Patrick Labyorteaux Shares 'One of the Worst Experiences That I've Ever Had' While Playing Role on “The Love Boat”

Virginia ChamleeMon, May 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC

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Patrick Labyorteaux
Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/ Getty; The Patrick LabyorSheaux/YouTube -

Actor Patrick Labyorteaux is sharing his worst on-set experience

The actor said it happened while he shot an episode of The Love Boat and a member of the crew suffered a medical emergency

He added that he felt his own acting was "horrible" in the episode

Actor Patrick Labyorteaux is opening up about his "worst experience" on set, which involved the death of a member The Love Boat's production crew.

Labyorteaux, 60 — who would go on to become widely recognized for his role as Andy Garvey on Little House on the Prairie — spoke about filming an episode of The Love Boat on a recent episode of his The Patrick LabyorSheaux.

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Patrick Labyorteaux The Love Boat
Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content/ Getty

As Labyorteaux shared, "I did two episodes of The Love Boat, and unfortunately, the second episode, probably one of the worst experiences that I've ever had on a TV show."

He went on to describe he felt he did "horrible" in the episode, saying his hair looked off and his eyes "are like, dead." But the episode also included dancing, which he said did not help.

"On top of the fact that my acting was so horrible, I was an absolute worst dancer. As we've discussed, I can't dance. And here is physical proof," he added.

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But what went on behind the scenes while filming was even worse, Labyorteaux explained.

"I was still fascinated by all the stuff they did with the rear projection [while filming the show]," he described. "I was watching the guy who was doing this rear projection unit and then he acts like he's electrocuted, falls down, and acts like he's dead. Well, it wasn't an act."

Labyorteaux continued: "Sadly, tragically, he was truly electrocuted. I watched this man get electrocuted, have a heart attack."

"I went off to get help and then they helped him, and they kept me away from all of this. And I was told later on that the man was fine," he said. "But then, later later, I found out that he had passed away. It is the worst experience that I've had on a set."

The Love Boat originally aired on ABC from September 1977 to May 1986, and followed the adventures of passengers and crew aboard the cruise ship Pacific Princess, with each episode featuring guest stars playing passengers with their own unique storylines. At its heart, the show centered on the cruise ship's crew, who often interacted with the passengers aboard.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”