Ted Lange
| Ted Lange | |
|---|---|
|
Lange as Isaac Washington, 1977 | |
| Born |
Theodore William Lange January 5, 1948 Oakland, California, United States |
| Residence | Torrance, California, United States |
| Occupation | Actor, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ley (2001–present) |
Theodore William "Ted" Lange (/lændʒ/; born January 5, 1948) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter best known for his role as the bartender, Isaac Washington, in the TV series The Love Boat. Lange and Gavin MacLeod, who played his captain in the series, have remained close friends.[1]
Early life and acting career
Lange was born in Oakland, California, the son of Geraldine L., a television show host, and Ted Lange.[2] Lange attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[3] Lange was a cast member of the musical Hair. His first screen appearance was in the documentary film Wattstax in 1973.[4][5] After appearing in the film Black Belt Jones in 1974, he portrayed Junior on the series That's My Mama before landing the role of the ship's bartender, Isaac, on The Love Boat in 1977, opposite Gavin MacLeod. After he left the show in 1987, Lange appeared in various films and guest roles on 227, The Cleveland Show, Glitch!, Evening Shade, Scrubs, Drake & Josh, The King of Queens, Boy Meets World, Psych and Are We There Yet.
In addition to his film and television work, Lange has also done extensive theater work. He made his Broadway debut in 1968 in the musical Hair.[3] He also performed in a one-man show, Behind the Mask: An Evening with Paul Laurence Dunbar.[6]
Directing and screenwriting
During the run of The Love Boat, Lange also served as director and screenwriter on various episodes of the series. In 1977, he wrote the screenplay for the 1977 drama Passing Through, starring Cora Lee Day and Marla Gibbs. In 1999, Lange directed two episodes of Love Boat: The Next Wave, the UPN series based on The Love Boat. He also directed episodes of Moesha, Dharma & Greg, and Eve. In 2008, he directed the drama For Love of Amy.
Lange has also done extensive theater work as playwright and stage director. He has penned 17 plays, including George Washington's Boy, a historical drama about the relationship between the first president and his favorite slave, along with the comedy Lemon Meringue Facade.[6][7]
Lange remains close to Gavin MacLeod, his acting mentor, who is a Palm Springs resident, and sees his plays. He said in a 2014 interview with CBS New York.com of his long-running friendship with him, "Gavin lives in Palm Springs, I'm in LA. So, when I do my plays, he comes down and sees my plays or I'll go see what he's doing!"[8]
"Ask Isaac"
Before the American edition of FHM folded in 2006, Lange wrote a sex and advice column, titled "Ask Isaac", with adult film actress Jenna Jameson.[9]
Celebrity Fit Club
In 2006, Lange appeared in the fourth season of the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club.[10] He lost 28 pounds during the show's run.[11]
Personal life
Lange married Sheryl Thompson in 1978, and they divorced in 1989. The couple has two children, Ted IV and Turner Wallace Lange.[2] Lange remarried in 2001 to Mary Ley. His mother is Geraldine Lange, who was a personal secretary to a San Francisco mayor and was public affairs director of KBHK-TV in San Francisco in the early 1970s. She also hosted television programs on KBHK-TV.
