Gavin MacLeod, well-known for his role as Mauray Slaughter, the sarcastically humorous TV newswriter on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Captain Stubing on “The Love Boat,” and spokesperson for Princess Cruise Lines in Santa Clarita, has died at 90.
MacLeod delivered sardonic comedic performances on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” from 1970 until 1977, before shifting gears and becoming Captain Stone on “The Love Boat” from 1977 to 1986.
MacLeod died early Saturday morning. MacLeod’s health had reportedly been poor leading up to the time of his death but no cause of death has been confirmed, according to MacLeod’s family.
My heart is broken. Gavin was my brother, my partner in crime (and food) and my comic conspirator. I will see you in a bit Gavin. Tell the gang I will see them in a bit. Betty! It’s just you and me now. pic.twitter.com/se4fwh7G1G
— Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) May 29, 2021
MacLeod and Ed Asner became close on set of “The Mary Moore Show,” after they both auditioned for the role of Moore’s short-tempered TV boss, Lou Grant.
Realizing MacLeod was not the right fit to play an angry newsroom leader, Asner received the role and MacLeod instead tried for the TV news writer who continuously cracked jokes at the expense of the dimwitted anchorman Tad Baxter.
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was top-rated when Moore, who played news producer Mary Richards, decided to end the show after seven seasons and caused MacLeod to move on to “The Love Boat.”
“The Love Boat” was a romantic comedy where guest stars, from Gene Kelly to Janet Jackson, were invited aboard a cruise to find a potential match.
“The critics hated it. They called it mindless TV, but we became goodwill ambassadors,” MacLeod said in an interview in 2013.
Despite skepticism from critics, the series lasted 11 seasons and resulted in several spin off movies, including two in which MacLeod appeared. His performances also resulted in his role as a TV pitchman for Princess Cruise Lines.
In his memoir “This Is Your Captain Speaking” published in 2013, MacLeod confessed to struggling with alcoholism around the beginning of his career and began losing hair at a young age, which made it difficult to find work as an actor.
Despite these challenges, MacLeod pursued his acting career after his drama teacher at New York’s Ithaca College encouraged him to become an actor.
MacLeod’s given name was Allan See, but during college took his first name from a French movie and his last name from his drama teacher.
After college, MacLeod performed in the Broadway play “A Hatful of Rain,” as well as several films including “I Want to Live!” and “Operation Petticoat.”
He made several guest appearances before the filming of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” including Hogan’s Heroes,” “Hawaii Five-O,” McHale’s Navy” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”
He also appeared in “Kelly’s Heroes,” “The Sand Pebbles” and “The Sword of Ali Baba.”
MacLeod was the father to four children with his first wife whom he divorced in 1972. After his alcoholism led to a second divorce to Patti Steele, MacLeod recovered and the couple remarried in 1985.
The couple eventually hosted a Christian radio show called “Back on Course: A Ministry for Marriages.”
Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com
KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
No comments:
Post a Comment