The Love Boat was one of the most beloved TV shows of the late 1970s and early ‘80s, bringing romance, adventure, and celebrity cameos to viewers every week. Set aboard the Pacific Princess, the series followed a rotating cast of famous guest stars as they embarked on lighthearted cruise ship escapades.
With new celebrities boarding each episode, the show became a revolving door for Hollywood’s biggest names, though not all of them made a good impression. Recently, two longtime cast members, Jill Whelan and Ted Lange, who played Isaac the Bartender, opened up about some of the most unpleasant guests they encountered on a Still Here Hollywood podcast episode.
Buddy Hackett was one of the worst passengers on ‘The Love Boat’
Jill recalled that comedian Buddy Hackett was one of the most challenging celebrities to work with on the cruise. She described him as difficult but did not go into specifics and was proudly unpredictable on set.
His behavior had caused a number of issues on other sets even before he joined The Love Boat. One such case was during the filming of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, where actor Marvin Kaplan reportedly feared for his safety after Hackett threw a knife at him.
A crew member accused comedian Tommy Smothers of being inappropriate on the set
Another name that surfaced in the conversation about the worst cruisers was comedian Tommy Smothers, but for a more concerning reason. One of the crew members shared an uncomfortable encounter she had with Smothers, where he made an inappropriate request involving a roll of quarters in his pocket. The situation left the attendant uneasy, and in hindsight, it was no surprise that Smothers got into legal troubles afterward.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, two different women sued Smothers for sexual misconduct, though the case was ultimately dismissed. The conversation between Jill, Lange, and the podcast anchor took a sharp turn as this information came to light, leaving even the host surprised by Smothers’ history.
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