Fred Grandy says Billy Crystal auditioned for the role of Gopher in 'Love Boat'

• The Love Boat Stars Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange and Jill Whelan sail on Princess Cruises' The Love Boat Celebration at Sea, which departed Brooklyn, NY, on August 31 and traveled through New England and Canada for seven nights
• Grandy, who played purser Burl “Gopher” Smith, recalled during a Q&A for The Enchanted Princess that he competed against Billy Crystal for the role.
• The actor and politician told PEOPLE that he does not believe there is “a group that is as closely connected professionally and personally” as the cast of The Love Boat

Fred Grandy admits that he might not have been the first choice for the role of paymaster Burl “Gopher” Smith The Love Boat.

“I was the last man left when it came to filling that role,” said Grandy, 76, during The Love Boat: Behind the Scenes Stories Panel from Princess Cruises The Love Boat Sailing at Celebration at Sea 2024.

An actor is also in the running: Billy Crystal. “Billy ended up doing a show that we wrote called The Kissing Bandit,” Grandy said during the Q&A alongside fellow actors Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange and Jill Whelan. “A nice guy, very funny and not so conceited. But I remember it was kind of a lesson in humility when he told me how much he really hated the script.”

Kopell, 91, took over the role of the ship's doctor from Dick Van Patten, who played the role in the first two pilot films. The Love Boat.

“Suddenly we found out that Dick Van Patten was under contract with ABC. They brought him out to Eight is enoughand it was open to any actor who wanted to audition for the role of the doctor, including me,” Kopell said aboard the Enchanted Princess. “I auditioned, and this guy auditioned, the other guy auditioned, and after a while my agent called and screamed down the phone, 'You got the part!'”

The Get smart The star said the role “changed my life,” adding: “It was just a real pleasure and I'm so grateful for this life-changing experience and here I am, still working at the age of 91.”

The Love Boat ran for 10 seasons and the cast has remained tight. Grandy, Lange, 76, and Whelan, 57, starred in the play I am not Rappaport in Michigan earlier this year and they are already planning to be on board the Regal Princess when Princess Cruises' The Love Boat Celebration at Sea starts next November in Galveston, Texas.

“There are casts that are very unified and understand each other, correspond and stuff, but I don't think there's a group that is as close professionally and personally connected as our group,” Grandy told People during the Dear Boat Celebration at Sea sailing trip, which took place from August 31 to September 7. “And I'm not sure what the reason is, but of course I'm not going to question it because it's been very successful and lucrative for us.”

Grandy's time on The Love Boat also helped him become successful when he turned to politics. “When I told Aaron Spelling that I wanted to leave the show and return to Iowa to run for Congress, his first reaction was to sue me for anticipatory breach of contract,” Grandy said of the show's executive producer. “I don't think that term exists in legal jargon, but he had enough power in Beverly Hills to invent it.”

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Spelling, who died in 2006 at the age of 83, ultimately did not sue Grandy and subsequently served four terms as a Republican congressman for his home state of Iowa.

“The fact that he didn't, I think, is because the people in Iowa, who were such big fans of the show, were willing to take him to court,” Grandy said. “After we settled all our differences, I went right back to his office and asked him for a political donation, which he didn't give me, but [Love Boat producer] Douglas Cramer did it.”

Fans aboard the Enchanted Princess heard Grandy, Kopell, Lange and Whelan during two panel discussions moderated by author Jim Colucci and had the opportunity to attend a cocktail demonstration hosted by The Love Boat's Bartender Lange, test your knowledge at The Love Boat Interesting facts, try specialties Love Boat Cocktails and watch episodes of the show in the ship's outdoor theater. Whelan, Princess Cruises' Celebration Ambassador, attended Enchanted Princess's retirement celebration on August 31, the Captain's Champagne Waterfall Toast, the onboard vow renewal ceremony and the Farewell Show on Friday, September 7.

Passengers who opted for the Love Boat The VIP package also included the opportunity to spend time with the star at a welcome reception in the ship's adults-only retreat, The Sanctuary, and a dinner for the cast in Enchanted Princess' Amalfi Dining Room.

Next to Love Boat Festivities, guests enjoyed entertainment such as magic and comedy by Quinn “The Mighty Quinn” Beasley and Eric Buss, DJ sets by DJ Robert Micheal, live music by Arny Galoyo, Jowita, The Pipers Chair and Pinnacle as well as a production of the musical Rock operaPassengers had the opportunity to dine at specialty restaurants such as The Catch by Rudi, Crown Grill and 360, which offers a comprehensive seven-course menu where Brooke Shields takes guests on a journey through Europe that appeals to all the senses.

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The Love Boat is streaming on Paramount+.