The Stars Of The Love Boat: Then And Now

"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. Lauren Tewes as Julie McCoy – Then Playing Julie McCoy, the Cruise Director in Love Boat was the big break that Lauren Tewes had been waiting for! Her part was only officially cast the day before the third pilot was shot. Sadly, she struggled with addiction which led to her being replaced before the show finished its run. Lauren Tewes as Julie McCoy – Now Thankfully, Lauren managed to break her dangerous habit and went back to school to train as a cheese specialist. She does still do a bit of acting and voiceover work for video games but mostly works as a sous chef at a catering company in Seattle. Pat Klous as Judy McCoy – Then After Lauren Tewes was removed from the show due to her regular no-shows as a result of troubles with addiction, she was replaced by Pat Klous. Pat played Judy McCoy who was Julie’s sister in the show and the successor as Cruise Director. That opportunity was the big break she needed to launch her career further into the limelight. Pat Klous as Judy McCoy – Now Pat appeared in shows such as Fantasy Island and Matt Houston during her acting career and had a brief stint in Murder She Wrote after Love Boat. However, in 2002 she officially retired from acting at the age of 54. Not much has been heard of her since, so we can only assume she is enjoying retired life with her family. Jill Whelan as Vicki Stubing – Then As Captain Stubing’s daughter Vicki, Jill Whelan had some crazy experiences while working on the show. She wound up dancing with Ginger Rogers and was even held at gunpoint in Egypt with Debbie Allen from Fame. Thank goodness they got out of that one unscathed! Jill Whelan as Vicki Stubing – Now Jill was a prominent face for Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign against drugs. She ended up working as a journalist, an associate producer, and investigative reporter to make money as a failed business venture of her husband’s used up all her Love Boat wages. She now acts as often as possible including providing voices for Phineas and Ferb. Ted McGinley as Ashley Covington Evans – Then Unlike some of his cast mates, Ted McGinley already had a very successful career before The Love Boat, starring in shows such as Happy Days and films like Young Doctors in Love. In the show, he played Ashley, AKA Ace – the ship’s photographer who often ended up in compromising situations. Ted McGinley as Ashley Covington Evans – Now Ted was just as successful after Love Boat. He appeared in Pearl Harbor, Do You Believe, and The Outskirts. He also lent his voice to Transformers: Robots in Disguise. He is almost 60 years old but shows no sign of slowing down! Good on you, Ted! Teri Hatcher as Amy – Then One of Teri’s big breaks was as a mermaid showgirl on Love Boat from September 1985 to May 1986. This was her first TV job and it opened the door for much bigger and better things in her acting career. Nowadays Teri’s is a face we all recognize – little did she know back then how high her star would rise! Teri Hatcher as Amy – Now After Love Boat, Teri’s career went from strength to strength and she appeared as Lois Lane in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Then, she starred in the film Since You’ve Been Gone and of course, her most famous role would soon make her a household name, as Susan Mayer in Desperate Housewives from 2004 until 2012. Marion Ross as Emily Haywood/Stubing – Then The Love Boat was by no means Marion Ross’ biggest role, as most people will recognize her as Marion Cunningham on Happy Days. When she first started on Love Boat, she played a variety of characters until becoming a series regular in 1986 as Emily. Marion Ross as Emily Haywood/Stubing – Now After a vast range of roles, Marion started to focus on voice-over work in the 90’s on SpongeBob SquarePants and King of the Hill, as well as appearing on Gilmore Girls and That 70’s Show.Well into her late 80s, Marion shows no sign of stopping anytime soon! Credits: sportingz.com Share this story on Facebook with your friends.

Teri Hatcher as Amy – Then

Teri Hatcher as Amy – Now

Marion Ross as Emily Haywood/Stubing – Then

Marion Ross as Emily Haywood/Stubing – Now

Related posts: