This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith & Life
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But I asked, “Do you mind if I come and watch my own funeral?” How many people get to watch their own funeral?
It was a gorgeous day. They picked out a beautiful casket for my character. I really liked it. And you know what? As they lowered it into the ground, it made me think about my legacy. I have amassed an amazing body of work. I’ve played an incredible array of parts as an actor. I’m proud of every single thing I’ve done, from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Love Boat, all the way back to that tiny appearance as a protestor in Lamp unto My Feet. (How wonderful, looking back, that the very first TV show I ever did had a spiritual bent to it!) I’m proud of every step I’ve taken on the stage, from the leading roles in musicals, to The Connection and A Hatful of Rain, and all the way back to my very first role on the school stage in Pleasantville, when I was just four years old.
But you know what? Out of everything, I like the Jonathan Sperry legacy the most.
I’ve had a couple of film offers recently, including an offer for another Christian film—and I’ve turned them down. There’s a part of me that keeps thinking, Maybe Jonathan Sperry is the film I should go out on.
I hope that doesn’t sound morbid.
I won’t say it’s a promise. But if Jonathan Sperry were to be the last film I ever did—the one that would get mentioned as my final role when my obituary shows up in the papers—I certainly wouldn’t complain.
After all, this isn’t just a role. It’s me doing God’s work.
God knows he is the Captain of my world.
I think he gave me the role of the Captain so that I could serve as a stand-in “captain” to a few people here on earth—to help guide them on their way into his arms.
For that, I stand humbled. For that, I stand in awe. And for that, I know I will have no greater role in life than to continue to serve our Lord in any way I’m called, from now until that day when he finally calls me into heaven.
My work and my life are intertwined, yet I take it all a little easier now. Let’s face it: life isn’t all about work. I have my kids and stepchildren, whom I love. I’m blessed to have my first wife, the mother of my children, whom I love, still in my life. I have ten grandchildren, whom I love. I have my brother and his wife and their family, whom I love. I have my Princess family, whom I love. I have great friends, whom I love. Jesus said to love everyone. I have a wealth of experience and a million stories to tell. (Believe me, I’ve got more if you want ’em!)
And best of all, I have Patti. My beautiful Patti.
I may not live in a mansion anymore, but I tell you, I am a very rich man.
So while I’m still at it, and while I still can, I’m going to savor every last bite of this incredible voyage of my life.
In fact, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m gonna run down to the local diner—and order myself a hot dog.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THIS BOOK WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE without the support of a whole bunch of incredibly talented people—all of them friends, some old, some new, whom I love—and I’m eternally grateful to each and every one of them.
First of all, I want to thank my manager, Susan Munao, one of the great motors of my life, whose friendship and partnership in my career for the last thirty years has meant everything to me. Without her creativity, taste, and perseverance, half of what I’ve talked about in this book (and the making of this book itself) would never have happened! Not to mention that I simply couldn’t function without the tireless assistance of her sister, Anne Marie Merz—“My Girl Friday” (and Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday . . . ). They are both my sisters in Christ, and I’m just so thankful for all that they do.
I want to thank Joel Kneedler, my literary agent (and thespian brother) at Alive Communications, who brought me to just the right publisher and is just a gem. My fabulous editor, Debbie Wickwire—I wish I could handle a horse the way she does! And of course Matt Baugher, who believed in this book from the very beginning, and who’s quite the thespian in his own right—I wish I had his voice! And I send a special thanks to the wonderfully dedicated staff at Thomas Nelson Publishing.
Then there’s my collaborator, Mark Dagostino, whose talents speak for themselves on every page of this book. He’s become like a loving son to me—one who guides me and advises me and has become a little paternal to me as we’ve gone through the emotional process of reflecting on my entire life over the course of this past year. Thank you, Mark.
Honestly, this whole team has been a gift from God to me. They make writing a book seem easy!
I could fill a book with the names of people I’d like to thank. To borrow a bit from my friend Valerie Harper, who in her own book borrowed a line from an acceptance speech by the great Maureen Stapleton: “I’d like to thank everyone I have ever met in my life!” I want to thank every actor I’ve ever worked with, every director who ever directed me, every producer who believed in me enough to hire me . . . every person in every congregation I’ve ever been in who raised their hands for Jesus!
