Lyle Waggoner Dead, ‘Carol Burnett Show,’ ‘Wonder Woman’ Star Dies At 84 After Long Illness
Lyle Waggoner has died. The legendary actor known for his leading-man looks and his roles on The Carol Burnett Show and Wonder Woman, passed away with his family by his side at his Westlake, California home following an undisclosed, long illness, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Waggoner’s son Jason shared the sad news of his 84-year-old father’s death with the entertainment site.
Waggoner’s death comes 10 months after the death of his Carol Burnett Show sidekick, Tim Conway.
In a statement to TMZ, Burnett paid tribute to Waggoner following the news of his death.
“He was funny, kind and multi-talented. But even more than that, a loving friend. I will miss him,” the actress and comedian said.
Waggoner only had a few acting credits to his name when he was hired as an announcer for The Carol Burnett Show in 1967. He also starred in sketches alongside Burnett and her comedy troupe, which included Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and frequent guest star Tim Conway.
Waggoner, who was cast often in sketches as “the handsome guy,” famously played a prisoner of war in the iconic “The Interrogator” skit which had him being questioned by German soldiers (Korman and Conway) and a puppet.
Waggoner left The Carol Burnett Show in 1974, after seven seasons and soon landed the role of Col. Steve Trevor on ABC’s Wonder Woman opposite Lynda Carter. Waggoner played two generations of the character from 1975 to 1979.
Waggoner also appeared in episodes of Charlie’ Angels, Mork & Mindy, and Murder She Wrote. In an episode of The Golden Girls, he famously competed with singer Sonny Bono for the affections of Dorothy (Bea Arthur).
His last acting credit was in the 2005 TV series The War at Home. In 2017, Waggoner reunited with his Carol Burnett Show castmates for the show’s 50th anniversary special on CBS.
During his long career, the heartthrob actor also made headlines for posing for the centerfold of Playgirl magazine’s inaugural issue, which was published in June 1973.
In addition to his acting career, Waggoner had artistic talent as a sculptor. He also had an entrepreneurial side to him. The actor went on to found Star Waggons, a company that rents luxury trailers for the entertainment business, after cutting a sweet deal on the Wonder Woman set in the late 1970s.
In 2013, Waggoner told LA Mag that he started the business after Wonder Woman producers gave him the use of “a very nice motorhome” that they had rented from a private owner.
“I said, ‘Well, if I had a motorhome, would you rent it from me?’ I was always entrepreneurial-oriented, trying to find a business to get into. So I went out and bought a motorhome and rented it to the production company for the three years that I was on that show,” Waggoner explained.
Star Waggons grew to a fleet of more than 700 luxury trailers. Waggoner’s sons later took over the family business.
Waggoner is survived by his wife, Sharon Kennedy, and two sons, Beau and Jason, and several grandchildren. The actor and his wife would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this September.
