The Love Boat's Fred Grandy Says Lauren Tewes 'Was a Victim of Circumstance' Being Fired for Drug Addiction

• The ship of love stars Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange and Jill Whelan reunited on Princess Cruises’ The ship of love A celebration at sea that departed Brooklyn, NY on August 31 and stopped in New England and Canada during a seven-night voyage
• Lauren Tewes, who played cruise director Julie McCoy The boat of loveshe was written off the show due to cocaine addiction
• Although Tewes was not on the cruise, Whelan said during a Q&A on board that Tewes was “a sister to all of us.”

The boat of love ran for 10 seasons, but cruise director Julie McCoy, played by Lauren Tewes, landed after season 7, written off due to her public struggle with cocaine addiction.

Tewes, 70, sobered up, but did not take part in the last Princess Cruises The ship of love at Sea Celebration, which saw stars Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange and Jill Whelan reunite aboard the Enchanted Princess for a seven-night sailing from New York beginning August 31. But the fans did not forget Tewes, and when one brought her during The ship of love: Tribune Stories behind the scenes on Friday, September 6, the actors had only nice words to say about her.

“We should be talking about our friend, who is a sister to all of us,” Whelan, 57, told the crowd in Tewes. “She’s just a very genuine, sweet human being, and a spectacular actress by the way. I mean, I even look back The boat of love episode and I just admire her and her ability to move effortlessly between drama and comedy. But she is one of our favorite people and we adore her.”

Fred Grandy says The ship of love The cast did not expect the success of the series, they joke that it now serves as a ‘pension program’

Grandy, 76, shared with the audience at the Princess Theater that Tewes came to see him, Lange, 76, and Whelan in the play I’m not Rappaport which they did together in Michigan earlier this year. “She came and saw two nights of the show,” said the former politician, who played purser Burl “Gopher” Smith on The boat of lovehe said. “It was wonderful.”

Lange, a self-proclaimed “Shakespeare Lover,” recalled doing the production The tamed shrew with Tewes. “We had a ball,” he said.

Whelan said she sees Tewes regularly. “She’s going to fly over to my house and we’re going to spend the weekend together cooking and just laughing and telling stories the whole time,” the former child star explained.

Lauren Tewes and Bernie Kopell in LA in May 2018.

Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Grandy admitted that “the circumstances of her departure were not so pretty” and blamed the outdated understanding of drug addiction at the time for how things played out with Tewes.

“This would have been the early 80s, substance abuse on set was a punishable offence. It wasn’t a health issue and it wasn’t understood the way it is now,” Grandy said. “She was somewhat a victim of circumstance at the time because the attention, care and therapy she should have received was measured in the form of discipline.”

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Grandy noted that Tewes has made a “magnificent recovery” and “even though she’s not here, she’s as much a part of the family as anyone else on this stage.”

While talking to PEOPLE about Princess Enchanted, Grandy had this to say The boat of love served as a “launch pad” for him, Lange and Tewes.

“It allowed us to continue to do other things,” said Grandy, who served four terms as a Republican congressman from his home state of Iowa. “I would never have won my first run for Congress without this show. I wasn’t sure when I first entered the race that it would be worth it, but now people ask me, ‘What’s the secret to winning a seat in Congress?’ And I say, ‘First of all, raise a lot of money. You must know the territory you are covering very well. You have to stay on top of the issues. You have to be somewhat articulate and you have to be on a hit show.'”

‘The Love Boat’ stars (from left) Bernie Kopell, Jill Whelan, Ted Lange and Fred Grandy in Enchanted Princess on September 6, 2024.

Princess cruises

Today, Grandy is surprised The boat of loveof ‘lasting durability’ and ‘increasing popularity’, which has already inspired another The ship of love Celebration at Sea is scheduled to sail from Galveston, Texas aboard the Regal Princess in November 2025.

“You can see the synergy between the popularity of the show and the huge appeal of the cruise line, which is probably one of the most harmonious business partnerships in the history of the trade,” Grandy said. “I find it amazing that it’s a show that refuses to die. It’s like The living dead with piña coladas.”

ABC’s and TV critics didn’t think The boat of love would fly. “No one gave this, as we said in Iowa, a fart in the vortex,” Grandy said. “But after about the third week, we thought, ‘Oh my God, we’re on to something.’ Because our viewership was high. Suddenly we weren’t just a cruise ship, we were a battleship. In the second or third year, we knew that he would not only run, but would travel the whole world. It happened at warp speed.”

The Love Boat stars (from left) Ted Lange, Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Gavin MacLeod, Lauren Tewes and Jill Whelan in 1979.

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

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Grandy and his cast hosted meet and greets with fans throughout their time aboard the Enchanted Princess, but were also happy to greet guests and take selfies with them as they meandered around the ship or its stops in Boston, Maine and Canada. Grandy even stopped for drinks with some fans at an Irish pub in Saint John, New Brunswick.

“I was walking around town and coming back to the boat and I passed an Irish pub called O’Leary’s,” he recalled. “There were some really nice passengers there who were totally freaked out, they came out and dragged me into that bar, and I spent another hour drinking with them.”

Bernie Kopell was happy that ‘my hair didn’t fall off’ during the love scene with The ship of love Guest star Juliet Prowse

With show-themed activities such as The ship of love trivia, cocktail demonstration with The ship of love bartender Lange and a vow renewal ceremony led by Whelan, guests aboard the Enchanted Princess from August 31 to September 31. 7 can also take advantage of the ship’s special dining experiences, including a fresh seafood meal at The Catch by Rudi, a steak dinner at Crown Grill or an intimate seven-course meal at 360, where Brooke Shields shares signature dishes from some of Europe’s most popular destinations , and at the same time it affects all five senses. Additional entertainment on board The ship of love Celebration at Sea sailing included comedy by Quinn Beasley, aka The Mighty Quinn, Gary Delen and Eric Buss, as well as a performance of a musical Rock opera.

“I was surprised how much of a culture it is for people,” Grandy said of the cruise. “I’ve met people on these things who are on their 67th cruise. There are people who live to come to this. They’re already anticipating doing another one out of Galveston next year, so I think they’re going to keep trying to do this as long as we’re OK.”

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Source: HIS Education