Awards
For his work theater directing, Lange received the NAACP's Renaissance Man Theatre Award, the Heroes and Legends HAL Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Dramalogue Award. Lange has also been the recipient of the James Cagney Directing Fellow Scholarship Award from the American Film Institute along with the Paul Robeson Award from Oakland's Ensemble Theatre.[7]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1973 | Wattstax | Himself | |
| Trick Baby | Melvin the Pimp | Alternative title: The Double Con | |
| Blade | Henry Watson | ||
| 1974 | Black Belt Jones | Militant | Uncredited |
| 1975 | Friday Foster | Fancy Dexter | |
| 1977 | Passing Through | |
Director |
| 1978 | Record City | The Wiz | |
| 1987 | Terminal Exposure | Fantastic | Alternative title: Double Exposure |
| 1988 | Glitch! | DuBois | |
| 1989 | Othello | Othello | Director |
| 1990 | Penny Ante: The Motion Picture | The Deacon | |
| 1991 | Perfume | George | |
| 1992 | The Naked Truth | The Flower Peddler | |
| 1998 | Sandman | Gnome | |
| 2000 | The Redemption | Reverend | |
| 2002 | Is This Your Mother? | ||
| 2003 | Banana Moon | Prof. Williams | Co-producer |
| Gang of Roses | Bartender #2 | ||
| 2006 | Uncle Tom's Apartment | Pops | |
| National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2 | Celebrity Judge #2 | ||
| 2007 | Last of the Romantics | Cole Henderson | |
| Carts | Sam | ||
| 2008 | Senior Skip Day | Reverend | Alternative title: High School's Day Off |
| Who Shot Mamba? | Dr. Crazy | ||
| The Adventures of Umbweki | Airline Captain Boka | ||
| Phil Cobb's Dinner for Four | Old Friend | ||
| For Love of Amy | |
Director | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974–1975 | That's My Mama | Junior | 39 episodes |
| 1976 | Mr. T and Tina | Harvard | 5 episodes |
| 1977–1986 | The Love Boat | Bartender Isaac Washington | 246 episodes, director, writer |
| 1977 | The Love Boat II | Bartender Isaac Washington | Television movie |
| The New Love Boat | Bartender Isaac Washington | Television movie | |
| 1979 | Fantasy Island | The Great Scott | 1 episode |
| Charlie's Angels | Bartender Isaac Washington | 1 episode | |
| 1983 | The Fall Guy | Bartender | 1 episode |
| Fantasy Island | |
1 episode, director | |
| 1984 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | |
2 episodes, director |
| 1986 | That's My Mama Now! | Junior | Television movie |
| 1987 | Starman | |
1 episode, director |
| 1988 | Christmas | Ghost of Christmas Present | Television movie |
| 227 | Lou | 1 episode | |
| In the Heat of the Night | James Jeffson | 1 episode | |
| 1989 | It Nearly Wasn't Christmas | Napoleon | Television movie |
| 1990 | The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage | Bartender Isaac Washington | Television movie |
| 1993 | Evening Shade | Mr. Taxerman | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Platypus Man | Mr. Angel | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Weird Science | Isaac | 1 episode |
| 1996–2000 | Moesha | |
Director, 5 episodes |
| 1997 | Martin | Bartender Isaac Washington | 2 episodes |
| Family Matters | Frank Winslow | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | The Love Boat: The Next Wave | Bartender Isaac Washington | 1 episode |
| The Wayans Bros. | |
Director, 1 episode | |
| 1999 | L.A. Heat | Frank Millan | 1 episode |
| The Love Boat: The Next Wave | |
Director, 2 episodes | |
| 2001 | Cody: An Evening with Buffalo Bill | |
Director |
| Dharma & Greg | |
Director, 2 episodes | |
| 2002 | The Hughleys | Mr. Henderson | 1 episode |
| Scrubs | Mr. Blair | 1 episode | |
| 2003 | Half & Half | Repairman | 1 episode |
| 2004 | Eve | |
Director, 1 episode |
| 2004–2005 | Drake & Josh | Mr. Calvert | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | All of Us | |
Director, 1 episode |
| The King of Queens | Himself | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | General Hospital | Judge | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Psych | Pookie | 1 episode |
| 2010 | The Cleveland Show | As himself | 1 episode |
| 2011 | A Russell Peters Christmas | As himself | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Betty White's Off Their Rockers | Various Characters | Main Cast |
| 2012 | The First Family | Director, 2 episodes | |
| 2014 | Maron | Wise Stranger | 1 episode |
References
- ↑ "'Love Boat' Reunion". ABC News. 2007-09-27.
- 1 2 "Ted Lange Biography (1947?-)". filmreference.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- 1 2 "Ted Lange Biography". tvguide.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- ↑ Ryan, Maureen (August 12, 2008). "Honoring Isaac Hayes with a 'Wattstax' screening". Chicago Tribune.
- ↑ Hirsh, Marc (July 16, 2010). "The Summer Of Music Documentaries: 'Wattstax'". NPR.
- 1 2 "Productions — 2003-2004: Who's Who". newperspectivestheatre.org. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- 1 2 "Ted Lange Biography". castproductions.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- ↑ http://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/9875657-the-love-boat-star-ted-lange-talks-new-game-show/
- ↑ "Catching Up with…Ted Lange". ebonyjet.com. 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- ↑ "The Bod Squad". People. 2006-08-07. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- ↑ "Love Boat: Where are They Now?". abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
External links
- Ted Lange at the Internet Movie Database
- Ted Lange at the Internet Broadway Database
