Lyle Wesley Waggoner was an American actor, sculptor, presenter, travel trailer salesman, and model, known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1974, and for playing the role of Steve Trevor and Steve Trevor Jr. on Wonder Woman from 1975 to 1979.
By the mid-1960s, Waggoner was appearing regularly in television and films, including an episode of Gunsmoke. He was a finalist for the title role in the TV series version of Batman, but lost the role to Adam West. In 1967, he appeared in Catalina Caper, a film which would eventually be lampooned by Mystery Science Theater 3000. He also had a minor guest-starring role in the season-three episode "Deadliest of the Species" of the TV series Lost in Space. in 1967 : Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner Also in 1967, Waggoner began a seven-year stint on The Carol Burnett Show, a comedy sketch and variety show, on which he appeared as an announcer and performer. In 1973, Waggoner became Playgirl first male semi-nude centerfold. Waggoner left The Carol Burnett Show in 1974 in the hopes of advancing his career as a lead actor. His spot on the show was filled by frequent guest starTim Conway. He later appeared on some of the show's reunion specials. In 1976, Waggoner was appointed "mayor" of Encino, California, by the localchamber of commerce. The "mayor" is not an actual government official; the post is an honorary "goodwill ambassador" position. In addition to Waggoner, other holders of the title have included Steve Allen, Mike Connors, Fred Travalena, Ronnie Schell, and Cesare Danova. A year after leaving Carol Burnett, Waggoner landed the role of Steve Trevor for the pilot and first season of the television series Wonder Woman starring Lynda Carter. Initially set during World War II, when the subsequent two seasons advanced the timeline to the 1970s, Waggoner played Steve Trevor, Jr. Waggoner also appeared in several TV movies and minor motion pictures during the 1970s and 1980s, often cast for “hunk” appeal. He made guest appearances on numerous television series including Charlie's Angels, The San Pedro Beach Bums, Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, The Golden Girls, Ellen, and most recently The War at Home. Waggoner also played at least three roles on The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Murder, She Wrote'' throughout their respective runs.
Later career
In 1979, Waggoner founded Star Waggons, a company that leased customized location trailers for use by the entertainment industry. In 1990, Waggoner co-produced and appeared in a consumer-product show called Consumer America with co-host Shawn Bruner. The series featured novel national products from self-help to home goods and lasted for about two seasons. Waggoner retired from full-time acting to run Star Waggons, but made occasional appearances, often parodying his earlier image. In 1993, Waggoner was the host of an infomercial, “Let's Talk With Lyle Waggoner”, which advertised “Y-Bron”, supposedly a natural product that would cure male impotence. Scottsdale, Arizona based Twin Star was later fined $1.5 million for unsubstantiated claims about Y-Bron.
