Boyhood Crushes on Male TV Stars of the 1960s

 

At the time, I didn't know why it was, but during the 1960s (when I was between the ages of 4-13) I was drawn to male TV stars in a way that their female counterparts couldn't replicate.  Sure, I liked Patty Duke, Sally Field, Marlo Thomas, etc. but it was because they were perky and made me laugh - they created no yearning or stir anything inside me like the guys did.  With that said, here are ten of my crushes from primetime TV (in chronological order):   

 

LLOYD BRIDGES

Of all of my crushes, Bridges (actor Jeff's father) was by far the oldest of my crushes.  I was 4 or 5 years old, and he was in his late 40s!  It may have been because, as scuba diver Mike Nelson on Sea Hunt, he was regularly bare chested - something not commonly seen on TV of my youth.  He died in 1998 at the age of 85.

 

 

VINCE EDWARDS

Edwards starred as surgeon Ben Casey in the eponymous medical drama in the early 60s.  I liked him better than Richard Chamberlain, who starred in Dr. Kildare at the same time, probably because Edwards was swarthier and beefier.  (Ben Casey was the higher rated of the two shows.)  He died in 1996 at the age of 67.

 

 

   

 

   

 

BILL BIXBY

He starred in My Favorite Martian on CBS in the early '60s, and then in The Courtship of Eddie's Father on ABC at the end of the decade.  Bixby was a favorite because he exuded such warmth and charm.  He also starred in The Magician and Incredible Hulk in the 1970s.

 

  

 

MARK GODDARD

Goddard played hot-headed Major Don West on CBS's space adventure Lost in Space.  He looked especially sexy in his metallic silver spacesuit (which resembled the space age outfits the group Labelle wore 10 years later.)  FYI, in 1978 Goddard performed on Broadway with Liza Minnelli in The Act.  He's still alive - now 85 years old (2021).

 

 

TED BESSELL

He played magazine editor Donald Hollinger, the long- suffering boyfriend of Anne Marie (played by Marlo Thomas) on That Girl.  He made being an intellectual sexy - and I also liked that he was called "Donald" rather than "Don".  I preferred him more in the early years of the show when he had a more clean-cut look.  Following Marlo Thomas his next co-star was a chimpanzee in the much derided and short lived Me & the Chimp.

 

 

 

ALEJANDRO REY

A movie star in his native Argentina, Rey played the role of Carlos Ramirez, the Latin playboy and San Juan casino owner who befriended Sally Field's Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun.  Of all my crushes, Rey died the youngest, at the age of 57 (in 1987) - but Bill Bixby (age 59) and Ted Bessell (61) weren't far behind.

 

    

 

PETER LUPUS & GREG MORRIS

Both actors were on CBS's Sunday night spy show Mission: Impossible.  They took care of wire tapping and planting explosive devices in order for the team to carry out each "impossible" assignment.  FYI, Lupus later appeared in a nude spread in Playgirl.  He's now 89 (2021) whereas Morris died in 1996 at the age of 62.

 

Peter Lupus

 

Greg Morris

MICHAEL COLE

One of the youngest of my crushes, Cole was 28 when he was cast as Pete Cochran in the action-crime drama The Mod Squad in 1968.  In the show's opening credits I pictured myself as Peggy (we were both blonds) being supported on either side by Pete and Link as they ran through that dark, dank tunnel.  Cole is now 81 (2021).

 

 

 

  

KENT MCCORD

The straight-laced co-star of Adam-12 (along with Martin Milner), he was in his late 20s when the show debuted on NBC's Saturday schedule.  Much later in his career he played a judge in the legal drama JAG and in 2003 he ran for president of SAG but lost to Melissa Gilbert (of Little House on the Prairie fame).  He's now 79 years old (2021).

 

 

  

HONORABLE MENTION

 

Lyle Waggoner/ Carol Burnett Show

 

Robert Conrad/ The Wild Wild West

 

Richard Chamberlain/ Dr. Kildare

 

David Jansen/ The Fugitive

 

Tony Franciosa/ The Name of the Game

 

Comments

[Cosign]

I was born in 1963 and I remember my first crushes were Robert Conrad (always loved his shirtless scenes in the Wild Wild West), and Van Williams (loved the dashing suits he wore in the Green Hornet)!

