Ted Lange

Ted Lange

Lange as Isaac Washington, 1977
Born Theodore William Lange
(1948-01-05) January 5, 1948
Oakland, California, United States
Residence Torrance, California, United States
Occupation Actor, director, screenwriter
Years active 1972present
Spouse(s) Mary Ley (2001present)

Theodore William "Ted" Lange (/læn/; 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

  1. "'Love Boat' Reunion". ABC News. 2007-09-27.
  2. 1 2 "Ted Lange Biography (1947?-)". filmreference.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  3. 1 2 "Ted Lange Biography". tvguide.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  4. Ryan, Maureen (August 12, 2008). "Honoring Isaac Hayes with a 'Wattstax' screening". Chicago Tribune.
  5. Hirsh, Marc (July 16, 2010). "The Summer Of Music Documentaries: 'Wattstax'". NPR.
  6. 1 2 "Productions — 2003-2004: Who's Who". newperspectivestheatre.org. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  7. 1 2 "Ted Lange Biography". castproductions.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  8. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/9875657-the-love-boat-star-ted-lange-talks-new-game-show/
  9. "Catching Up with…Ted Lange". ebonyjet.com. 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  10. "The Bod Squad". People. 2006-08-07. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  11. "Love Boat: Where are They Now?". abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/26/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.