(CNN)—Dick Van Patten, the seemingly ubiquitous actor perhaps best known for his starring role as the father on the 1970s series "Eight Is Enough," has died. He was 86.
Budd Burton Moss, Van Patten's longtime agent, confirmed his death.
"He had been ill for a long time," Moss said.
The actor died Tuesday morning at a Santa Monica, California, hospital, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Van Patten, a former child actor, was a familiar face on movie and TV screens for decades, going back to the late '40s show "Mama," based on the play and movie "I Remember Mama."
