Living 'on the air' in D.C., Grandy enjoys the world of talk radio

That's how he has been beginning his workdays since becoming the host of a morning talk show on the Washington, D.C., radio station WMAL-A.M. in 2003.

“I'm prepping for the show from home before driving to the studios, then on the air at 4 a.m. and off the air by 8 a.m.” Grandy said following one of his four-hour shifts. “That's my schedule.”

Is this a far cry from the sort of life the former “Love Boat” actor and former U.S. Congressman once led?

Well, not according to Grandy, a Sioux City native.

“On the radio, I get to be an entertainer, a salesman and a public policy wonk,” the 62-year-old explained. “This job combines everything that I've ever done in my life.”

A 'Leave It To Beaver' childhood

Grandy's life began with what he calls a “Leave It To Beaver”-type of childhood in Sioux City.

“I remember riding my bike all the time and jumping off of the old Perry Creek bridge into a bank of leaves underneath,” he remembered. “I always felt safe and, truth be told, kinda ordinary.”

That is, until both of his parents died when Grandy was still in his early teens.

“After my folks died, I went to private school in New Hampshire and, then, received my bachelor's degree (in English studies) from Harvard University in 1970,” he said.

Attending an Ivy League school at the height of the Vietnam War proved to be an eye-opening experience for an impressionable Grandy.

“It felt like I spent two years learning and two years protesting the war,” he said jokingly.

But Grandy called himself and his classmates “rebels by association only.”

“Sure, most of our professors were liberal,” he said. “Yet, I think most of the students were more interested in girls and graduating from school than they were in politics.”

So, it came as a surprise to some that an apolitical Grandy was hired to become a speechwriter for then-Iowa U.S. Congressman Wiley Mayne, shortly after graduation.

“Wiley was an old family friend,” Grandy said with a laugh, “and despite of my Harvard education, he knew I had no practical means of supporting myself.”

But Grandy didn't aspire to be an anonymous D.C. politico. Instead, he wanted to become a star.

Grandy, 'Gopher,'

& Life on 'The Love Boat'

“Nobody goes into show business hoping to stay anonymous,” Grandy said of his acting ambitions. “We get into the business to become stars.”

Spending time on the New York stage, Grandy then moved to Los Angeles, where he was cast to play actress Adrienne Barbeau's boyfriend on the groundbreaking sitcom “Maude.”

From there, he began a nine-year stint as purser Burl “Gopher” Smith on the hit series “The Love Boat.”

As a member of an ensemble cast, Grandy had the chance to work with many up-and-comers but, mostly, he remembers the stars of yesteryear, who frequently turned up on “The Love Boat”'s guest list.

“Ethel Merman, who played my mom on the show, was a particular favorite,” he said. “Here's a woman who was larger-than-life, had seen it all a million times and wasn't unduly impressed by anything that came her way.”

“Yet, man, she could still sing and act and do it all with gusto,” Grandy said with obvious admiration. “She always told me to keep my head on straight and never let Hollywood change me.”

Did Grandy take Merman's advice?

“No,” he said, candidly. “I got divorced, made many mistakes and, yeah, Hollywood did end up changing me.”

Indeed, after nearly 15 years as an actor, Grandy was ready to return to Sioux City.

It was time to go home.

'Congressman Gopher'

“There wasn't one 'aha moment' that led me to want to get into politics,” Grandy said. “The series was ending and I wanted time to re-evaluate my life.”

Which, Grandy said, occurred after he moved back to Sioux City in 1986.

“I began surrounding myself with a pretty faithful group of friends who suggested that I run for the (Iowa House Sixth District) seat that was being left vacant by (the retirement of Democratic Rep.) Berkley Bedell,” he explained.

Grandy's return to the city he had left a quarter-of-a-century before to run as a Republican for an open congressional seat left him open to charges of being a “carpetbagger.”

“Since I was an actor, people assumed I'd be some self-centered lightweight in addition to being a carpetbagger,” he said with a sigh. “My opponents threw everything they could at me.”

But Grandy said he took what was seen as a negative – notoriety as a TV star – and turned it into a positive.

“The hardest thing to do in politics is to develop name recognition,” he explained. “I had plenty of that already so I was ahead of the game even before I started.”

Grandy also fell back into the skills he had acquired as an actor.

“In large part, acting is believing,” he said. “I had to prove to voters that I'd be believable enough to be their congressman.”

Voters obviously accepted Grandy in this new role, returning him to office for four terms in Congress. His political career ended after he lost a Republican primary fight to Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in 1994.

“Everything that I thought I'd like as a Congressman – such as living in Washington, D.C., at the time – turned out not to be the case,” he admitted. “I much preferred spending time with my constituents back in Iowa.”

“Working with the people in my own home district gave me the greatest satisfaction,” Grandy said, in reflection. “That's what made it all worthwhile. It was the people.”

Life after politics

Becoming president and CEO of Goodwill Industries from 1995 to 2000 allowed Grandy to take the skills learned in acting and politics and put it to use in a non-profit setting.

Entering the often-heated world of conservative talk radio in 2003 gave him the opportunity to keep his finger on the pulse of the electorate.

But mostly, Grandy is now content to spend time with his second wife, novelist Catherine Mann, a semi-regular on the daily “Grandy Group” radio show; and talking about his three kids.

“Charlie is a writer-producer on 'The Office,' while Marya is concentrating on a singing and acting career,” he said. “My youngest daughter Monica, who will soon be graduating from college, hopes to pursue a career in journalism.”

Even though he hasn't been back to Sioux City for more than 10 years, Grandy still values his Midwestern roots.

“My years in Sioux City are a part of who I am,” he said.

Does he ever miss the life of an actor?

No, Grandy said. He enjoys his new life way too much.

“When you're doing a live radio show, the curtain rises every day,” he said, chuckling. “That's a very comforting thought.”