“Love, exciting and new. Come aboard. They’re expecting you!” Here’s a look at what happened to the crew of the TV classic “The Love Boat.”
Gavin MacLeod as Captain Stubing – Then
Your Captain on the Love Boat journey was Merrill Stubing, played by Gavin McLeon. As the captain of the ship, he was usually the center of drama and unwanted attention, which if you don’t mind us saying, proved to be great television for all audiences everywhere.
Gavin MacLeod as Captain Stubing – Now
After wrapping up his time on the on Love Boat, Gavin found religion and changed his lifestyle for the better. He remarried his second wife, Patti, three years after their divorce. He then co-hosted a show about marriage, called Back on Course, on the Trinity Broadcasting Network for seventeen years.
Bernie Kopell as Doc – Then
Bernie is one of the only actors to appear in all 250 episodes of The Love Boat, as well as the made-for-tv films, as Dr. Adam Bricker. This role is his most famous to date, despite appearing in many other documentaries and several feature films. His first television appearance before the Love Boat was as Siegfried in the comedy TV series Get Smart.
Bernie Kopell as Doc – Now
Bernie Kopell never quite reached the same status of stardom as he did on The Love Boat but he still led a successful career after the show went off the air. He played the lead role in Viagra Falls (an off-Broadway show), appeared in The Six Million Dollar Man, Kojak and Raising Hope.
Fred Grandy as Burl “Gopher” Smith – Then
Purser, Burl “Gopher” Smith, was a popular character on the show and featured most of the central plotlines. Fred Grandy wrote a majority of these episodes, which is a Love Boat fact most fans aren’t aware of. During filming in Turkey back in 1982, Grady suffered severe burns after a hydrogen-filled balloon exploded.
Fred Grandy as Burl “Gopher” Smith – Now
Fred wasn’t just an actor; he was a political activist who ran, even running for office after The Love Boat ceased filming. For several years he was the CEO and President of Goodwill Industries International and hosted a conservative radio show. Now, you can find him on The Mindy Project playing Dr. William Ledreau.
Ted Lange as Isaac Washington – Then
Ted played a cheeky bartender named Isaac on the show and he did monstrously well off-set too! He would often get free drinks from bartenders who were hoping that Ted would use the drinks in the show. He is a writer and director aside from acting and contributed artistically to many episodes of the Love Boat.
Ted Lange as Isaac Washington – Now
Ted wrote an “advice” column in the American edition of FHM alongside adult film star, Jenna Jameson. He also lost a whopping 28 pounds on Celebrity Fit Club. Recently he has been focussing on his writing and directing, having penned a few new plays and directing some of Byron Allen’s sitcoms.
