Ted Lange, the unforgettable bartender from 'The Love Boat'

A cocktail with ice and humor

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

Let's discover the career of Ted Lange, the unforgettable bartender Isaac from 'The Love Boat', and his life on and off the kitschiest cruise on television.

An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat'

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

Ted Lange became a pop icon as Isaac Washington, the empathetic bartender of the Pacific Princess cruise, from 1977 to 1986. A mustache, a smile, and half of America in love.

Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

A graduate of San Francisco City College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, he started with Shakespeare and African American activism. Then came television. And cocktails.

First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974)

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

His first significant TV role was as Junior in 'That's My Mama', a comedy about a barbershop in Washington D.C. There were no cocktails, but plenty of attitude.

The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs'

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

After 'The Love Boat', Lange showcased his mustache in series like 'The A-Team', 'The Love Boat: The Next Wave', and 'Scrubs'. Always with charisma, never with pretensions.

Director's craft: Shining behind the camera

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

Lange directed several episodes of 'The Love Boat' and later series like 'Moesha' and 'The Wayans Bros'. No one takes the martini away from the director who was a fictional bartender.

Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975)

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

In film, he acted alongside Pam Grier in 'Friday Foster', a cult blaxploitation. He also appeared in 'Human Traffic' and 'The Story of Ted Lange' (yes, it exists).

The man behind the white vest

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

Off-screen, Lange was an activist for civil rights and an advocate for African American representation in Hollywood. Also a playwright. And yes, he loves jazz.

Isaac forever, despite all

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

Lange complained on several occasions that the role of Isaac in 'The Love Boat' had typecast him, and no other roles were offered to him.

From actor to award-winning playwright

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

He wrote over 25 plays. His piece 'George Washington’s Boy', about a personal slave of the president, gained awards and respect.

Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

Married to Mary Ley Lange, he has two children and is known for being a laid-back guy. Unlike his character, Lange prefers coffee over mojitos. And that’s respectable too.

From kitsch icon to respected figure

A cocktail with ice and humor, An angel with a tray in 'The Love Boat', Before the cruise: Shakespeare and activism, First steps: 'That's My Mama' (1974), The king of cameos: From 'The A-Team' to 'Scrubs', Director's craft: Shining behind the camera, Cult cinema: 'Friday Foster' (1975), The man behind the white vest, Isaac forever, despite all, From actor to award-winning playwright, Personal life with little scandal and plenty of letters, From kitsch icon to respected figure

Television critics once underestimated him, but today he is seen as a pioneer. Being a kind, central African American character in the '70s was no small feat. Isaac knew more than he seemed.

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