For almost two decades, many of us have fond memories of tuning in to watch the thrilling escapades of the most famous TV dog – Lassie.

This beloved Rough Collie, along with her human companions, graced our screens for 17 seasons, from 1954 to 1973, even making the transition from black and white to color in the ’60s.

But who could forget the endearing little boy who joined the show in its fourth season when he and his family adopted Lassie – 7-year-old Timmy Martin.

Now Jon Provost, the actor who portrayed Timmy, has celebrated his 72nd birthday. He shares the joy he experienced while filming with his four-legged friend and how he was discovered by Hollywood at just 3 years old.

Born in Los Angeles, Jon shared that at the age of 3, he was taken to an audition for a Jane Wyman movie because his mom was a huge fan and hoped to get her autograph. Surprisingly, Jon was selected out of 200 kids auditioning for the role.

It was far from clear that Jon would become an actor. His father had a completely different profession – he was an aeronautical engineer.

«My parents weren’t Hollywood people. My father is from Alabama, and my mother is from Texas,» Jon said.

At the age of 4, he landed a role in a movie alongside Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby.

«I didn’t have an agent. I got one, and that led to more movies like ‘The Country Girl’ with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. I did about 12 movies before I started ‘Lassie’,» he told Fox News.

Jon recalled the bonds he formed with the three different male dogs that portrayed the female Lassie. He mentioned that he developed the strongest bond with the last dog to play Lassie.

«I did the show for seven years, 249 half-hour episodes. I worked with three different Lassies. The last dog I worked with, I worked with him for five years alone,» he told Fox News.

«We grew up together. For five years, we saw each other five days a week and sometimes on weekends.»

Describing how well-behaved the dog was, he added: «The actors made more mistakes than the dog. They were more of a problem,» he laughed.

After leaving the show at 14 years old, he starred alongside notable names like Natalie Wood and Kurt Russell and never fell into the trap often associated with Hollywood child actors. He said, «My parents let me pretty much do what I wanted to do. I didn’t have to take a job. When I left Hollywood, I thought it was a good decision.»

Today, Jon lives out of the limelight in Northern California but still receives fan mail from his time on «Lassie.» In 1994, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Regarding his personal life, in 1979, Jon Provost married Sandy Goosens, and they had two children, Ryan and Katie. After 14 years of marriage, they divorced in 1993.

In 1999, Jon Provost found love again when he married Laurie Jacobson, a well-known researcher and author.

Many of us were fans of the adventures this endearing duo undertook. With a moral in every episode, it was the perfect show for kids. Share this with all the «Lassie» enthusiasts you know.