Gavin MacLeod, a veteran sitcom actor best known for his roles as Murray on the “Mary Tyler Moore” show and Captain Stubing on “The Love Boat,” has died at the age of 90. MacLeod, died early this morning according to his nephew, Mark See.

MacLeod, was born Allan George See in Mount Kisco, N.Y. He made his big screen debut in the 1958 film “I Want to Live,” playing a police lieutenant. MacLeod would go on to appear in such movies as “Operation Petticoat,” “Twelve Hours to Kill,” before jumping to television and joining “McHale’s Navy”.

MacLeod would leave “McHale’s Navy” in order to appear in several supporting roles including such films as “The Sand Pebbles,” starring Steve McQueen, “A Man Called Gannon,” the Peter Sellers comedy “The Party” in 1968; and one of my favorite movies the 1970, the World War II film “Kelly’s Heroes,” in which he played Moriarty, Oddball’s machine-gunner and mechanic.

While appearing in films MacLeod would also make numerous guest appearances on other television shows such as “Perry Mason,” “Ben Casey,” “Ironside,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “The Big Valley,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “My Favorite Martian,” “Hogan’s Heroes” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show”.

MacLeod originally tried out for the part of Lou Grant, that went to Ed Asner, but was eventually cast as newswriter Murray Slaughter, appearing in every one of the 168 episodes during its 1970-77 run on CBS. When his role as Murray ended, he was able to move over to ABC’s hourlong romantic comedy series “The Love Boat” in the fall of 1977 as Captain Stubing running for ten years and 249 episodes ending in 1987.

Ed Asner paid tribute on Twitter to MacLeod his longtime costar and friend writing:

Categories: Movies

Tags: Captain Stubing, Gavin MacLeod, Kelly’s Heroes, Mary Tyler Moore, Moriarty, Movies, Murray Slaughter, The Love Boat