Gavin MacLeod: Murray L. Slaughter
Gavin MacLeod, in effect, was responsible for getting himself onto the cast of MTMS. He was scheduled to read for the part of Lou Grant, but suggested that he was more suited to "the other guy in the office who sits next to Mary", and he remained there, non-electric typewriter at the ready, for seven seasons.
Gavin was well known to TV audiences by the time he started on MTMS in 1970. He first met Mary Tyler Moore in 1961 when he played a jewelry salesman on an episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show." He played Happy Haines in "McHale's Navy" (1962-64). He also played the part in the 1964 film (same title), and in 1965 "McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force." Around the same period, he was active as guest star on TV series including "The Untouchables" and "Perry Mason" and appeared in the films "Deathwatch", "The Party", "The Thousand Plane Raid", and "Twelve Hours to Kill". In 1959 he appeared in the highly-acclaimed feature "Pork Chop Hill" with Gregory Peck.
He was born Allan See in Mt. Kisco, NY, on 28 February, 1930. He studied drama at Ithaca College, and graduated in 1952. His mentor in drama there was Beatrice MacLeod. While still in college, he was fascinated by the television drama concerning the life of a disabled man, "Gavin", and decided to change his name. He served in the US Air Force after graduation. He moved to New York in 1953, and married his first wife, Patty, in 1955. In their eighteen-year marriage, they produced four children. He met Ted Knight (at the time, Knight was still using his biological name, Tadeus Konopka) in 1957, and they remained close friends until Ted's death in 1986.
As Gavin himself admits, he was lucky to nab a part on "The Love Boat" as Captain Merrill Stubing after MTMS was cancelled, a role he held for the next nine years. In the interim, he played Big Chicken on episodes of "Hawaii Five-O".
He married Patti Steele in 1974. They divorced in 1981, then remarried in 1982! Gavin and Patti have written a book entitled, "Back on Course" about their efforts and triumphs in holding their marriage together. Today, he spends much of his time at work on their radio program on Trinity Broadcasting Network, "Back on Course: A Ministry for Marriages", and promoting Princess Cruises. He can occasionally be seen in smaller guests spots on shows such as "The King of Queens" and "Touched by an Angel."
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