LOS ANGELES (AP) – Dawn Wells, who played healthy Mary Ann among a band of shipwrecked people from the sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died Wednesday from COVID-19-related causes, her publicist said. He was 82 years old.
Wells died peacefully in a Los Angeles residential facility, publicist Harlan Boll said. “There’s so much more to Dawn Wells” than the “Gilligan’s Island” character who made him famous, Boll said in a statement.
In addition to acting credits for television, film and set design, his other real-life roles included teacher and motivational speaker, Boll said.
Tina Louise, 86, who played Ginger, the movie star, is the last surviving member of a cast that included Bob Denver as the main character; Alan Hale Jr. as boss; Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer as wealthy passengers Thurston and Lovey Howell, and Russell Johnson, known as the teacher.
Wells, a native of Reno, Nevada, represented her state at the 1959 Miss America pageant and quickly pushed for an acting career. Her first television roles appeared in programs such as “77 Sunset Strip”, “Maverick” and “Bonanza”.
Then came “Gilligan’s Island,” a fun, humorous comedy that aired between 1964 and 67 and became an unlikely but indelible part of popular culture. Wells’ friendly but innocent Mary Ann complemented Louise’s mundane Ginger, and they both became innocuous television versions of the sex symbols of the 1960s.
Wells’ wardrobe included a plaid dress and shorts that modestly covered her navel, with the two dresses on display in Los Angeles at The Hollywood Museum.
After series derived from television movies, including “Rescue from Gilligan’s Island” from 1978, but Wells also switched to other television guest roles and films, including the comedy of the salesman of the vacuum cleaner of the 2002 “Super Sucker” with Jeff Daniels. He starred on stage in dozens of plays, including “Chapter Two” and “The Strange Couple.”
Two years ago, a friend launched a GoFundMe unit to help cover Wells ’medical and other costs, though she protested she didn’t need assistance. He ended up acknowledging his need and accepted more than $ 180,000 in donations.
At dawn he is survived by his half-sister, Weslee Wells.