15 Big Stars You Never Knew Set Sail On ‘The Love Boat’

Each three-part storyline of The Love Boat was totally dependent on there being new faces on the onboard to rock the boat each week. So it’s no surprise that after nine seasons the show assembled a whole boatload of guest stars, including old Hollywood heavyweights like Helen Hayes, Ethel Merman, Raymond Burr and Gene Kelly. What you might not have realized at the time was how many big stars of today took a turn on the Lido deck way back when. Here are 15 big stars you never knew set sail on The Love Boat, including a couple of Oscar winners and a Congressman.

1. Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks made an appearance on the fourth season of The Love Boat in 1980. He played Gopher’s frat buddy before starring in his own hit series Bosom Buddies. Tom went on to become one of the biggest movie stars of all time, first making a splash in 1984’s Splash and then hitting it big in 1988’s Big. He has worked with Steven Spielberg multiple times, including his roles in Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, and Bridge of Spies, and also the miniseries Band of Brothers which Tom wrote, directed, and produced.