Whatever Happened To The Cast Of The Love Boat?

"The Love Boat" set sail in the fall of 1977, making TV history while providing a guest-starring opportunity for both rising and falling stars. The show, boasting the imprint of legendary television producer Aaron Spelling, proved to be a major hit for ABC, staying afloat for 250 episodes over the course of 10 seasons.

Each Saturday night, the crew of the Pacific Princess entered the homes of millions of television viewers, earning legions of fans. So successful was the show that "The Love Boat" single-handedly transformed the cruise industry. "Back in the day, people would say cruising was for the nearly dead or newlywed," Carolyn Spencer Brown, chief content officer for Cruise Media, LLC, told CNN. "So when 'The Love Boat' came on and showed people of all ages and races having fun and being lively on a cruise ship, that opened up cruising to a world that didn't really know it existed."

It's been a long time since the show's been off the air, which will certainly lead fans of the show to wonder what life has been like for the cast since the series ended its run. Keep on reading to find out whatever happened to the cast of "The Love Boat."

When "The Love Boat" first aired in 1976, Captain Stubing and the familiar crew were nowhere to be seen. In fact, there was a whole other cast in place for the made-for-TV movie "The Love Boat," adapted from a book of the same name written by former cruise ship director Jeraldine Saunders. Heading up the cast was actor Ted Hamilton, who portrayed Capt. Thomas Allenford III. Also part of the crew was Dr. Allen O'Neill, played by TV veteran Dick Van Patten. Meanwhile, Isaac the bartender and ship's purser Gopher were played by entirely different actors than those who wound up in the series (Teddy Wilson and Sandy Helberg, respectively), while Terry O'Mara played cruise director Gerry Landers.

The format, however, was exactly what viewers would experience for the next decade, with different guest stars boarding the Pacific Princess in each episode. The first movie, in fact, featured the likes of "Get Smart" star Don Adams, Gabe Kaplan of "Welcome Back, Kotter" fame, and former "The Brady Bunch" mom Florence Henderson. 

The ratings were through the roof, and ABC enlisted uber-producer Aaron Spelling to put his spin on a second TV movie. This one, airing in 1977, featured the cast that viewers came to know and love. Based on the ratings of the second movie, a third was greenlit, which also struck ratings gold. "Wherever we put ['The Love Boat'], it didn't make any difference — we couldn't kill it with a stick," Brandon Stoddard, the then head of ABC movies, told Entertainment Weekly. Production was fast-tracked, so the "The Love Boat" debuted as a series that fall. 

When casting for the second "Love Boat" movie began, producer Aaron Spelling insisted on a new cast. At the top of his list was Gavin MacLeod, already a TV star from his years on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." In a 2007 interview, MacLeod recalled the moment when his agent told him that Aaron Spelling wanted to cast him as the captain on the sitcom. His agent didn't think much of the script, but MacLeod thought otherwise. "I read it and said, 'There hasn't been anything like this on television. This could be interesting ...'" he told Entertainment Weekly. He was correct. Much like his agent, though, critics hated the show, and whenever he was asked why he'd involve himself in such a terrible show, MacLeod had the perfect response: "I did it because I believe in it and I'm going to make people forget their own problems and vicariously see the rest of the world. I did it because I thought it would be a hit." MacLeod's instinct were spot on, and viewers tuned in week after week.

After his 10-season stint on "The Love Boat," McLeod appeared in a few "Love Boat" movies and a short-lived 1998 syndicated series, "The Love Boat: The Next Wave." While he never again signed on as a full-time series regular on TV, MacLeod remained a regular presence on the tube as a guest star, in series ranging from gritty prison drama "Oz," to comfort-food whodunit "Murder, She Wrote." In 2021, however, the beloved actor died at the age of 90. The cause of MacLeod's heartbreaking death was not released, but a relative confirmed that MacLeod had been in poor health.

Had things gone a different way, Fred Grandy (aka ship's purser Burl "Gopher" Smith) could have been the only cast member to appear in the original "Love Boat" TV movie and the series it spawned. "I was considered for the first pilot but didn't even get to audition because I had made another pilot and was not eligible," Grandy told Entertainment Weekly. 

After "The Love Boat" docked for the final time, Grandy left LA and returned to his native Iowa, where he ran for Congress as a Republican. He was elected and spent four terms as a congressman, passing various agriculture-related bills during his tenure. In 1994, he gave up his seat in order to run for governor of Iowa, but lost. Grandy went on to become president of Goodwill Industries and hosted a talk radio show. He then took on the occasional acting role; his first post-"Love Boat" screen credit  was a guest spot on "Law & Order." Other acting gigs have included a nine-episode arc as a doctor on "The Mindy Project," a priest on "General Hospital," and roles in such streaming series as "Roar," "Fuller House," and "Hollywood." 

