Dec 31, 2025
3 min read
It's no wonder that, as of this writing, only one cast member has survived from the main cast of the beloved 1960s television comedy "Gilligan's Island."
This is the only live actor from the cast of Gilligan's Island
More than half a century has passed since "Gilligan's Island" first appeared on the screen.Sherwood Schwartz's sitcom ran for three seasons between 1964 and 1967, but thanks to several adaptations and spin-offs, including two animated series and three TV movies, the show remained in the spotlight for decades after its cancellation.Today, "Gilligan's Island" doesn't have a huge cultural impact, but it remains a television show that is considered one of the best and most beloved of all time (and Bob Denver's mysterious Gilligan is one of the dumbest characters on television).
As you might expect, given how long it's been since the crew of the SS Minnow first went off course and got lost on their secluded island, there aren't many cast members left to enjoy the legacy of "Gilligan's Island."Denver died in 2005, 15 years after Alan Hale Jr., who played Skipper.Jim Backus, who played wealthy businessman Thurston Howell III, died a year before Hale in 1989, and Natalie Schafer, who played Howell's wife Eunice "Lovey" Howell, died in 1991. Russell Johnson, who portrayed the professor, lived until 2014, and Dawn Wells, who was only 2 years old, died Mary Ann, aged 2.The cast of "Gilligan's Island" is alive at the time of writing: actress Ginger Grant Tina Louise.
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Tina Louise is the only remaining member of the original Gilligan's Island
More than one actor played Ginger Grant, but Tina Louise, who is 91 at the time of writing, remains the best known.At least it's still the same for those who grew up with the series.The first fact is Kit Smythe, who played Ginger's secretary in the "Gilligan's Island" pilot.part.
Lewis had acted for a few years before making her debut as Ginger, beginning in 1952 when she appeared in the Bette Davis musical revue "Two's Company."Lewis built her career in the 1950s;She made her film debut in 1958's "God's Little Acre," in which she played Griselda Walden, the wife of Jack Lord's Buck Walden.She made her television debut two years ago with the CBS anthology drama series "Studio One".She would finally find her breakthrough with the same network when she landed the role of Ginger on "Gilligan's Island."To this day, her movie star role is her best performance, but Lewis also maintained a successful career after the series ended in 1967.
In addition to her guest appearances in series such as "Kojak", "Knight Rider" and "The Love Boat", she also played J.R.'s secretary.Julie Gray's Ewing in the popular CBS soap opera "Dallas".Louise also appeared in several film roles, playing Charmaine Wimperis in "The Stepford Wives" and Lola Medina in the 1968 spy comedy "The Wrecking Crew" directed by Dean Martin.Despite the decades since the show aired, several TV movies have been made about the "Gilligan's Island" reunion, Louise refused to return.Ginger played Judith Baldwin in the first two films, and Constance Forslund took over the third (in which the island is visited by the Harlem Globetrotters).This led to speculation that Louise resented the role that helped launch her career.But in 2020, the actress addressed this speculation in an interview with the New York Post, where she said, "I loved doing my part, especially after they really started writing for my character," adding, "We brought a lot of joy to people, and we still do."
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