Lauren Tewes: From TV Stardom to Cheese Connoisseur After Deep Personal Loss

After captivating audiences for years as the cheerful cruise director on one of television’s most beloved shows, Lauren Tewes found herself facing public scorn and professional exile due to her struggle with drug addiction. Once a rising star, her journey took a dramatic turn—from Hollywood fame to healing in the culinary arts as a cheese expert in Seattle.

Back in 1977, The Love Boat premiered with a promise of romantic escapades and light-hearted fun. It quickly became a household favorite, with fans looking forward each week to the antics aboard the Pacific Princess. Among the standout characters was Julie McCoy, the ship’s cruise director, played by a then-23-year-old Lauren Tewes. She won the role over more than a hundred hopefuls, and her charm became a key element of the show’s success.

However, by the eighth season, Tewes was nowhere to be seen. Her absence was explained through the arrival of a new cruise director—her on-screen sister Judy, portrayed by Patricia Klous. The reason for this sudden change wasn’t hidden for long.

In a 1985 interview with TV Guide, executive producer Douglas Cramer addressed the difficult decision to let her go, citing long-standing challenges throughout her tenure. The root of it all: a battle with cocaine addiction that began just as her career was taking off.

“All that money I made? It didn’t go into a bank—it went up my nose,” Tewes revealed candidly. She shared how peer pressure and a desire to fit in led her down a dangerous path. The initial high, she explained, felt like courage in a bottle—a false sense of empowerment that quickly turned destructive.

Tewes later revisited this dark chapter in a 2014 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Speaking with raw honesty, she described feeling isolated and ashamed, secretly hoping someone would intervene. She reflected on how, despite drug use being rampant in the industry at the time, she was treated as though she were the only one afflicted.

By 1980, Tewes had begun trying to quit, a process that took several years. “I realized I wasn’t enjoying myself anymore—I was destroying my life,” she admitted. With determination, she quit cold turkey and gradually rebuilt her life.

Turning to the stage after her television exit, Tewes found fulfillment in theater, both acting and directing. She also faced profound personal heartache along the way. In 1987, she lost her premature baby just one month after birth. Years later, she found love again with fellow actor Robert Nadir, whom she met during a theater production. They married in 1996 after a long-distance courtship, but tragedy struck again in 2002 when Robert passed away from ALS at just 46 years old.

Though her on-screen career never quite regained its former momentum, Tewes made occasional appearances on shows such as Who’s the Boss?, Twin Peaks, and The Fugitive. She also rejoined her former castmates for The Love Boat: The Next Wave, where her character rekindled a romance with Doc.

More recently, she was notably absent from the Princess Cruises reunion cruise celebrating the legacy of The Love Boat, though her former colleagues continue to speak of her with deep fondness. Jill Whelan, who played Captain Stubing’s daughter, shared that Tewes remains a close friend, often visiting to cook, laugh, and reminisce.

“She’s a wonderful soul and a tremendously talented actress,” Whelan said. “Watching her shift from comedy to drama on the show was inspiring. We love her dearly.”

Fred Grandy, another former co-star, also reflected on her departure, noting the limited understanding of addiction in the early ’80s. “Back then, substance abuse was seen as a moral failing, not a health issue. Lauren didn’t get the support she deserved,” he said. “But she’s come through it all brilliantly.”

Now 70, Tewes continues to pursue her creative passions. She lends her voice to the mystery-comedy radio series Murder and the Murdochs, and works as a cheese specialist for a catering company in Seattle.

Reflecting on her tumultuous path, Tewes told the Los Angeles Times, “I believe I made the right choices—staying in the industry on my terms, following my instincts, and persevering even when it tried to push me out.”

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