We still can’t believe Lyle Waggoner is gone. The beloved Carol Burnett Show and Wonder Woman star sadly died at age 84 on March 17 following a heartbreaking battle with cancer. At the time of his death, the late actor’s rep shared a statement with Closer Weekly.
“Lyle Waggoner, loving husband, father, grandfather, entrepreneur and actor passed away peacefully at home on March 17 at the age of 84 with his wife [Sharon Kennedy] at his side,” the spokesperson announced. “The cause of death was cancer.”
After confirming the terrible news, Lyle’s rep commended him for following “his calling as an actor.” As fans know, the Love Me Deadly star first rose to Hollywood superstardom after landing a guest role in western TV series Gunsmoke in the late ’60s. He then went on to appear in tons of other hit films and TV shows.
Most prominently, Lyle landed a starring role on the Carol Burnett Show. The former Hollywood heartthrob appeared as a series of characters during actress Carol Burnett‘s self-entitled variety show from 1967 to 1978.
On top of the other handful of acclaimed roles he played throughout the ’60s and ’70s, he also portrayed the role of Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman show from 1975 to 1979.
Although the doting father of two — who shares sons Jason and Beau with his longtime wife — went on to continue acting throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he took some time to create his beloved business, Star Waggons, in 1979.
“It was while working on Wonder Woman that his he created Star Waggons, the go-to company providing high-end luxury trailers to the entertainment industry,” Lyle’s rep told Closer. “His Star Waggons [business] transformed the way the entertainment business took care of it actors, make-up artists, wardrobe and production people. He knew how to ‘make artists happy.'”
In May 2013, Lyle told Los Angeles Magazine that although he was proud to be “the top dog” compared to several smaller companies, he no longer missed running his business.
“I still have that entrepreneurial spirit, but I’ve already activated it,” he confessed. “I built the business. It was really exciting to have an idea at the beginning, make the investment, take the risk, buy these motorhomes and put myself out on the limb to make payments, and then to have the company be successful. I guess if my company had failed, I would be talking a different way.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of Lyle through the years!
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