Biography
A ruggedly handsome former model, Lyle Waggoner spent his career fighting the notion that he was an all-brawn, no-brains actor despite his impressive run as a series regular on the landmark sketch comedy program "The Carol Burnett Show."The Kansas native got his start as an actor with appearances in a string of Z-grade motion pictures including "Women of the Prehistoric Planet" and "Catalina Caper." The Midwesterner also lost the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 1966 spoof "Batman" to Adam West. Waggoner's luck changed after being initially hired in 1967 by Burnett to be an announcer for her show. The comedienne grew to appreciate his acting chops and slowly incorporated him into the comedic ensemble alongside comic regulars Vicki Lawrence and Harvey Korman. Seven seasons in, Waggoner yearned to establish himself as an actor and left after 1974. The following year, he was quickly cast to play flyboy romantic lead Major Steven Leonard "Steve" Trevor to Lynda Carter's "Wonder Woman" title character. For the three seasons the series ran, Waggoner's role diminished as Carter's expanded and by the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was relegated to guest appearances on "Charlie's Angels," "The Love Boat," and "Fantasy Island." With acting work drying up beyond the odd B-movie role in "Surf II" and "Wizards of the Demon Sword," Waggoner switched from full-time acting to running Star Waggons, a company he founded in 1979 that leases customized trailers to film and television companies. Lyle Waggoner died on March 17, 2020 at the age of 84.
