Ted Lange Was Warned That Gene Kelly Was 'Grumpy' on Set ofThe Love Boat—Before Discovering 'He Was Wonderful'

Mar. 15, 2025

Ted Lange, Gene Kelly.Photo:Tasia Wells/Getty; Silver Screen Collection/Getty

Tasia Wells/Getty; Silver Screen Collection/Getty

Ted Langeis reflecting on his memories ofThe Love Boat— and how guest starGene Kellydidn’t turn out to be as “grumpy” as he was led to believe.During the latest episode ofSteve Kmetko’s podcastStill Here Hollywood, the 77-year-old actor shared an anecdote about meeting the late Kelly, as they filmed a 1984 episode of the series together.As Lange remembered, Kelly was one of hisfavorite guest stars on the show, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986 and was known for its A-list guest stars. He even asked Kelly a question during filming, even though “muckety-mucks” — or higher-ups — encouraged him not to talk toSingin' in the Rainactor-director."[They said], ‘Don’t talk to Gene. He’s a grumpy guy, so just leave him alone. When you do your scenes, fine, but don’t talk to Gene’," Lange, who played bartender Isaac Washington in the series, recalled. “We all said, ‘OK, yeah, fine.'“Ted Lange, Gene Kelly.Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty; Everett Collection / Everett CollectionIn the episode, Kelly played a retired spy on a Hong Kong cruise. In between filming, Lange said he and Kelly were waiting to film a scene together, and despite the aforementioned warnings, he decided to make some small talk with the episode’s guest of honor.“He was reading a magazine,” Lange said. “He wore contactsandglasses. So he’s sitting there and he’s reading and I said, ‘Screw this, I’m gonna go talk to Gene Kelly.’ So I go, he’s sitting in one chair, I sit across from him, I go, ‘Hi.'“Ted Lange in 1983.Afro American Newspapers/Gado/GettyAfter Kelly “looked up” at Lange and acknowledged him, he went right back to reading. But Lange wasn’t giving up that easily.“I said, ‘Can I ask you a question?’ You can see him go, ‘What?’ I said, ‘What was it like dancing with the Nicholas brothers?’ Now, for your audience that don’t know who they are, they’re two Black tap dancers out of the Cotton Club back [during the] Harlem Renaissance,” Lange told Kmetko of Fayard and Harold Nicholas. “And Gene put them in his movies. They were incredible dancers.““So he [went] like this,” Lange said, lowering his glasses. “‘You want to know about the Nicholas brothers?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ So he told me this wonderful story about the Nicholas brothers. And then, they call us on the set, we go on the set, we do a scene together. Then we’re done and we go back to the bus, the little bus. He says, ‘Hey, you want to have a drink with me at the hotel?'“Lange took Kelly up on the offer. “After we finished our day’s work, I hooked up with him, sat down in the hotel and he was wonderful,” Lange said.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Kelly died in 1996, 12 years after filming his guest role onThe Love Boatalongside Lange. The meeting with the Hollywood legend, Lange revealed, was “totally different” than he expected.“And then on reflection, I said, I bet everybody when they get a chance to talk to him, talks aboutSingin’ in the Rain. I had no interest inSingin’ in the Rain, because I knew the Nicholas brothers.“The Love Boat is available to stream on Paramount+. New episodes of Steve Kmetko’sStill Here Hollywoodpodcast drop on Mondays.

Ted Langeis reflecting on his memories ofThe Love Boat— and how guest starGene Kellydidn’t turn out to be as “grumpy” as he was led to believe.

During the latest episode ofSteve Kmetko’s podcastStill Here Hollywood, the 77-year-old actor shared an anecdote about meeting the late Kelly, as they filmed a 1984 episode of the series together.

As Lange remembered, Kelly was one of hisfavorite guest stars on the show, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986 and was known for its A-list guest stars. He even asked Kelly a question during filming, even though “muckety-mucks” — or higher-ups — encouraged him not to talk toSingin’ in the Rainactor-director.

“[They said], ‘Don’t talk to Gene. He’s a grumpy guy, so just leave him alone. When you do your scenes, fine, but don’t talk to Gene’,” Lange, who played bartender Isaac Washington in the series, recalled. “We all said, ‘OK, yeah, fine.'”

Ted Lange, Gene Kelly.Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty; Everett Collection / Everett Collection

Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty; Everett Collection / Everett Collection

In the episode, Kelly played a retired spy on a Hong Kong cruise. In between filming, Lange said he and Kelly were waiting to film a scene together, and despite the aforementioned warnings, he decided to make some small talk with the episode’s guest of honor.

“He was reading a magazine,” Lange said. “He wore contactsandglasses. So he’s sitting there and he’s reading and I said, ‘Screw this, I’m gonna go talk to Gene Kelly.’ So I go, he’s sitting in one chair, I sit across from him, I go, ‘Hi.'”

Ted Lange in 1983.Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty

Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty

After Kelly “looked up” at Lange and acknowledged him, he went right back to reading. But Lange wasn’t giving up that easily.

“I said, ‘Can I ask you a question?’ You can see him go, ‘What?’ I said, ‘What was it like dancing with the Nicholas brothers?’ Now, for your audience that don’t know who they are, they’re two Black tap dancers out of the Cotton Club back [during the] Harlem Renaissance,” Lange told Kmetko of Fayard and Harold Nicholas. “And Gene put them in his movies. They were incredible dancers.”

“So he [went] like this,” Lange said, lowering his glasses. “‘You want to know about the Nicholas brothers?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ So he told me this wonderful story about the Nicholas brothers. And then, they call us on the set, we go on the set, we do a scene together. Then we’re done and we go back to the bus, the little bus. He says, ‘Hey, you want to have a drink with me at the hotel?'”

Lange took Kelly up on the offer. “After we finished our day’s work, I hooked up with him, sat down in the hotel and he was wonderful,” Lange said.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Kelly died in 1996, 12 years after filming his guest role onThe Love Boatalongside Lange. The meeting with the Hollywood legend, Lange revealed, was “totally different” than he expected.

“And then on reflection, I said, I bet everybody when they get a chance to talk to him, talks aboutSingin’ in the Rain. I had no interest inSingin’ in the Rain, because I knew the Nicholas brothers.”

The Love Boat is available to stream on Paramount+. New episodes of Steve Kmetko’sStill Here Hollywoodpodcast drop on Mondays.

source: people.com