Lyle Wesley Waggoner[1] (/ˈwæɡnər/ WAG-nər; April 13, 1935 – March 17, 2020)[2] was an American actor, sculptor, presenter, travel trailer salesman and model, known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor and Steve Trevor Jr. on Wonder Woman from 1975 to 1979.[2] In his later career he founded a company, Star Waggons, which rented luxury trailers to studios.
Lyle Waggoner | |
|---|---|
 Waggoner in a 1976 publicity photo for Wonder Woman | |
| Born | Lyle Wesley Waggoner April 13, 1935 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | March 17, 2020 (aged 84) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1956–2005 |
| Spouse |
Sharon Kennedy (m. 1961) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editWaggoner was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on April 13, 1935, the son of Myron and Marie (Isern) Waggoner, and spent part of his childhood in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.[1][3] On an episode of The Carol Burnett Show, Waggoner stated he had three sisters and one brother. In 1953, he graduated from Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, and then studied briefly at Washington University in St. Louis. He then joined the United States Army, serving two years in West Germany as a radio operator.[4]
Following his military discharge, Waggoner studied mechanical engineering in the junior executive program at the General Motors Institute of Technology. He then sold encyclopedias as a door-to-door salesman.[5] He made his acting debut as a muscle man in a Kansas City production of Li'l Abner, after which he created a sales promotion organization that enabled him to make enough money to finance a trip to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career.[4]
Career
editBy the mid-1960s, Waggoner was appearing regularly in television and films, including in an episode of Gunsmoke (“The Wishbone” in 1966). He was a finalist for the title role in the TV series version of Batman, but lost the role to Adam West.[5]
In 1967, he appeared in Catalina Caper (with Tommy Kirk, a former child actor trying to restart his career as a young adult), a film which would eventually be lampooned by Mystery Science Theater 3000. He also had a minor guest-starring role in the season-three episode "Deadliest of the Species" of the TV series Lost in Space.[6]
Also in 1967, Waggoner began a seven-year stint on The Carol Burnett Show, a comedy sketch and variety show, on which he appeared as an announcer and performer.[2] In 1973, Waggoner posed semi-nude for a Playgirl centerfold. Waggoner left The Carol Burnett Show in 1974 in the hopes of advancing his career as a lead actor. His spot on the show was filled by frequent guest star Tim Conway (and his role as announcer by Ernie Anderson). He later appeared on some of the show's reunion specials.
In 1976, Waggoner was appointed "mayor" of Encino, California, by the local chamber of commerce. The "mayor" is not an actual government official as Encino is not an independent town but rather part of the city of Los Angeles; the post is an honorary "goodwill ambassador" position. In addition to Waggoner, other holders of the title have included Steve Allen, Mike Connors, Fred Travalena, Ronnie Schell, and Cesare Danova.[7]
A year after leaving Carol Burnett, Waggoner landed the role of Steve Trevor for the pilot and first season of the television series Wonder Woman starring Lynda Carter.[5] The series was initially set in World War II but when the subsequent two seasons advanced the timeline to the 1970s, Waggoner played Steve Trevor, Jr.[5]
Waggoner also appeared in several TV movies and minor motion pictures during the 1970s and 1980s, often cast for "hunk" appeal. He made guest appearances on numerous television series including Charlie's Angels, The San Pedro Beach Bums, Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, The Golden Girls, Ellen, and most recently The War at Home. Waggoner also played at least three roles on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Murder, She Wrote throughout their respective runs.
In 1979, while working on Wonder Woman, Waggoner discovered that the motorhome he was using during the production was rented by the studio from a nearby resident. Waggoner soon bought a fleet of motor homes at $50,000 apiece, renting them out to Hollywood productions for $400-$500 per week. Soon after he founded Star Waggons, a company that leased customized location trailers for use by the entertainment industry. He also started Zio Studio Services, the rental arm of Star Waggons. On September 1, 2021, Star Waggons and Zio Studio Services were sold to Hudson Pacific Properties for $222 million. Waggoner's sons, Jason and Beau, will continue to run these businesses for Hudson Pacific Properties.[8][9][10][11] Waggoner retired from full-time acting to run Star Waggons, but made occasional appearances, often parodying his earlier image (The Naked Truth, That '70s Show, and Return to the Batcave).
In 1990, Waggoner co-produced and appeared in a consumer-product show called Consumer America with co-host Shawn Bruner. The series featured novel national products from self-help to home goods and lasted for about two seasons.