Grandy has remained tight with "Love Boat" co-star Ted Lange, and they collaborated together in the theatrical milieu. "We are both theater people," Lange told Closer. "We started a production company recently with three other artists called Five for the Show. Our goal is to bring quality theater projects to the general public."

As cruise director Julie McCoy, Lauren Tewes was part of the original cast of "The Love Boat." She did not stay with the show for its entire run, though, as viewers who watched her cheerily welcome guests aboard the Princess had no idea that she'd developed a serious addiction to cocaine. "All that money didn't go into a bank. It went into my nose." she told TV Guide in 1985 (via UPI). Her addiction ultimately led her to be fired from the show. "I didn't sleep. I slept at work," she said. "I behaved poorly at work, and that is where I made my fatal mistake." However, "Love Boat" executive producer Douglas Cramer insisted the issues ran far deeper than what she'd described. "She does not deal with reality," Cramer said. "There were severe problems with Lauren. Not just recently, but for all of the seven years she was with 'The Love Boat' ... It was terribly disrupting."

After her firing, Tewes guested on various TV shows, appeared in B movies, and became a voice actor for video games and CD-ROMs. Tewes pretty much disappeared from Hollywood after relocating to Seattle, where she continued acting in local theatre while also attending culinary school, becoming a cheese steward. In 2021, Tewes revealed that she was working as a sous chef for a catering firm. "I like working with food," she told Closer, "but I am looking forward to doing more acting."

Bernie Kopell was a familiar face to television viewers before being cast in his most recognizable role, "Love Boat" physician Dr. Adam Bricker. Like co-star Gavin MacLeod, Koppel never again became a TV series regular, but he maintained a steady stream of guest star roles in the years after the show. These roles spanned the decades; recent series in which he's appeared include Netflix drama "The Lincoln Lawyer," mega-hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," and the comedy "Silicon Valley."

In celebration of Koppel's 60th anniversary in showbiz, the actor was asked if he could believe he'd been acting for so many years. "It's hard to believe, but when I look at my bank account, I believe it thoroughly," he quipped during an interview with Australia's Studio 10. Over the course of 10 "Love Boat" seasons, Koppel acted alongside hundreds of guest stars, including pop art legend Andy Warhol. "Weird," he summed up that particular experience. "It was strange." Another memorable guest star was the stunning late movie star Debbie Reynolds. "She had to be the center of attention," he remembered. "She said, 'Bernie, you just stand here, I'll do everything.'" 

In 2023, Koppel fittingly celebrated his 90th birthday aboard a cruise ship, the Royal Princess. Participating in a "Love Boat" Q&A session with fans, he was asked what he missed most about the series. "It was a steady job," he joked, marveling over the show's success despite its awful reviews. "The guy from the LA Times said, 'It's going to sink like the Titanic.'" He couldn't have been more wrong. 

Arguably the most iconic character on "The Love Boat," bartender Isaac Washington was portrayed by Ted Lange. A Shakespearean actor at heart, Lange initially wanted to turn down the offer. "ABC sent the script [for which I was] only in three scenes [and] the opening ..." Lange told Washington Times in 2015. When Lange was going to pass, his agent encouraged him to reconsider. "He said, 'Ted, have you ever been to Acapulco? It's 10 grand for three scenes ... Besides, this is not going to sell.'" It did, and Lange wound up mixing cocktails for celebrity guest stars on the high seas for the next decade. 

As for whatever happened to Lange after "The Love Boat," he's maintained a successful and eclectic career within the entertainment industry. He's continued to act, appearing in numerous films and TV series, along with writing and directing a direct-to-video production of Shakespeare's "Othello." He's also remained active in theater and has also stepped behind the camera to direct a wide variety of TV shows. What's more, Lange is an award-winning playwright, specializing in plays derived from American history. "Sometimes you just can't get the gig," he told Life of Dad of how he began writing plays. "So, rather than to not act and not participate artistically, I started directing. Then out of the stories that I was directing there were stories that I wanted to tell. I accidentally became a playwright."

Jill Whelan was already a successful child actor when she joined "The Love Boat" during the show's third season, having debuted as Vicki Stubing — daughter of Gavin MacLeod's character Merrill Stubing — in the previous season. She was just 11 when she became a series regular on the show. "Of course, I was a nervous wreck," Whelan told the St. Joseph News-Press (via MeTV), recalling her first day on the set.

Whelan literally grew up on the show, and when "The Love Boat" ended she attended college in England. She then moved to New York and took a break from acting, working as an event producer at Madison Square Garden. In the late 1990s, she returned to California and restarted her acting career, guest-starring in TV series ranging from "Martin" to "The Young and the Restless." As the mother of a young child, however, she was looking for something with more stability than acting and took a job in local TV news, eventually becoming an investigative producer. She then moved to Delaware and started a podcast with a friend. She also wrote and performed her own one-woman show, "Jill Whelan: An Evening in Dry Dock" (described in her bio as "a night of music and trash-talk about celebrities she's worked with!").