[Chris Marks]

A bit older here and my first celebrity crush was Ricky Nelson. Ricky grew up on TV and went from being the ornery (but polite) little brother to David to a big recording star and major teen idol. Even as he got older (up until his untimely death) Nelson was a major hottie.

[Alex]

born in 1965, my crushes were a shirtless Lyle Waggoner on Carol Burnett or Tony Dow on Leave it to Beaver.....plus Dennis Cole and Robert Conrad too!!! Sigh oh the memories!

[John]

What about Brian Kelly, the dad on "Flipper?" Handsome, tanned and bare-chested almost every show!

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/2619/12.jpg

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http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MbHYIgYCIvA/ToZAjYLg6EI/AAAAAAAAA70/zbSbBWxKlZY/s1600/BrianKelly_myfirstgaycrush.blogspot.com.jpg

[javier erazo]

Omg I have the same crushes when I was a kid in Honduras ..I knew all their names .. thanks for sharing

[Hongiantal]

This is amazing! I had crushes on every one of these men too at the same ages as the webpage author.

My all time favorite remains Robert Conrad in TWWW.

[thomas scott]

almost the same men maybe it was the laid back calmness of male identity so secure. don't forget david selby dark shadows and david hedison and ron ely and dennis cole ,too many..dan from land of the giants

[Douglas Decker]

Then there was Hugh O'Brien on The Life and Times of WyattbEarp

[Peter Foss]

Robert Fuller on Laramie was the perfect male. Chaps, nice bulge, ass you could bounce a quarter off of. Tight muscled body. Was a song and dance man as well.

[Scott Kjeer]

My dad reminded me of a time he caught me kissing Mark Goddard (on the console television). When he asked me why I did that, he says that I answered: "Because I think he's pretty". I had crushes of most of the same men you did. Mine also included the hot young firemen at Station 51 and the doctor at Rampart General of Emergency!

[Rob]

Hi Scott, that's a great story! And how did your father react?

[Ricjy]

I had a big crush with James Darren actor of the " time tunnel " I thought he was gorgeous akso in the movie "Gidget".

[Dave]

If I think back to my very first crush on an actor in a tv series, it would have to be Spencer Milligan, who played the patriarch on Land Of The Lost: He had a sexy voice, was always protective of his kids (and Chaka) and had a furry, masculine chest.

Other tv characters I had a slight crush on (besides those already mentioned) was James Komack (Bill Bixby's playboy buddy on COEF), Russel Johnson (Gilligan's Island), Victor French and Merlin Olsen (Little House on the Prarie), Dan Haggerty (Grizzy Adams), William Shatner (Star Trek), Sturart Margolin and Herb Edelman (Love, American Style) and James Brolin (Marcus Welby, MD).

Oh yeah, and don't laugh - but was also kinda sweet on Columbo, too.

[Scott]

How cow. I too had gay crushes on many of these guys and even fantasized about many of them. Thanks for sharing. I recently saw the nude playgirl spread that Peter Lupus did. So so sexy.

[jimmy woo]

Robert Fuller, Lee Majors as Heath Barkley, Gary Lockwood, Kent McCord, James Darren, Robert Conrad, Mark Goddard, John Saxon, Dark hair and chest hair did it for me.

[LTrain]

Tom Allen, one of Marlin Perkins' sidekicks on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. YouTube the episode when they are studying the Komodo Dragon. Swimming with just a speedo while looking for dragons?! The BEST!

[RJ]

I just stumbled upon this thread (late Sept. 2024). I was born in 1960 and as a kid (and adult) I had a secret crush on EVERY single actor as you did... and for the same reasons! It's almost as if you were channeling my thoughts. I only watched "Lost In Space" to hopefully see Mark Goddard in the silver space suit. An honorable mention is actor Robert Fuller in the series "Laramie" (1959-1963). He and costar, John Smith, wore very tight pants which left little to the imagination (AKA bulges). Like yourself, Robert Conrad was a favorite, too... as well as everyone else on your list. They don't make 'em like they used to.