| Ted Lange | |
|---|---|
| Born | Theodore William Lange January 5, 1948 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Residence | Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1968-present |
| Spouse | Sheryl Thompson (July 23, 1978 - present) |
Theodore William "Ted" Lange (born January 5, 1948) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter best known for his role as the bartender, Isaac Washington, in the 1970s TV series The Love Boat. Gavin MacLeod who played his captain in the series, have remained close friends, who in turn, talks to Lange on the phone, continuously.[1]
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Born in Oakland, California, Lange attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[2] Lange was a cast member of the musical Hair. His first screen appearance was in the documentary film Wattstax in 1973. 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 favorite idol Gavin MacLeod. After the series ended in 1986, Lange appeared in various films and guest roles on 227, "The Cleveland Show" Glitch!, Evening Shade, Scrubs, Drake & Josh, The King of Queens, and Psych.
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.[2] He also performed in a one-man show, Behind the Mask: An Evening with Paul Laurence Dunbar.[3]
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 The 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 seventeen 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.[3][4]
Before the American edition of FHM folded in 2006, Lange wrote a sex and advice column entitled "Ask Isaac" with adult film actress Jenna Jameson.[5]
In 2006, Lange appeared in the fourth season of the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club.[6] He lost 28 pounds during the show's run.[7]
Lange has been married to wife Sheryl Thompson since 1978. The couple have two children, Ted IV and Turner Wallace Lange.[8] 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.
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.[4]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1973 | 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 | 11 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 | The King of Queens | Barkeep | 1 episode |
| 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 |
| 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 | |