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Ted Lange as Isaac on ‘The Love Boat’
Bad first impressions last a lifetime — just ask The Love Boat star Ted Lange, who has never forgotten a famous guest star on the show who refused to shake his hand.
In a reposted clip (below) from the Still Here Hollywood podcast, Lange, 78, told host Steve Kmetko about the snub. “Gavin [MacLeod, costar] told us: ‘Go up to the guest star, shake their hands, and welcome them to the show,’” Lange recalled. “I went up to a guest star, I said, ‘Hey, my name is Ted Lange, welcome to the show.’”
“And he went like this and walked away,” Lange said as he reenacted the guest star pulling a face and yanking his hand away.
Lange played bartender Isaac Washington on the cruise ship-set romantic comedy series from 1977 to 1986. On the podcast, he wondered if his costume had anything to do with the cold reception he got from the guest star.
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Bernie Kopell, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, and Lauren Tewes on ‘The Love Boat’
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“Well, who does that to anybody? Who does that to anybody?” Lange asked. “But I had on my little red jacket. There were a couple of other guys with red jackets. I guess he thought I was an extra. And even if he did, why would you do that to an extra, right?”
He continued, “So, about a half hour later, he [the guest star] comes up with the director, and he says, ‘Ted, I want to introduce you to your scene partner.’ And the guy looks [at me, and goes], ‘Nice to meet you.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah.’”
Lange went on to say that this guest star was “a fairly big guy” and someone who “used to have a golf and tennis tournament” that he got invited to, but never attended.
“Every year he would invite me [to the tournament], but I already know who you are, why would I go?” Lange said. When asked if he’d fill the audience in on this person’s identity, he demurred, “No, I don’t want to do that.”
The Love Boat famously employed many guest stars over the years — everyone from Hollywood legends (think Ginger Rogers, Olivia de Havilland, and Joan Fontaine) to up-and-coming talent (including Tom Hanks, Kathy Bates, Jamie Lee Curtis, Heather Locklear, and Billy Crystal).
The show originally aired on ABC from Sept. 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. It also spawned numerous specials and a TV movie, which also starred Lange.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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