Philip McKeon, the former child actor best known for his role on the CBS sitcom “Alice,” died Tuesday, a family spokesman said. He was 55.
“We are all beyond heartbroken and devastated over Phil’s passing,” Ballard said in a statement. “His wonderful sense of humor, kindness and loyalty will be remembered by all who crossed his path in life.”
McKeon would go on to appear in such TV series as The Love Boat, Amazing Stories and Favorite Son but is best known for his first role as the precocious son of the title character in Alice. Linda Lavin starried as a recently widowed mother who relocates with her son from New Jersey to Phoenix and makes ends meet as a waitress while trying to launch a singing career. The series bounced around the CBS schedule during its first two seasons but became a hit as the lead-out of All in the Family on Sunday nights in October 1977. It was among primetime’s top 10 series in four of the next five seasons, falling to No. 13 overall in 1978-79 but climbing to No. 4 the following year. It wrapped in 1985, having endured more than a dozen time-slot changes.
