Lyle Waggoner - Career

Career

Prior to joining Carol Burnett, Waggoner was a finalist for the title role in the TV series version of Batman, but lost the role to comic book buff and veteran actor Adam West. In 1967, he appeared in Catalina Caper (with Tommy Kirk, a former child actor trying to restart his career as a young adult), a film which would eventually be lampooned by Mystery Science Theater 3000. He also had a minor guest starring role in the Season Three episode "Deadliest of the Species" of the TV series Lost In Space. The same year, he began a seven year stint on The Carol Burnett Show (sketch and variety comedy show) as an announcer and performer. Waggoner left the show in 1974 in the hopes of advancing his career as a lead actor. His spot on the show was filled by frequent guest star Tim Conway (and his role as announcer by Ernie Anderson), though he has since appeared on some of the Burnett Show reunions on television.

In 1975, a year after leaving the Burnett Show, Waggoner landed the role of Steve Trevor for the pilot of what would become the television series Wonder Woman. The subsequent series, in which Waggoner played opposite Lynda Carter, ran for three seasons until 1979. Waggoner also appeared in several TV movies and minor motion pictures during the 1970s and 1980s, often cast for “hunk” appeal. He has also made guest appearances on numerous television series including Charlie's Angels, Mork and Mindy, The Golden Girls, Ellen, and most recently The War at Home. Waggoner has also played at least three different roles on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Murder She Wrote throughout their respective runs.

In 1979, Waggoner founded Star Waggons, a company that leases customized trailers for use by the entertainment industry. In 1990, Waggoner co-produced and appeared in a consumer product show called Consumer America with co-host Shawn Bruner. The show featured novel national products from self-help to home goods. The show lasted approximately two seasons.

Waggoner retired from full-time acting to run Star Waggons, but he makes occasional appearances, often parodying his earlier image (The Naked Truth, That 70s Show, Return to the Batcave). In 1993, Waggoner was also the host of an infomercial, “Let’s Talk With Lyle Waggoner”, which advertised “Y-bron”, supposedly a natural product that would cure male impotence.