Gavin MacLeod

Gavin MacLeod's pleasing, agreeable manner on two hit TV series in the 70's and 80's belied a number of shady villains he portrayed in his early career. Born Allan George See in Mt. Kisco, New York, on February 28, 1931, and raised in Pleasantville, he was the son of a gas station owner who was part Chippewa Indian (Ojibwa).

While he was playing football at Pleasantville High School, he received word from his family, about his father, who had died in 1945, from cancer. After his father's death, his quit the football team, and went back to acting.

Graduated from Pleasantville High School in Pleasantville, New York, in 1947, and received a scholarship to Ithaca College.

He followed his 1952 graduation from Ithaca College (Fine Arts major) with Air Force military duty, then moved to New York City and worked for a while as an usher and elevator operator at Radio City Music Hall. Focusing on acting, he changed his stage name to "Gavin McLeod.

"A solid break on Broadway in "A Hatful of Rain" in 1956 led to a move to Los Angeles in an attempt to break into film and TV. He began to earn a minor reputation as a second-string heavy in such crime shows as "The Thin Man," "Steve Canyon," "Manhunt," "Mr. Lucky," "Peter Gunn," "Michael Shayne," "The Untouchables" and "Perry Mason.

He also managed several film roles, although far down the credits, with I Want to Live! (1958), Compulsion (1959), Pork Chop Hill (1959), Operation Petticoat (1959), Twelve Hours to Kill (1960), High Time (1960), War Hunt (1962) and McHale's Navy (1964).

Had met Mary Tyler Moore on an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), years before he worked with her on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), as her newswriter.

" This led to a regular comedy role as part of the McHale's Navy (1962) TV series.

He returned to Broadway in "The Captains and the Kings" in 1962.

Before he was cast opposite Jack Lord in Hawaii Five-O (1968), he worked with Lord opposite Betsy Palmer in The True Story of Lynn Stuart (1958).

As Murray Slaughter, the balding, beaming, wisecracking, gleamy-toothed news writer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), Gavin became a happy household name. From then on, he could only be envisaged as a lovable schmuck and nice guy.

Gavin's career more or less flowed and ebbed until 1972, when his shiftless typecast was shattered forever.

From there he went on to another benign starring role with the TV series, The Love Boat (1977), as the ingratiating Captain Stubing. On the down side, "Love Boat" marred his chances to be considered for more challenging work, and his inability to cope with success led to alcoholism and divorce from second wife Patti.

Used to be a spokesperson for Princess Cruises in the 1980s.

Used to be the spokesperson of ELKS - National Foundation Drug Awareness Council in 1984.

Had attended the funeral of Robert Urich in 2002. MacLeod reprised his role alongside Urich on Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998).

January 19, 2004: featured on Late Show with David Letterman (1993) in their segment "Is It Potatoes or Gavin MacLeod?". It was, in fact, Gavin MacLeod.

Had celebrated his 80th Birthday, aboard The Golden Princess on Princess Cruises in Los Angeles, California on 28 February 2011. The entire The Love Boat (1977) 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.

Attended Betty White's 90th Birthday Party in 2012.