LOS ANGELES: Dawn Wells, who parlayed her girl-next-door charm and wholesome beauty into enduring TV fame as the sweet-natured desert island castaway Mary Ann on the classic 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died on Wednesday at age 82, her publicist said.
“Gilligan’s Island” ran for three seasons with a cast that also included Bob Denver as the zany Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr.as The Skipper, Jim Backus as millionaire Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schafer as his posh wife, Russell Johnson as “The Professor,” and Tina Louise as movie star Ginger.The 98 episodes invariably involved their efforts in vain to get off the island, even as a parade of guest stars dropped in and had no trouble getting out.
Wells said that question was the most common topic mentioned to her by fans. “Mostly they’ll pick a favourite, Ginger or Mary Ann. For some reason, they feel they have to make a choice,” Wells told Forbes magazine in 2016. “Gilligan’s Island” was cancelled by network executives despite respectable ratings, then became ubiquitous in syndicated reruns.
Like some of her co-stars, she suffered from typecasting in Hollywood in the years after the series ended, appearing in TV guest spots and stage work before taking roles in B-movies.