Noted television heartthrob of the 1960s and 1970s, the actor embodied the classic description of being tall, dark, and handsome. His impressive physical stature was complemented by a muscular build, smooth charm, and a nearly flawless set of teeth. Born in 1935 in Kansas City, Kansas, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he paid his dues before landing his breakthrough role as the suave announcer on The Carol Burnett Show in the late 1960s.
Prior to his prime television job, he appeared in a string of poorly-made science fiction and beach party films, including Women of the Prehistoric Planet, Swamp Country, Time Wrap, and Catalina Caper. He eventually transitioned from being a mere handsome hunk with a resonant voice to becoming a comedy sketch partner on The Carol Burnett Show, alongside Vicki Lawrence and Harvey Korman.
As the show progressed, he found himself playing the role of the superficial cad or self-important star in many of his scenes. After seven seasons on the variety show, Waggoner felt like a "third banana" and yearned to take a chance on solo stardom. During his downtime, he honed his craft by appearing in summer stock and dinner theater productions, including "Boeing, Boeing", "Send Me No Flowers", and "Once More, with Feeling".
He also hosted the syndicated quiz show It's Your Bet and became Playgirl Magazine's first semi-nude centerfold in 1973. Not long after leaving The Carol Burnett Show, he landed the role of Major Steve Trevor on the popular comic strip-based series Wonder Woman, playing the dashing, no-nonsense boss to Diana Prince. He remained on the show for three seasons before departing.
In later years, Waggoner shifted his focus from performing to entrepreneurship, starting "Star Waggons", a company that provided rental trailers to film and television productions. He married actress, financial consultant, and realtor Sharon Kennedy in 1961, and they remained together for 59 and a half years, raising two sons together.
