Lauren Tewes

Cynthia Lauren Tewes (; born October 26, 1953 ) is an American actress. She played Julie McCoy on the television anthology series The Love Boat, which originally aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986.

Early years Tewes was born in Trafford, Pennsylvania, of German extraction, and Pioneer High School, where she studied drama, winning Best Actress award for three years. Tewes enrolled on an Associate of Arts degree at Rio Hondo College, deciding to major in theatre arts. At college, she won "The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Theatre", a one-year scholarship which enabled her to transfer to the University of California, Riverside, as a sophomore.

In 1973, when her scholarship expired, Tewes withdrew from college and joined the Pacific Conservatory Theatre in Santa Maria, California, as an apprentice, making her stage debut in Arsenic and Old Lace and The Most Happy Fella before becoming a member of the Birdcage Theatre Company at Knott's Berry Farm, an amusement complex outside Los Angeles.

Career Tewes' first break came in mid-1974 when she starred in a Lipton Ice Tea commercial, allowing her to join the Screen Actors Guild and to register with an agent with the prospect of working on film projects.

Tewes was cast for the role of cruise director Julie McCoy on The Love Boat, selected from more than 100 actresses who auditioned. She starred in the third and final pilot of the show, cast the day before production began on the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach. Tewes recalls the pilot episode:

"I had to borrow money to get a new tire, because my ’62 Volkswagen Bug was not going to get to San Pedro…. That first day, standing there in the little outfit, and I had to say, ”Hi, welcome aboard, I’m Julie McCoy, your cruise director” a gazillion times. But I kept screwing it up and saying, ”Hi, welcome aboard, I’m Julie MacLeod…” because I was talking to Gavin MacLeod and I was so excited."

In parallel, Tewes appeared in 1979 TV film Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders alongside Jane Seymour and made her film debut in the 1981 film Eyes of a Stranger, which co-starred a young Jennifer Jason Leigh.

In 1984, after seven seasons on The Love Boat, Tewes was replaced after a highly public battle with cocaine addiction, which she eventually overcame. She did reprise her role as a guest in a 1985 episode, and in the television films in the 1986–87 season.

Tewes was cast in a 1985 CBS sitcom pilot Anything for Love. The pilot aired as a special that summer, but was not picked up as a series. She went on to guest-star in classic 1980s TV series My Two Dads, The New Mike Hammer, Murder, She Wrote, T. J. Hooker and Hunter.

In 1994, Tewes moved to Seattle and focused on regional theatre acting and directing across the country. In Seattle, she performed with the Tacoma Actors Guild and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. As well as doing voice-overs for commercials, Tewes continued her TV career and appeared in a 1998 episode of Love Boat: The Next Wave, a two-season revival of the original series. In 2000–01, she had a recurring role as a police detective on The Fugitive.

Tewes plays Maxine Murdoch in the Imagination Theatre comedy-mystery radio series Murder and the Murdochs, which debuted in 2020. She has also played roles in episodes of other radio series on Imagination Theatre.

Culinary school Tewes attended culinary school to become a cheese specialist and works as a sous-chef for a catering company in Seattle when not acting.

Personal life Tewes has been married three times: first to John Wassel, a TV commercials director; then to Paolo Nonnis, an Italian drummer; and, lastly, to stage actor Robert Nadir. In 1987, she suffered the loss of her one-month-old daughter, who was born prematurely.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1981 Eyes of a Stranger Jane Harris Slasher film 1993 Magic Kid Mom aka The Little Ninja Dragon (United Kingdom) 1995 The Doom Generation TV Anchorwoman independent black comedy thriller film 1997 Nowhere Julie The Newscaster black comedy drama film 2021 Potato Dreams of America Nina Ivanovna dramedy

Television Year Title Role Notes 1976 Police Story Kathy Episode: "Trash Detail, Front and Center" 1977 Family Jill Redfield Episode: "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall..." ABC Weekend Special Sharon Episode: "The Haunted Trailer" Starsky & Hutch Sharon Freemont Episode: "Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty" 1977–1987 The Love Boat Cruise Director Julie McCoy 199 episodes 1978 Vega$ Cindy Smalley Episode: "Yes, My Darling Daughter" 1979 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Jessie Mathews Television film 1976–1979 Charlie's Angels Christine Hunter, Julie McCoy 2 episodes 1978–1984 Fantasy Island Jane Howell / Bebe DeForrest 2 episodes 1985 The New Mike Hammer Chastity Episode: "Firestorm" Finder of Lost Loves Dorothy Keating Episode: "Surrogates" T.J. Hooker Cynthia Randolph Episode: "Lag Time" Anything for Love Dot Bailey Television film Murder, She Wrote Betty Jordan Episode: "A Lady in the Lake" 1986 Hunter Sheila Burke Episode: "True Confessions" 1984–1986 Hotel Paula Todd, Ellen Pierson 2 episodes 1987 Sky Commanders Red McCullough Voice, 2 episodes 1988 My Two Dads Karen Kupkus Episode: "Friends of the Family" 1990 The China Lake Murders Kitty Television film Camp Cucamonga Mrs. Scott Television film 1991 Who's the Boss? Lavonne Episode: "This Sold House" 1992–1993 Dark Justice 2 episodes 1994 Weird Science Ms. Tankey Episode: "One Size Fits All" Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 In. Women Hostess Television film 1996 It Came from Outer Space II Carolee Minter Television film 1997 Martin Julie McCoy Episode: "Goin' Overboard" 1998 Love Boat: The Next Wave Julie McCoy Episode: "Reunion" 2001 The Fugitive Linda Westershulte 4 episodes 2017 Twin Peaks Neighbor Episode: "There's Fire Where You Are Going"

Video games Year Title Voice 1996 You Don't Know Jack Volume 2 Herself

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Production Result 1982 39th Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television The Love Boat as Julie McCoy