I want to thank my wonderful family at Princess Cruises, who’ve given me the opportunity to see the world and to share in so many journeys of a lifetime. Especially Julie, Karen, Suzanne, and Cynthia—all in public relations—and also one of my best friends, who manages my Princess Cruises appearances, Mr. Lee Mimms.
I want to thank Hal March for firing me and kick-starting my whole career! (Ha!)
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank my first wife, Joan “Rootie” Rootvik MacLeod, for being my loving wife all those years, and for bringing me the four children I always dreamed about. I want to thank my children for everything they’ve given me, and for being the forgiving, loving, incredibly talented people they are. I want to thank my wonderfully talented and loving stepchildren for accepting me, and sharing their lives with me, and allowing me to love them too.
I can’t forget my wonderful grandkids, all of whom I just adore. And my brother and his wife and my whole extended family. I love you all!
But most of all I want to thank Patti—my beautiful Patti—for everything. For loving me unconditionally and believing in me more than I believed in myself at times; for cherishing every facet of our life together, and remembering all those little details I couldn’t remember as we tried to make these pages sing; and for being there. Always. I will love you, always and forever.
Finally, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, who kept me alive long enough to get these memories down on paper; who guided me (and continues to guide me) on this incredible journey at every step and every turn along the way.
PHOTO CREDITS
Unless otherwise noted below, photos are from the MacLeod family photo archives.
INSERT 1
Page 5 A Hatful of Rain handbill: © 1955 Playbill Incorporated.
Page 6 I Want to Live! photo: I Want to Live! (Feature) © 1958 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All rights reserved. Courtesy of MGM Media Licensing.
High Time photo: Archive Photos/Moviepix Collection/Getty Images.
The Sword of Ali Baba photo: © 1965 Universal Studios. Courtesy of Universal Licensing LLC.
Page 7 The Sand Pebbles photos: “THE SAND PEBBLES” © 1966 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved.
Kelly’s Heroes photos: Licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.
INSERT 2
Page 1 The Mary Tyler Moore Show, photos 1 and 2: “THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW” © 1970 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved.
The Mary Tyler More Show, photo 3: “THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW” © 1970 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved; CBS Photo Archives/Archive Photos Collection/Getty Images.
SAG Awards photo: John Shearer/WireImage Collection/Getty Images.
Page 2 The Mary Tyler Moore Show, photos 1 and 2: “THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW” © 1970 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved.
The Mary Tyler More Show, photo 3: “THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW” ©1970 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved; CBS Photo
Archives/Archive Photos Collection/Getty Images.
Page 4 The Love Boat, photos 1 and 3: © American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
MacLeod with Warhol: Photographed by Jim McHugh.
Page 5 MacLeod with Merman, Miller, Channing: Ann Clifford/Time & Life Pictures Collection/Getty Images.
The Love Boat, photos 2–5: © American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Page 6 The Love Boat, photos 1–3: © American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
People’s Choice Awards photo: © CBS Photo Archive.
Page 7 TV Land Awards photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Collection/Getty Images.
The Love Boat, photos 2 and 3: © American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Page 8 The Mike Douglas Show, photos 1–3: © Michael Leshnov.
INSERT 3
Page 1 Princess Cruises, photos 1, 2, 3, and 5: Princess Cruises.
MacLeod with Thatcher: Mario Ruiz/Time & Life Images Collection/Getty Images.
Page 2 Princess Cruises, photos 1 and 4: Princess Cruises.
Page 3 Juvenile diabetes event photo: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images.
Page 4 Princess Cruises, photos 1 and 3: Princess Cruises.
MacLeod with MacGraw and O’Neal: Tim Chapman/Getty Images News/Getty Images.
Page 7 All photos: Christiano Film Group.
Page 8 All photos: Princess Cruises.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
GAVIN MACLEOD IS BEST KNOWN AS CAPTAIN Stubing on ABC’s worldwide smash The Love Boat and as Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He and his wife, Patti, hosted Back on Course on TBN for seventeen years, and for thirty years, and still today, Gavin is the global ambassador for Princess Cruises. He dedicates his acting talents to the world of faith-based films, including his starring role in the beloved feature The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, and is often called to emcee or speak at events. His website is www.gavinmacleod.com.
MARK DAGOSTINO IS A NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING coauthor and one of the most respected celebrity journalists in America. For ten years he served on staff in New York and LA as a correspondent, columnist, and senior writer for People magazine, interviewing personalities such as Michael J. Fox, Christopher Reeve, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Donald Trump.