Love Boat star Gavin MacLeod dies aged 90

Gavin MacLeod (Invision/AP)

US television actor Gavin MacLeod, who starred in The Love Boat and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died at the age of 90.

MacLeod died early on Saturday, his nephew, Mark See, told Variety.

The actor’s health had been poor recently but no cause of death was given, the trade publication reported.

MacLeod achieved stardom as Murray Slaughter, the sardonic TV news writer on the 1970s comedy The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Gavin MacLeod was best known as the cheerful Capt Stubing on The Love Boat (Invision/AP)

He went to a lead role, and bigger fame, as the cheerful Capt Stubing on The Love Boat.

Early in his career, MacLeod was featured on McHale’s Navy from 1962 to 1964 as seaman Joseph “Happy” Haines.

His movie credits included Kelly’s Heroes, The Sand Pebbles, The Sword of Ali Baba, War Hunt and The Crime Busters.

Among his more recent TV credits were Touched By An Angel, JAG and The King of Queens.