Dick Van Patten Is Dead at 86 The actor is perhaps best known for his role in "Eight Is Enough."

 -- Actor Dick Van Patten died this morning due to complications from diabetes, his publicist confirmed to ABC News. He was 86 years old.

"He was the kindest man you could ever meet in life," his rep, Jeff Ballard, said. "They don't make them like him anymore."

Best known for playing patriarch Tom Bradford in the series "Eight Is Enough," Van Patten most recently appeared in a 2011 episode of "Hot In Cleveland." In the past decade, he also appeared in "Arrested Development, "That '70s Show" and other programs.

"I like to do TV series. I think they're so comfortable. You're doing the same part every week," he once told Emmy TV Legends. "You're working with the same people and there's a lot of recognition. I like to do series best. I really do."

Born Richard Van Patten in New York City, the actor began working as a child and reportedly made his Broadway debut at seven.

Eventually, he moved to Hollywood, where he found success in TV and film, including several movies directed by Mel Brooks, such as "High Anxiety," Spaceballs" and "Robin Hood: Men In Tights."

The actor is survived by his wife, Pat, and their three sons, according to reports.