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When Philip McKeon died in December 2019, Linda Lavin remembered the actor who played her on-screen son, Tommy Hyatt, on the CBS sitcom Alice. Lavin said their years creating a mother-and-son relationship for television had made their connection feel “very real and deep.”
How Linda Lavin remembered Philip McKeon
In a statement to PEOPLE reported by Fox News on Dec. 12, 2019, Lavin described McKeon as “the endearing, loving boy, always willing and eager to connect with others.” She added: “Although we were performing a show, the dynamic of creating that relationship made our connection very real and deep. He taught me how to be a good mom, just by being the wondrous boy he was.”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Alice: The Complete First Season | $25.10 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Alice: The Complete Second Season | $25.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Alice: The Complete Third Season | $26.42 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Alice: The Complete Fourth Season | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Alice: The Complete Series Seasons 1-9 DVD Set | $299.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Her words connected the work of playing mother and son with a bond that continued beyond the performance. Lavin’s tribute was a response to McKeon’s death in 2019, not a new statement.
The mother-and-son relationship on Alice
McKeon played Tommy Hyatt, the son of Lavin’s title character, Alice Hyatt. The sitcom ran from 1976 to 1985. The characters’ family relationship gave Lavin a way to describe what McKeon meant to her: she said his presence helped her learn how to be a good mom, even as they were acting.
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McKeon’s death and Lavin’s later passing
McKeon died at age 55 after a long illness, according to his family spokesperson, Jeff Ballard, in a report by TheWrap on Dec. 10, 2019. Ballard said the family was “beyond heartbroken and devastated” and remembered McKeon’s humor, kindness and loyalty. The cited report did not identify a specific diagnosis.
Lavin died in December 2024 at age 87, the Los Angeles Times reported on Jan. 28, 2025. Her 2019 words about McKeon therefore remain a record of how she remembered a former co-star and the television relationship they built together.
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