EXCLUSIVE: Dreama Denver, wife of the late Bob Denver, who played Gilligan on “Gilligan’s Island”, is remembering her dear friend Dawn Wells, who died on Wednesday from COVID-19-related causes.
Denver and Wells’ friendship lasted four decades. The two were close over the years, when Wells played Mary Ann Summers in “Gilligan’s Island”, opposite Bob, who died in 2005.
Reno’s Wells, who played Nevada at the 1959 Miss America pageant before taking on television’s iconic role in the castaway series, died in Los Angeles from COVID-19-related causes on Wednesday morning, according to your advertiser. She was 82 years old.
Denver noted that his bond with Wells has only strengthened over time, with the pair becoming particularly close in recent years. Part of Wells’ travels over the years included stops at Dreama’s home in West Virginia, where she helped support the Denver Foundation. Wells’ last visit there was in February 2019, where “America’s Sweetheart” and Denver served as co-masters of ceremonies. The event helped raise funds for the Denver Foundation’s “Always Free Flight of Honor” on behalf of the veterans.
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In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Denver recalled her favorite past memories with Wells, the last time they talked, and how America’s Sweetheart responded to the fame that the iconic series of castaways brought her.
Dawn Wells and Bob Denver at the Tv Land Awards.
(Courtesy of Dreama Denver)
Fox News: What is one of your favorite memories with Dawn Wells over the many years you spent together?
Dreama Denver: Each memory is very special, but I think that our time together on the road is what stands out most to me. We often shared a room and spent most of the night talking “girl talk”. In 2015, we took a book tour of Missouri and visited his alma mater, Stephens College. Seeing the welcome she received, feeling the love directed to her for supporting Stephens, was very special.
Fox News: Did you notice that your bond with Dawn got stronger with time. As well? And how did you two keep in touch?
Denver: As we lost members of the cast, the remaining team became closer. First, Jim, Natalie and Alan, then, many years later, Bob and, more recently, Russell. After Bob’s death, I joined to represent him in public appearances and that was when Dawn and I hit the road together like Mary Ann and Mrs. Gilligan. We were a pair and the fans seemed to like us both together. For the past 15 years, our appearances together were the way we kept in touch, and in the months that followed, there was always the phone. LONG conversations!
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Dawn Wells died of causes related to COVID-19 on December 30. She was 82 years old.
(CBS via Getty Images)
Fox News: Dawn is best known for her iconic role on “Gilligan’s Island”, opposite her husband, Bob Denver. Did she ever reflect on your fame for the role?
Denver: Dawn loved and was forever grateful for “Gilligan’s Island” and the fame it brought her. She never complained about being known for the program. In fact, she was very protective of Mary Ann, understanding that her character was a role model for girls everywhere, which made her treat Mary Ann with great affection. There was a lot of Dawn in that character. Obviously, Mary Ann’s sweet nature, physical beauty (the woman never aged) and nourishing quality.
Dawn was a nurturer of family, friends and fans. She was always kind and generous with her time. Furthermore, she was never the first to support a cause she believed in. She did this for me and my work with the Denver Foundation and Always Free Honor Flight. I would need it. She would come. She was like that.
Bob Denver and his wife Dreama around 1981 in Los Angeles, California. Dreama remembered her late friend Dawn Wells after her death.
(Bret Lundberg / IMAGES / Getty Images)
Fox News: When was the last time you saw / spoke to Dawn? How was she feeling?
Denver: The last time I saw Dawn was in February 2019, when she came to West Virginia to co-present a Denver Foundation fundraising campaign with me. She loved to support our veterans, so when I needed her for my “Valentine’s Day for Veterans” show, she was there. She stayed at my house and we were having so much fun that she extended the trip for two more days, which gave us five uninterrupted days together. In the light of 2020 and our inability to see each other this year, I am very grateful that we had this last visit, this final memory. The last time we talked was on her 82nd birthday in October and she was in a great mood. The plan was to get in touch again in January to celebrate the fact that 2020 is finally over. Unfortunately, we never got that chance.
Fox News: Is there anything about Dawn that caught your attention that fans still don’t know about?
Denver: Two things that may not be common knowledge – Dawn beat Raquel Welch in the role of Mary Ann, something that never failed to surprise her. And, of course, she and the rest of the cast were the only people on earth who called Bob, Bobby. Every time we talked about him, she talked about how much she loved our Bobby.
Dawn Wells died in Los Angeles of COVID-19-related causes on Wednesday, according to her publicist.
(Bobby Bank / Getty Images)
Wells starred as the unapologetic “good girl” who was trapped on an island with six other castaways. “Gilligan’s Island” was shown from 1964 to 1967 – for three seasons.
“There is so much more to Dawn Wells” than the “Gilligan Island” character who brought her fame, her representative said in a statement.
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‘Gilligan’s Island’ cast members, from left, Dawn Wells (as Mary Ann Summers) and Bob Denver (as Gilligan’s first mate) appearing in the pilot episode.
(CBS via Getty Images)
Before “Gilligan’s Island”, Wells had first TV roles on shows like “77 Sunset Strip”, “Maverick” and “Bonanza”. Throughout her career, she starred in more than 150 programs and seven films, such as “Winterhawk”, “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” and “Super Sucker”. She has also appeared in more than 60 theatrical productions.
In 2014, Wells published the humorous memoir “What Would Mary Ann Do?”. Most recently, Wells starred in the 2017 web series “Life Interrupted”, where she played the mother of TV icon Alison Arngrim and received rave reviews.
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Out of her life on the screen, she was also a teacher and motivational speaker, said her publicist.
After news of Wells’s passing, his “Gilligan’s Island” co-star, Tina Louise, spoke up. Louise, 86, is the only member of the original cast who still lives. Louise played the flashy Ginger Grant.
“I will always remember your kindness to me,” said Louise. “We share the creation of a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and smiles to people during this difficult time. I hope people remember her as I do – always with a smile on their face.”
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“Gilligan’s Island” continues to be shown worldwide in more than 30 languages. In addition to Louise, Wells and Denver, he featured Alan Hale Jr. as the captain; Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer as wealthy passengers Thurston and Lovey Howell, and Russell Johnson as the teacher.