Late 'Growing Pains' actor's friends and colleagues react to the news of his death.
By Josh Wigler
Andrew Koenig
Photo: Zuma Red West Photos
The news that "Growing Pains" actor Andrew Koenig was found dead in Vancouver prompted a flurry of condolences last night from the actor's friends and contemporaries, including fellow '80s child star Alyssa Milano and "Star Trek" icons William Shatner, Wil Wheaton and LeVar Burton. On Friday (February 26), the outpouring of support continued from Koenig's friends within the entertainment industry.
"Today is a sad day," Koenig's "Growing Pains" co-star Tracey Gold told Us Weekly. "My heart is broken for Andrew's family. I have such great memories of Andrew and our time together on 'Growing Pains.' "
On "Growing Pains," Koenig played Richard "Boner" Stabone, the best friend of the self-assured Mike Seaver, played by actor Kirk Cameron, who talked with People.com about his friend's death.
"It is with great sorrow to hear about the final outcome of the search for my old friend Andrew. I hope everyone will be sensitive to the Koenigs and give the family some private time to reflect and to grieve the loss of their beloved son. At a time like this, we all are reminded of the briefness of life and the importance of being ready for our eternal destination. My prayers will continue to be with Andrew's family."
Several comedians, including Sarah Silverman, also expressed their sadness over the news. "My heart is heavy for the Koenig family," she wrote on Twitter.
"I'm really sad about Andrew Koenig," said comedian and former "Singled Out" host Chris Hardwick. "He was the sweetest, nicest guy. I feel kind of hollow on the inside at the moment."
Other actors, like Danny Masterson, recalled their memories of Koenig. "Terrible about Andrew Koenig," he wrote. "Did a film [with] him in '95 called Family Values. He was a great dude. Very smart. Very cool. Very funny."
Jimmy Pardo, the host of the popular comedy podcast Never Not Funny and brother-in-law to Koenig, issued the following statement on his Web site: "Andrew Koenig was our video producer, our cameraman and our editor. He was our collaborator on mic and off. He was also our brother and our friend. Just as he did with his work as an actor and an activist, he touched countless lives by gracing us with his presence on Never Not Funny, and now we all feel the weight of his absence. The Andrew we will remember and celebrate is the Andrew we saw every week at the studio: the kind and caring vegan, the videographic wizard, and most of all, the gifted performer with a passion for comedy who laughed at us and made us laugh. We will miss him always."
