Gavin MacLeod Bio-Wiki, Age, Family, Wife, Movies and TV Shows

Who is Gavin MacLeod?

Gavin MacLeod was an American film and television character actor, ship’s ambassador, Christian activist, and author. His career spans six decades of television. He has also appeared as a guest on several talk and religious shows.

In 1957, Gavin made his television debut on The Walter Winchell File at the age of 26. He first appeared in 1958 in a movie in a small, uncredited role in The True Story of Lynn Stuart. Later, he landed a credited role in a 1958 prison drama starring Susan Hayward, I Want to Live! He was then noticed by Blake Edwards, who in 1958 cast in the pilot episode of his NBC series Peter Gunn.

He was cast in other two guest roles on the Edwards CBS series Mr. Lucky in 1959, the other one as a nervous harried navy yeoman in Operation Petticoat, with castmates Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. It proved to be his breakout role. Gavin was soon cast in two other Edwards comedies. They were High Time with Bing Crosby and The Party with Peter Sellers.

He made several television appearances on various shows between 1957 and 1961. Gavin landed a guest role on The Dick Van Dyke Show as Mel’s cousin Maxwell Cooley, a wholesale jeweler in December 1961. It was his first time working with Mary Tyler Moore. He also had three guest appearances on Perry Mason. In 1961 he played Lawrence Comminger in “The Case of the Grumbling Grandfather.”

A photo of Gavin Macleod
A photo of Gavin MacLeod

MacLeod played Mortimer Hershey in 1965 “The Case of the Grinning Gorilla”, and in Dan Platte in “The Case of the Runaway Racer”. Gavin played the role of a drug pusher, “Big Chicken”, in two episodes of season one of Hawaii Five-O.

Gavin’s first regular TV role came in 1962 as Joseph “Happy” Haines on McHale’s Navy. He left after two seasons to appear in the motion picture, The Sand Pebbles with Steve McQueen. Between 1965 and 1969, he appeared in many weekly episodes and in multiple roles on the TV series Hogan’s Heroes.

He played as Major Zolle in season 1 episode 19, as General Metzger in season 3 episode 27, as Major Kiegel in season 4, episode 1, and as General von Rauscher in season 4, episode 23. The roles were usually a stern and discerning officer of the Schutzstaffel (SS), Luftwaffe, or Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) which differ much from the lovable characters he portrayed in his following TV roles.
His breakout role as Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show awarded him lasting fame and two Golden Globe nominations.

How Old is Gavin MacLeod?

He was born Allan George See on February 28 1931 in Mount Kisco, New York. MacLeod died on 29 May 2021 in Palm Desert, California, United States

Gavin MacLeod Family

MacLeod was born the elder in a family of two. His mother Margaret See was a middle school dropout and worked for Reader’s Digest. She died in 2004. His father George See was an electrician and was part Chippewa. George died in 1945.

Gavin MacLeod Education

Gavin grew up in Pleasantville and studied acting at Ithaca College and graduated in 1952. He served in the United States Air Force but he later moved to New York City and worked at Radio City Music Hall while looking for acting work. At this time, he changed his name, getting “Gavin” from a physically disabled victim in a TV drama, and “MacLeod” from his Ithaca drama coach called Beatrice MacLeod.

Gavin MacLeod Wife

He married his current wife Patti in 1974. They were both previously divorced. They divorced in the 1980s but were later remarried in 1985.

Gavin MacLeod Christian

During the mid-1980s, MacLeod and Patti became Evangelical Christians and credit their religion for bringing them back together.
In his time as the Captain of The Love Boat, MacLeod “very selfishly” (his words) divorced his wife Patti. Patti spent the next three years seeking help from psychiatrists on both the West and the East Coasts.

One day, his wife received a telephone call from Patti Lewis, the first wife of Jerry Lewis who invited her to a Christian prayer group. The group contained a number of famous actresses, they started to pray for Gavin. 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.” Gavin asked her what had happened. She explained everything to him including that she had given her life to Christ.

