Gavin MacLeod Opens Up in New Memoirs Book: "This Is Your Captain Speaking"

By James Brown | Oct 23, 2013 06:01 PM EDT

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Gavin MacLeod, world famous due to his role as Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat Show that ran on ABC from 1977 to 1986, is promoting his memoirs book "This Is Your Captain Speaking" in which he recalls the good and the bad of being at the show.

"The critics hated it," Gavin MacLeod told Savannah Guthrie on "Today" NBC on Wednesday. "Even my agent included a review when he sent me the script saying 'I think it sucks'."

At that time, Gavin MacLeod said he thought there wasn't anything like that on television and he confessed her wife told him it could work with the right cast.

"Afterwards, people even wrote to me complaining about their cruise trip," he said. "They started to think I was a real captain."

During the interview, Gavin admitted he thought to have a negative point against him when he arrived New York: Baldness.

"I had to get a hairpiece when I came to New York," he added. "I got a job at Radio City Music Hall for $34 a week as an usher and then I had to get a hairpiece. I was so poor that my roommate had to loan me the cash to get a used wig."

Nevertheless, Gavin MacLeod said lack of hair proved not to be an impediment when he landed acting jobs on "Mary Tyler Moore" and "The Love Boat".

At the end of the interview, Guthrie did a final question to him.

"On the show, he (Captain Merrill) had to kiss his share of passengers. So who was the best?"

"Joan Collins, she was gorgeous and wonderful," MacLeod answered before start hesitating and corrected adding "My wife is the best kisser, though."

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