In 1993, Waggoner was the host of an infomercial, "Let's Talk With Lyle Waggoner", which advertised "Y-Bron", supposedly a natural product that would cure male impotence.[12] Scottsdale, Arizona, based Twin Star was later fined $1.5 million for unsubstantiated claims about Y-Bron.[13][14][15][16]
Personal life
editWaggoner was married to Sharon Kennedy, an actress, financial consultant, and realtor.[1] They married in 1961 and had two sons.[11] He resided near Jackson, Wyoming, where he was a sculptor.[17] His works can be seen at galleries in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Lander, Wyoming.
Death
editWaggoner died in his home in the Los Angeles area at the age of 84 on March 17, 2020, from cancer.[18][19][20][2][5][6]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Swamp Country | Deputy Mel | |
| 1967 | Catalina Caper | Angelo | Alternate title: Never Steal Anything Wet |
| 1967 | Journey to the Center of Time | Alien (as Lyle Waggner) | |
| 1972 | Love Me Deadly | Alex Martin | |
| 1978 | Zero to Sixty | Gay Bar Bartender | |
| 1984 | Surf II | Chief Boyardie | |
| 1989 | Murder Weapon | Dr. Randolph | |
| 1989 | Danger USA | Ben | Alternate title: Mind Trap |
| 1990 | Gypsy Angels | Preacher | |
| 1990 | The Girl I Want | Coach | |
| 1990 | Dream a Little Evil | Death | Direct-to-video film |
| 1991 | Wizards of the Demon Sword | Lord Khoura | |
| 1991 | Dead Women in Lingerie | Daddy |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Gunsmoke | Aikens | Episode: "Wishbone" |
| 1967 | Lost in Space | Mechanical Man | Episode: "Deadliest of the Species" |
| 1967–1974 | The Carol Burnett Show | Various Characters | Main cast (182 episodes) |
| 1969 | The Governor & J.J. | Garrett Spaulding | Episode: "Romeo and J.J." |
| 1972 | Once Upon a Mattress | Sir Studley | TV movie |
| 1973 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Eric Lundgren | Episode: "The Day After Forever" |
| 1973 | The Barbara Eden Show | Barry Michaels | TV pilot |
| 1973 | Letters from Three Lovers | Sam | TV movie |
| 1975 | The New Original Wonder Woman | Major Steve Trevor | TV movie |
| 1976 | Maude | Jim | Episode: "The Case of the Broken Punch Bowl" |
| 1976–1979 | Wonder Woman / The New Adventures of Wonder Woman | Major Steve Trevor (1976–77) Colonel Steve Trevor Jr. (1977–79) |
Main cast (59 episodes) |
| 1977 | The Love Boat II | Roger | TV movie |
| 1977 | The San Pedro Beach Bums | Jason | Episode: "Love Boat Bums: The Bums Take a Cruise" |
| 1978 | Flying High | Gavin | Episode: "Fun Flight" |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Lance Wilson | Episode: "Second Time Around" |
| 1979 | Supertrain | Peter Sebastian | Episode: "A Very Formal Heist" |
| 1979 | Time Express | David Lane | Episode: "The Copy-Writer/The Figure Skater" |
| 1979 | The Love Boat | Jay Cavanaugh | Episode: "The Scoop" |
| 1980 | The Gossip Columnist | Terry Anderson | TV movie |
| 1980 | The Great American Traffic Jam | Wilbur Stokes | TV movie |
| 1980 | Happy Days | Bobby Burns | Episode: "Dreams Can Come True" |
| 1980 | Fantasy Island | Monty | Episode: "Gigolo" |
| 1980 | Charlie's Angels | Jack Barrows | Episode: "Island Angels" |
| 1981 | Bulba | Hampton Fraser | TV pilot |
| 1981 | Mork & Mindy | Xerko | Episode: "There's a New Mork in Town" |
| 1981 | Fantasy Island | Gilberto DeVincenzo | Episode: "The Perfect Husband" |
| 1982 | The Ugily Family | Kenny Bing | TV pilot |
| 1982 | The Love Boat | Dr. Tucker Martin | Episode: "A Dress to Remember" |
| 1982 | Romance Theatre | Jeremy | Episodes: "The Simple Truth" (Parts 1–5) |
| 1983 | Fantasy Island | Al | Episode: "No Friends Like Old Friends" |
| 1983 | Gun Shy | The Masked Stranger | Episode: "What Do You Mean 'We' Amigo?" |
| 1984 | Happy Days | Frederick Hamilton | Episode: "Like Mother, Like Daughter" |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote | Marty Strindberg | Episode: "Hooray for Homicide" |
| 1985 | The Great American Strip-off | Himself - Host | |
| 1985 | The Female Impersonator of the Year Pageant | Himself, co-host | TV special |
| 1986 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Dex Falcon | Episode: "If You Could See What I See" |
| 1986 | Simon & Simon | Don Manning | Episode: "The Last Big Break" |
| 1986 | The New Mike Hammer | Leo Raffle | Episode: "Requiem for Billy" |
