Imagine becoming the face of one of the most popular TV shows of all time, adored by millions as the cruise director aboard a ship that promised endless adventure and romance.
Now imagine that same star suddenly dropping out, not for lack of talent, but for a very public battle with addiction. This is the story of an actress who went from being the heart of The Love Boat to becoming a controversial figure and finally reemerging in an unexpected way.
So what happened to this once promising star and where is she now? Read on to discover the shocking twists and turns that led to dramatic changes in her career and personal life. You won’t believe the transformation!
After seven years of playing a popular cruise ship director on a show that promised romance, the actress faced strong public backlash when she was fired due to her very public struggle with cocaine.
Now 70, the former star, who has hit rock bottom both personally and professionally, has gone from being the cruise’s most admired television director to becoming a cheese steward for a Seattle catering company.
Keep reading to find out the identity of this actress!
When The Love Boat first premiered in 1977, it lived up to its “something for everyone” tagline. Each week, fans followed the adventures of their favorite crew members on the Pacific Princess, including Captain Stubing and his daughter Vicki (Gavin McLeod and Jill Whelan), Doc (Bernie Kopell), Gopher (Fred Grandy), bartender Isaac (Ted Lange) and the cruise director Julie McCoy, played by 23-year-old Cynthia Lauren Tewes.
However, in the eighth season of the popular TV series, Tewes was noticeably absent. She was replaced by Patricia Klous, who took over the role of Julia’s sister, Judy McCoy.
In a 1985 interview with TV Guide, executive producer Douglas Cramer explained why Tewes was fired: “There were serious problems with Lauren. Not just recently, but the whole seven years with The Love Boat . . . It was terribly disruptive.”
Tewes was fired from the show in 1984 due to her ongoing struggle with cocaine addiction.
“All that money didn’t go into the bank account. It went up my nose,” Tewes admitted in an interview. “The first time I tried cocaine, I had just got a job on the Love Boat and was heading to a party. My date said, ‘Let’s do drugs.’ And I thought, ‘Why not?'”
She went on to describe the euphoric feeling cocaine gave her and believed it made her feel braver and stronger, a false sense of courage that she likened to finding courage in Oz.
In a 2014 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Tewes opened up about her struggles with addiction and explained the shame and guilt she felt as she fought to break free. “I felt guilty, ashamed, humiliated, disgusted and disappointed. I knew I had put myself in a situation I couldn’t get out of on my own,” she said. “In the ’70s and early ’80s, cocaine was everywhere, but I was the only one in Hollywood doing it. Nobody wanted to help me.”
Tewes tackled her addiction on her own and began her journey to sobriety in 1980, though it took her several years to get clean.
“I realized I wasn’t having fun. I was killing myself and spending all the money. So I just stopped,” she said in an interview with TV Guide.
A family tragedy and a new journey
After getting clean, Tewes shifted her focus to theater, where she found new opportunities as an actress and director. She went through two divorces during this period before meeting Robert Nadir in 1993 while performing at the Arizona Theater Company. They dated long-distance for a year before Tewes moved to Seattle to be with him.
“I decided to change my life and it was a great decision,” she said in 1998. “The theater community here was very supportive.”
The couple married in 1996, but tragedy struck in 2002 when Robert was diagnosed with ALS. He died the same year at the age of 46. It wasn’t the first personal tragedy Tewes had faced – in 1987 she lost her one-month-old daughter after she was born prematurely.
“Victim of Circumstance”
Although Tewes’ career never fully recovered, she made several appearances on shows like Who’s the Boss? The Runaway, and Twin Peaks. She also reunited with the original Love Boat cast in the episode The Love Boat: The Next Wave, where her character became romantically involved with Doc.
However, Tewes was absent from Princess Cruises’ recent Love Boat at Sea Celebration, which featured some of the original cast, including Kopell, Lange, Whelan, and Grandy. McLeod, who played Captain Stubing, died in 2021 aged 90.
Although she was not on board, Tewes was far from forgotten by her former colleagues.
Whelan, now 57, mentioned that she often sees Tewes when she drives over for weekends of cooking, laughter, and reminiscing. “We should talk about our friend who is like a sister to us all,” said Whelan. “She’s an incredibly honest, lovely person and a spectacular actress. When I look back on The Love Boat, I marvel at her ability to seamlessly transition between drama and comedy.”
Grandy, 76, also spoke about Tewes’ departure from the show, noting that she’s “made a great recovery.” He admitted that in the early 1980s, substance abuse on set was considered a crime and Tewes was a “victim of circumstance” at the time.
Today, Tewes continues his acting career by appearing in Imagination Theatre’s comedy-mystery radio series Murder and Murdchos.
When she’s not acting, the 70-year-old actress and chef works as a cheese specialist for a Seattle-based catering company.
“I hope it’s all behind me,” Tewes told the Los Angeles Times. “I believe I made the right decisions by staying in the business, when they tried to push me out, I followed my heart and persevered through it all.”
What do you think of Tewes’ ouster from the cult TV show? Share your thoughts with us and don’t forget to share this article so others can hear!
Lauren Tewes’ journey from beloved TV star to overcoming personal issues is a testament to her resilience and strength. Despite the challenges she faced – both professionally and personally – Tewes was able to rebuild her life and find fulfillment in new endeavors such as acting, directing, and even a career as a cheese specialist.
Her story reflects the complexities of fame, addiction, and the road to recovery. Although her time on the Love Boat came to an abrupt and painful end, Tewes’ persistence and growth in the spotlight serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of second chances and the human capacity for transformation. What do you think of Tewes’ story and her tenure on the iconic show? Share your thoughts and help spark a conversation about the ups and downs of a Hollywood career.