman on "Lassie" in 1957 | Source: Getty Images
A lot of challenges come with being a child star, and Provost confessed that one that stood out was how much he lacked personal identity. "Everybody called me Timmy, which was not my real name; it was Jon," he remembered.
Despite that, Provost became one of the few actors to survive the Hollywood child curse. After he left the show in 1967, he married his first wife, Sandy Goosens, in 1979, and they had two children, Ryan and Katie.
Jon Provost in California in 2016 | Source: Getty Images
Unfortunately, the marriage ended in 1995, and Goosens moved out with the children, which led Provost into depression. "I spiraled down hard and fast, I drank too much. I binged on ice cream," he confessed.
He remembered trying his best to get out of the depression and labeled his divorce as one of the darkest moments of his life. "I was in the deepest darkest well I'd ever been in, and there was no dog in sight," he said.
June Lockhart and Jon Provost on "Lassie" in 1960 | Source: Getty Images
But there was light at the end of the tunnel. At one of his signings, the actor met Laurie Jacobson, and they hit off. The two married in 1999 and have been together ever since. They live in Santa Rosa, and so do Provost's children.
Jon Provost Escaped a Child Star Curse and Became Happy Grandpa
Provost went on to get an education, and once he finished his studies, he went into real estate, where he stayed for 20 years.
The former actor switched to being a real estate representative for a well-known company. He said he enjoyed his fortnightly paycheck, and even though he was not getting any residuals from "Lassie," he was proud of the show's legacy.
The real estate representative has kept memories from his acting days and has hung some of the magazine covers from "Lassie" in his current home in Santa Rosa.
Provost was able to make a success out of himself after being on TV, which is rare because many child actors are known to fall into Hollywood's dark hole. The child star revealed that his parents were not too pushy about his acting. They allowed him to choose not to take on an acting role if he did not want to.
Provost said he knew a few children whose parents did not allow that kind of freedom and had their parent quit their jobs to live off their kid's money. "I was lucky," he added.
The "Lassie" star added that his father used to design planes, so he did not care much about television. When Provost eventually left Hollywood, it felt like the right decision for him.
He has not only changed roles in his career but in his personal life too. The former actor announced the arrival of his grandchild, Connor, on Facebook. He was happy to reintroduce himself and his wife as "proud new grandparents."
Provost shared another series of adorable pictures of his wife holding Connor for the first time. He also added that the parents, Kari and Ryan, were adjusting well to their new roles as mother and father.
"Lassie" Star Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Wife
After falling into a deep depression when he ended his first marriage and surviving, Provost is now happily married and celebrated 25 years of marriage with Jacobson.
The former actor commemorated the milestone with a beautiful picture of him and Jacobson smiling on Facebook. The couple also loves to travel and documented themselves taking off in a plane.
Provost also shared one more adorable moment of him and his wife in full grandparent mode as they posed with one of their grandchildren.
Decades after the show ended, Provost said he was still getting fan mail from people raving about the show. People confessed how "Lassie" became an escape from some of their childhood hardships, which always makes the actor grateful for his contribution to the iconic show.
Though he is not on TV anymore, Provost said he still does a bit of voice-over work in the industry and loves reading his sweet fan letters from around the world. Luckily he has not received any hateful letters about him or the show.
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