| 1987 | It's a Living | Marlon Brando / Hector Rodriquez | Episode: "Her Back to the Future" |
| 1990 | The Golden Girls | Himself | Episode: "Mrs. George Devereaux" |
| 1991 | Murder, She Wrote | Vic DeMarco | Episode: "Where Have You Gone, Billy Boy?" |
| 1993 | Murder, She Wrote | Ben Wright | Episode: "The Big Kill" |
| 1993 | Daddy Dearest | Hank | Episode: "Thanks, But No Thanks" |
| 1995 | Burke's Law | Reece Robertson | Episode: "Who Killed Mr. Game Show?" |
| 1995 | Cybill | Himself | Episode: "The Cheese Stands Alone" |
| 1996 | Ellen | Vic | Episode: "Not So Great Expectations" |
| 1997 | Pauly | Master of Ceremonies | Episode: "Life's a Drag" |
| 1998 | Alright Already | Himself | Episode: "Again with the Satellite Dish" |
| 1998 | The Naked Truth | Himself | Episode: "Hooked on Heroine" |
| 1999 | Love Boat: The Next Wave | Tom Brooks | Episode: "Three Stages of Love" |
| 1999 | That '70s Show | Himself | Episode: "Red's Last Day" |
| 2003 | Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt | Himself - Narrator | TV movie |
| 2003 | Living Straight | Robert Cord | TV movie |
| 2005 | The War at Home | Jack | Episode: "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do", (final appearance) |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Li'l Abner | Muscle Man | [1][4] |
| 1970–1971 | Boeing, Boeing | Bernard | [1][21] |
| 1973 | Teahouse of the August Moon | Performer | [1] |
| 1973 | Born Yesterday | Paul Verrall | [1][22] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Lyle Waggoner Biography (1935-)". Filmreference.com.
- ^ a b c d Brennan, Sandra (February 18, 2015). "Lyle Waggoner". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015.
- ^ "The Graduate Magazine of the University of Kansas". March 23, 1934. Retrieved March 23, 2020 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c "Profile: Lyle Waggoner". Lawrence Journal-World. June 17, 1978. p. 11.
- ^ a b c d e "Lyle Waggoner, foil on 'The Carol Burnett Show,' dies at 84". Los Angeles Times. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ a b D'Angelo, Bob (March 17, 2020). "Lyle Waggoner, TV star of 'Carol Burnett,' 'Wonder Woman' shows, dead at 84". FOX23 News. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ Watson, Carol (December 19, 1991). "Everyone Is Mayor (Sort of)". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (September 1, 2021). "Star Waggons, Zio Studio Services Sold to Hudson Pacific for $222M". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Wells, Jane (February 16, 2016). "Actor ditches acting to build luxury movie trailers". CNBC.
- ^ Green, Catherine (May 30, 2013). "Getting the Star Treatment with Lyle Waggoner". Los Angeles.
- ^ a b "About Us". StarWaggons.com. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
- ^ Hines, William; Randal, Judith (December 1, 1988). "Experts Warn of Self-Treatment for Impotence". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Infomercial Host To Refund Consumers of Weight, Baldness, and Impotence Treatments" (Press release). Federal Trade Commission. June 29, 1993.
- ^ Middleton, Kent R.; Lee, William E.; Stewart, Daxton R. (July 6, 2017). The Law of Public Communication. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-3516-9234-2.
- ^ R, Judith; al; Hines, William (November 8, 1988). "On TV, Chit-Chatting About Impotence". The Washington Post.
- ^ Kanner, Bruce (October 21, 1991). "30 Mintutes: Selling with Infomercials". New York. pp. 24–25.
- ^ Wiebe, Jamie (May 22, 2015). "Actor Lyle Waggoner Selling Golf-Friendly Home in La Quinta". Realtor.
- ^ "Lyle Waggoner: 'Carol Burnett Show' Star Dead at 84". TMZ. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020
- ^ Caplan, David (March 17, 2020). "Lyle Waggoner, Star of 'Carol Burnett Show,' Dead at 84". Audacy. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Day, Nate (March 18, 2020). "Lyle Waggoner, 'The Carol Burnett Show' star, dead at 84". Fox News. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "Program: Lyle Waggoner in 'Boeing-Boing'" (pdf). Illinois University collections. December 26, 1970 – January 3, 1971. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ "Born Yesterday at Dayton Memorial Hall 1973". About the Artists. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
External links
edit
- Lyle Waggoner at IMDb
- Lyle Waggoner at the TCM Movie Database
