Growing Pains (1985 – 1992): Cameron vs. Show Production
Family sitcoms in the 1980s explored the changing family dynamic as two-working-parent households became more mainstream. One of these, Growing Pains, focused on a father working from home and an office-bound mother raising their four children (and later, a young Leonardo DiCaprio). Behind the scenes there were significant growing pains. Showrunners wrote Tracey Gold (daughter Carol), temporarily off the show as she pursued help for anorexia. But more drama ensued as Kirk Cameron, the show’s teen idol, became a born-again Christian. He refused to shoot scenes contrary to his religious beliefs, such as lying in bed with a woman, even when his character ‘Mike’ was doing so as part of a play. Cameron reportedly had costar Julie McCullough, who played his fiancé Julie, fired because she posed for Playboy, although other sources note that her removal was for character reasons; ‘Mike’ being married would go against the free-wheeling character.