It’s been more than half a century since “Gilligan’s Island” first appeared on screens. Sherwood Schwartz’s sitcom ran for three seasons between 1964 and 1967, but thanks to syndication deals and multiple spin-off projects, including two animated series and three TV movies, the show remained in the public consciousness for decades following its cancellation. Today, “Gilligan’s Island” doesn’t command the same cultural influence it once did, but it remains a TV classic that’s frequently cited as one of the best and most beloved sitcoms of all time (with Bob Denver’s mysteriously-named Gilligan being one of the most charmingly dumb TV characters ever).
As you might expect, given how long ago it was that the crew of the S.S. Minnow first veered off-course and became stranded on their secluded island, there aren’t many cast members from the original show 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 played Mary Ann, died at the age of 82 in 2020. That means that only one member of the original “Gilligan’s Island” cast is alive at the time of writing: Ginger Grant actress Tina Louise.
Tina Louise is the only surviving member of the original Gilligan’s Island cast
More than one actress played Ginger Grant, but Tina Louise, who is 91 at the time of writing, remains the best known. At least, she remains the original for those who grew up with the series. The actual original was Kit Smythe, who played a secretary version of Ginger in the “Gilligan’s Island” pilot. For the show proper, the role was adapted to a movie star and recast with Tina Louise landing the part.
Louise had been acting for some years before she debuted as Ginger, starting out in 1952 when she appeared in the Bette Davis musical revue “Two’s Company.” Throughout the 1950s, Louise built her career; she made her film debut in 1958’s “God’s Little Acre,” in which she played Griselda Walden, wife of Jack Lord’s Buck Walden. She’d made her TV debut two years prior with the CBS anthology drama series “Studio One.” She would eventually get her breakthrough with the same network when she landed the role of Ginger on “Gilligan’s Island.” To this day, her portrayal of the movie star is arguably her most well-known performance, but Louise also maintained a successful career after the series ended in 1967.
Aside from guest star appearances on shows like “Kojak,” “Knight Rider,” and “The Love Boat,” she also played J.R. Ewing’s secretary Julie Grey on 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 Dean Martin-led spy comedy “The Wrecking Crew.” Though several “Gilligan’s Island” reunion TV movies were made in the decades since the show went off the air, Louise declined to return. Ginger was played by Judith Baldwin in the first two films, and Constance Forslund took over for the third (in which the Harlem Globetrotters visit the isle). This led to speculation that Louise resented the role that helped launch her career. But in 2020, the actress addressed that 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 still do.”