If a revival were to happen, Whelan said she'd be all-in for another trip on "The Love Boat." She told People, "Wouldn't a sequel be fabulous?"

Ted McGinley joined "The Love Boat" in 1983 as the ship's photographer, Ashley "Ace" Covington Evans. What was initially a recurring character eventually led to McGinley becoming a series regular, and he remained with the show until its final season. Interviewed for WireImage, McGinley recalled having "a million fond memories" of the show but ranked journeying to Egypt at the top of his list. 

Immediately after "The Love Boat" ended in 1987, McGinley booked a role on popular primetime soap "Dynasty," appearing in more than 30 episodes as Clay Fallmont, playboy son of a powerful politician. In 1989, he joined the cast of "Married... With Children," playing the Bundy family's next-door neighbor, Jefferson D'Arcy, until the series' conclusion in 1997. 

Those wondering what happened to Ted McGinley after "Married... With Children" can rest assured he's been acting steadily since then — including three seasons as a series regular on ABC sitcom "Hope & Faith." In 2023, McGinley experienced a career renaissance courtesy of acclaimed Apple TV+ comedy "Shrinking" as Derek, the zen-like, laidback husband of Christa Miller's far-more-abrasive Liz. The role started out small but developed over time, ultimately bringing him more attention than perhaps any other role he's played. "I'm just forever thankful because it's been the highlight of my career," he told UPI. 

When Lauren Tewes was fired from "The Love Boat," Pat Klous was brought in as her replacement to play the new cruise director, Judy McCoy, the sister of Tewes' character. At the time, Klous was a young mother to a 21-month-old son, shared with her husband, airline pilot David Beach. "The easy schedule allows me to see my son every day," she said in a 1984 interview with UPI, explaining why she decided to sign on to become a series regular. "That was an important consideration," she added, "just as important as the cruises and working with some really well-established guest stars."

Klous appeared during the show's eight and ninth seasons as Judy McCoy (Tewes returned for several episodes in the 10th and final season). Her acting career pretty much fizzled out after that; her sole screen credit after "The Love Boat" is a single guest spot on "Murder, She Wrote." Since then, Klous has seemingly retired from acting, living her life outside of the spotlight's glare. 

Marion Ross has been one of television's most recognizable actors for decades, thanks to her 11 seasons as Marion Cunningham on "Happy Days." She also holds another distinction within the annals of TV history as the most frequent guest star on "The Love Boat," making 14 appearances as a widow who eventually becomes the wife of Captain Stubing.

Ross maintained a busy acting career, as a frequent guest star on TV and as a series regular on "Brooklyn Bridge," which ran for two seasons between 1991 and 1993. She's also held the recurring role of Grandma Forman on "That '70s Show," Drew Carey's mom on "The Drew Carey Show," and the namesake grandmother of Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) on "Gilmore Girls." More recently, she's supplied the voice for Grandma SquarePants in several episodes of animated kids comedy "SpongeBob SquarePants."

While she certainly holds a place in the hearts of "Love Boat" fans, "Happy Days" remains her career highlight. "I was [45] years old when that came into my life and that's a pretty remarkable thing to have happen to you," she said in  2018 interview with the Palm Springs Desert Sun.

Second to Marion Ross in frequency when it came to guest appearances on "The Love Boat" was Charo. Known for her talent at flamenco guitar and her "cuchi-cuchi" catchphrase, Charo played lounge performer April Lopez, appearing on the show 10 times. As "Love Boat" star Ted McGinley told WireImage, she was a favorite with the entire cast. "Whenever Charo was on the show, you knew it was gonna be a great week," he said. "That was a lot of fun."

Since then, Charo has continued to guest star in various TV shows and talk shows, in addition to performing onstage. In 2017, she pulled out all the stops by competing on "Dancing With the Stars," winding up as the second celebrity to be eliminated in season 24.

In 2019, she experienced heartbreak when her husband, Kjell Rasten, committed suicide after four decades of marriage following a long and painful illness. Sadly, that was just one of the more tragic details involving the stars of "The Love Boat."

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It's easy to forget that Teri Hatcher was on "The Love Boat." That's not surprising, since she didn't really spring to fame until the early 1990s, when she was cast as Lois Lane in the Superman series "Lois & Clark." But "The Love Boat" was her first showbiz gig — as a member of the Love Boat Mermaids, the all-female singing and dancing group introduced in the series' eighth season. All told, Hatcher appeared in 19 episodes of the series. Hatcher was one of eight women selected after an extensive audition process, in which the dancers are thrown a curveball when they were asked to read a scene from the show. 

Of course, she went on to far bigger and better things after "The Love Boat," including the aforementioned "Lois & Clark," being a Bond girl opposite Pierce Brosnan in "Tomorrow Never Dies," and her eight seasons as Susan Mayer in hit TV series "Desperate Housewives."