Eighty Is Not Enough: One Actor's Journey through American Entertainment

Recognizable for his cherubic countenance and roles playing mild-mannered fathers in movies and on TV, Dick Van Patten has one of the lengthiest and most impressive track records in the acting business. In fact, he estimates that “I’ve probably had more jobs than any other actor living.” As a child, Van Patten performed alongside Broadway stars such as Melvyn Douglas, Tallulah Bankhead, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, often winning roles over newcomers such as Marlon Brando and Roddy McDowell. He worked in radio and became a familiar face in the early days of television, even becoming “everydad” in the1970s comedy/drama Eight is Enough. He’s been a roommate to Burt Lancaster, a next-door neighbor to Michael Jackson and a successful businessman. In Eighty Is Not Enough, this beloved actor reflects on a career that has lasted over seven decades. Along the way he shares insights and anecdotes about some of the biggest names in TV, movies and theater, along with the challenges he has faced as a husband, father, animal rights crusader and working actor in an ever evolving business.