Gavin MacLeod

Gavin MacLeod
Born	Allan George See (1931-02-28) February 28, 1931 Mount Kisco, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor Christian activist
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	Joan Devore (1954-72) (divorced) - 4 children Patti Kendig (1972-82) (divorced) Patti Kendig (1985-present)
Website
Gavinmacleod.com

Gavin MacLeod (born Allan George See, February 28, 1931) is an American character actor, mayor and ship's ambassador, who in his six decades of television is notable for playing Joseph "Happy" Haines on McHale's Navy, Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and for his lead role as Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat. He is the stepfather of Drew Steele, of the rock band the Surf Punks.

Life and career

Early years

MacLeod was born as Allan George See in Mount Kisco, New York in 1931, the older of two children, born to Margaret (née Shea) See (1906-2004), who was a middle school dropout, who in turn worked for Reader's Digest. He grew up in Pleasantville and studied acting at Ithaca College, graduating in 1952. His father, George See (1906-1945), an electrician, was part Chippewa (Ojibwa). After serving in the Air Force, he moved to New York City and worked at Radio City Music Hall while looking for acting work. At about this time he changed his name, drawing "Gavin" from a cerebral palsy victim in a TV drama, and "MacLeod" from his Ithaca drama coach, Beatrice MacLeod.

Career

as Murray Slaughter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1970.

MacLeod's first movie appearance was a small, uncredited role in The True Story of Lynn Stuart in 1958. Soon thereafter, he landed a credited role in I Want to Live!, a 1958 prison drama starring Susan Hayward. He was soon noticed by Blake Edwards, who in 1958 cast him as a neurotic harried navy yeoman in Operation Petticoat with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. Operation Petticoat proved to be a breakout role for MacLeod, and he was soon cast in another Edwards comedy, High Time, with Bing Crosby.

MacLeod also appeared as the villain on TV shows of the late 1950s and early 1960s, including Edwards's private-eye series, Peter Gunn. He played the role of a drug pusher, "Big Chicken," in two episodes of the first season of Hawaii Five-O. His first regular TV role came in 1962 as Joseph "Happy" Haines on McHale's Navy; leaving after two seasons to appear in The Sand Pebbles. MacLeod had three guest appearances on Perry Mason: in 1961 he played Lawrence Comminger in "The Case of the Grumbling Grandfather," and in 1965 he played Mortimer Hershey in "The Case of the Grinning Gorilla," and Dan Platte in "The Case of the Runaway Racer."

MacLeod's role as Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show won him lasting fame, and two Golden Globe nominations, followed by another three nominations for his The Love Boat work.

Personal life

Mcleod married his current wife Patti in 1974. Both were previously divorced. The couple divorced in the 1980s, but were remarried in 1985. During the mid-1980s, MacLeod and Patti became Evangelical Christians and credit their religion for bringing them back together.

During his time as the Captain on The Love Boat MacLeod "very selfishly" (his words) divorced his wife Patti. She then spent the next three years seeking help from psychiatrists on both the west and the east coasts. Then one day, his wife received a telephone call from Patti Palmer, first wife of Jerry Lewis, inviting her to a Christian prayer group with a number of famous actresses in it. Gavin said, "From that day, I started to think about her. Something told me to call Patti. I called Patti. I went back to see her the following Monday and things haven't been the same since." MacLeod asked her what had happened. She then explained everything to him including that she had given her life to Christ.

Following his conversion and remarriage, he and his wife wrote about struggles with divorce and alcoholism in Back On Course: The Remarkable Story of a Divorce That Ended in Remarriage. The MacLeods have been hosts on the Trinity Broadcasting Network for 14 years, primarily hosting a show about marriage called Back on Course. Gavin MacLeod appeared in Rich Christiano's Time Changer, a movie about time travel and how the morals of society have moved away from the Bible. He also has the lead role in Christiano's film The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry.

Appearances

On Sunday September 20, 2009, MacLeod spoke at The "Rock Church," in Anaheim, California. He discussed his conversion to Christianity, as well as his role in The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2009).

In April 2010, the entire cast of The Love Boat attended the TV Land Awards with the exception of himself, because he had a back operation after he hurt a couple of discs. Co-star Ted Lange called him and received word his beloved TV friend was doing well.

Current work

MacLeod served as the previous honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades, before Ray Leonard. He has been a representative for Princess Cruises for 23 years and is an MC for them, especially when new ships are launched. He is also an MC for a travel agent show. In December 2008, he conducted the Colorado Symphony in Denver. With the help of a New York writer, he is working on an autobiography. In December 2010, MacLeod is scheduled to appear as a guest narrator with the Florida Orchestra and Master Chorale of Tampa Bay for three concerts.

On February 28, 2011, MacLeod celebrated his 80th birthday aboard The Golden Princess on Princess Cruises in Los Angeles, California. The entire Love Boat cast, along with his friends and family, wished him a Happy Birthday, and presented him with a 5 ft. long, 3D replica in cake of the original “Love Boat,” representing The Pacific Princess.

Gavin appeared on the special for Betty White's 90th birthday on January 16, 2012

Filmography

• I Want to Live! (1958)
• Compulsion (1959)
• Pork Chop Hill (1959)
• Operation Petticoat (1959)
• The Gene Krupa Story (1959)
• Twelve Hours to Kill (1960)
• High Time (1960)
• The Crimebusters (1961)
• War Hunt (1962)
• Ensign Pulver (1964)
• McHale's Navy (1964)
• The Sword of Ali Baba (1965)
• McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force (1965)
• Deathwatch (1966)
• Baby Makes Three (1966)
• The Sand Pebbles (1966)
• A Man Called Gannon (1968)
• The Party (1968)
• The Thousand Plane Raid (1969)
• The Comic (1969)
• The Intruders (1969)
• Kelly's Heroes (1970)
• Only with Married Men (1974)
• Ransom for Alice! (1977)
• Murder Can Hurt You (1980)
• Time Changer (2002)
• Checking Out (2005) (uncredited)
• The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2009)

Television

• U.S. Marshal
• Peter Gunn
• Get Smart
• My Favorite Martian
• Mr. Lucky
• The Untouchables
• The Suite Life on Deck
• Dan Raven
• Straightaway
• Perry Mason
• Pound Puppies (2010 TV series) episode "Bone Voyage"
• Dr. Kildare
• The Investigators
• The Dick Van Dyke Show
• The Munsters
• The Twilight Zone
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
• McHale's Navy
• The Andy Griffith Show
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
• Hogan's Heroes
• The Rat Patrol
• Combat!
• The Big Valley
• It Takes a Thief
• Hawaii Five-O
• The Road West (in 1967 episode "The Eighty-Seven Dollar Bride" with Cloris Leachman)
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• The Love Boat
• The King of Queens
• That '70s Show
• Scruples (1980 TV Mini Series as Curt Arvey)
• Oz
• The Flying Nun

External links

• Gavin MacLeod at the Internet Movie Database
• Gavin MacLeod at the Internet Broadway Database
• Works by or about Gavin MacLeod in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• NNDB Entry
• Archive of American Television Interview with Gavin MacLeod on Jan 3, 2003 on Google Video
• TBN page