Gavin MacLeod Gay

MacLeod is not gay, he has a wife known as Patti.

Gavin MacLeod Height

He stands at a height of 1.8m.

Gavin MacLeod’s Net Worth

The American actor has an estimated net worth of $10 million.

Gavin MacLeod Books

  • Pugalier Training Guide Pugalier Training Book Features: Pugalier Housetraining,
  • Obedience Training, Agility Training, Behavioral Training, Tricks and More
  • This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith and Life
  • The Magical Oak Tree
  • Action Robots: A Pop-up Book Showing How They Work
  • Action Robots: A 3-dimensional, Working Pop-up Book
  • Rural Leisure: Research Study

Gavin MacLeod’s Acting Career

MacLeod became the global ambassador for Princess Cruises in 1986. He has also played a role in ceremonies launching many of the line’s new ships. He joined the Love Boat cast on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997. It was the first full-cast appearance since the show was terminated eleven years back in 1986.

After The Love Boat, he toured with Michael Learned of The Waltons in Love Letters. Between 1997 and 2003, he made various appearances in musicals such as Gigi and Copacabana. He appeared with the Colorado Symphony in Denver in December 2008.

Gavin and his wife have been hosts on the Trinity Broadcasting Network for 17 years, they primarily host a show about marriage known as Back on Course. He appeared in Rich Christiano’s Time Changer. It was a movie about time travel and how the morals of society have moved away from the Bible. MacLeod also plays the lead role in Christiano’s 2009 film The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry.

The entire cast of The Love Boat attended the TV Land Awards with the exception of Gavin in April 2010. It was due to a lack of a back operation to repair a couple of injured discs. A long-term friend and former co-star Lange contacted him and received word his beloved TV friend was doing well. Gavin appeared as a guest narrator in December with the Florida Orchestra and Master Chorale of Tampa Bay for three concerts. He served as the honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades for five years until he was succeeded by Ray Leonard in 2011.

On February 28, 2011, MacLeod celebrated his 80th birthday aboard The Golden Princess on Princess Cruises in Los Angeles, California. His family and friends presented him with a 5 ft. long cake. It was a 3D replica in the cake of the original “Love Boat”, which represented The Pacific Princess. On January 17, 2012, he appeared on the special for Betty White’s 90th birthday. Gavin also reunited with White in 2013 to film “Safety Old School Style”, an in-flight safety video for Air New Zealand. By January 2013, the video had earned 2 million views on YouTube.

He appeared in October 2013 on Today to begin the promotional tour for his new book This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith & Life. The appearance included a special set change to honor his appearance on the show. His book tour also continued in New York, Los Angeles, and Central Florida. Ted and Loretta Swit Lange were both present at Gavin’s first Barnes & Noble book signing in New York City. The signing was the largest such event held at that particular place in three years.

He joined his Love Boat castmates live on the CBS daytime show The Talk on November 5, 2013. A whole-hour episode was dedicated to the cast reunion. The shows’ co-hosts dressed in attires to recognize their special guests’ arrival. Charo the Spanish-American actress also appeared on the reunion show. She guest-starred in eight episodes of The Love Boat. Jack Jones also performed the Love Boat theme song, which he had introduced in 1977.

Gavin appeared on The 700 Club to discuss his life and career in December 2013. He was honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in downtown Palm Springs, California on February 1, 2014. He then continued his book tour throughout 2014. MacLeod appeared in the Rose Parade along with several members of the original cast of The Love Boat in January 2015.

Gavin MacLeod Love Boat

His starring role as Captain Stubing on The Love Boat, his subsequent TV series, brought laughter to 90 countries worldwide, this was for 9 seasons between 1977 and 1986. Gavins’ work on that particular show earned him three Golden Globe nominations. He co-starred with familiar actor and best friend Bernie Kopell as Dr. Adam Bricker and unfamiliar actor and best friend Ted Lange as bartender Isaac Washington.