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Gavin MacLeod (1986)

Gavin MacLeod, became one of television’s most beloved character actors, best remembered for two iconic roles: the wry, warm-hearted newswriter Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and the genial Captain Merrill Stubing on ABC’s The Love Boat. A graduate of Ithaca College, where he studied fine arts and acting, MacLeod adopted his stage name early in his career — taking “MacLeod” from his drama coach, Beatrice MacLeod — before heading to New York City to break into the business.

MacLeod’s early career on screen was defined by a string of “heavies” — crooks, cowards, and con men — in shows like Perry Mason, The Untouchables, and Peter Gunn, along with film roles in I Want to Live! (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959), and The Sand Pebbles (1966). He found his first sustained television success as Seaman “Happy” Haines on McHale’s Navy.

It was in 1970 that MacLeod’s career changed course entirely, when he was cast as Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, earning him two Golden Globe nominations over its seven-season run. Just as that series ended, he landed the role that would define him for millions of viewers worldwide: Captain Stubing on The Love Boat, which ran for nine seasons and was broadcast in some 90 countries, earning him three additional Golden Globe nominations. Later in life, MacLeod became a prominent voice in evangelical Christian media and returned frequently to the stage, including a celebrated 2015 run in the play Happy Hour at Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 90.

MacLeod’s Bio from the 1986 program for Never Too Late:

Gavin MacLeod (Harry Lambert) – has just concluded ten years as Captain Stubing in ABC’s hit series, The Love Boat. Seen in 94 countries and on U.S. television seven times a week, he is one of today’s most popular television stars. For his work on The Love Boat, he has been nominated three times by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Best Actor in a Comedy Series, and in 1980 was voted one of the Ten Most Watchable Men in the World. Mr. MacLeod spent seven happy years co-starring in the award-winning television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. As Murray Slaughter, the acid-tongued newswriter, he was nominated twice by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

He began his career as a scholarship winner and acquired a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Drama from Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York. His first professional acting was as the Captain in a touring production of Androcles and the Lion. He subsequently appeared in four off-Broadway productions which culminated in his Broadway debut in A Hatful of Rain with Shelley Winters and Ben Gazzara.

He returned to Broadway in 1962, to great personal acclaim, in a Theatre Guild-Paul Gregory Production of The Captains and the Kings with Dana Andrews and Lee Grant. His many Los Angeles stage appearances include Middle of the Night, The Connection, The Egg. An Evening of the Absurd, Three on a Honeymoon, The Web and the Rock, Carousel, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, High Button Shoes, Gypsy with Kay Ballard, and Gower Champion’s production of Annie Get Your Gun.

His film debut was with Susan Hayward in the Oscar-winning I Want to Live. Among his thirty-five film credits are Compulsion with Orson Welles, Operation Petticoat with Cary Grant, High Time with Bing Crosby, Pork Chop Hill with Gregory Peck, The Sand Pebbles with Steve McQueen, and Kelly’s Heroes with Clint Eastwood.

His more than 650 television roles include such shows as Scruples, Murder Can Hurt You, Donny and Marie, The Big Show, and Big Valley. For two years he was seen as Happy on McHale’s Navy, and was widely acclaimed in his role as Big Chicken on Hawaii Five-O. As a member of Theatre West in Los Angeles, he has written and directed two plays, Are You Anybody? and Mme. Poncilli and the Indian Hoop Dancer from Ogden, Utah. A busy man, Mr. MacLeod and his wife, Patti, toured in George Axelrod’s The Seven Year Itch, and performed in San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, and Denver in their highly successful nightclub act. In 1982, he broke all attendance records in the history of dinner theatre with his production of Murder Among Friends. In the following years he continued to break records with Mass Appeal and High Button Shoes.

Of all his honors, Mr. MacLeod is most proud of his Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from his alma mater, Ithaca College.

Seasons at the Theatre

  • 1986

Productions/Roles at Elitch Theatre:

  • Never Too Late (1986) as Harry Lambert

Notable Career Roles, Awards, and Other Work:

  • Seaman Joseph “Happy” Haines on McHale’s Navy (1962–1964)
  • Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977) — two Golden Globe nominations
  • Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat (1977–1986) — three Golden Globe nominations; broadcast in 90 countries
  • Film roles in I Want to Live! (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959), The Sand Pebbles (1966), and Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
  • Global ambassador for Princess Cruises beginning in 1986
  • Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars (2014)
  • Author of the memoir This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith & Life (2013)

Elitch Theatre Connections:

Wikipedia Link:

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