LOS ANGELES (AP) – Dawn Wells, who played healthy Mary Ann among a misfit band of castaways from the sitcom “Gilligan’s Island”, died Wednesday of causes related to COVID-19, said its publicist. She was 82 years old.
Wells died peacefully in a residential facility in Los Angeles, said publicist Harlan Boll. “There’s a lot more to Dawn Wells” than the “Gilligan’s Island” character who brought her fame, Boll said in a statement.
In addition to TV, film and stage credits, his other real-life roles include a teacher and motivational speaker, said Boll.
Tina Louise, 86, who played Ginger, the movie star, is the last survivor of a cast that included Bob Denver as the title character; Alan Hale Jr. as the captain; Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer as wealthy passengers Thurston and Lovey Howell, and Russel Johnson, known as the Professor.
Wells, a native of Reno, Nevada, represented her state at the 1959 Miss America pageant and quickly turned to an acting career. His first TV roles were on shows like “77 Sunset Strip”, “Maverick” and “Bonanza”.
Then came “Gilligan’s Island”, a silly and humorous comedy that aired from 1964 to 1967 and which became an unlikely but indelible part of popular culture. Wells ‘beautiful but innocent Mary Ann complemented Louise’s mundane Ginger, and both became innocuous’ 60s versions of sex symbols for TV.
Wells’s wardrobe included a wool dress and shorts that modestly covered her navel, with the two costumes on display in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Museum.
TV series spinoffs followed, including “Rescue from Gilligan’s Island” from 1978, but Wells also switched to other TV roles and films, including the 2002 vacuum cleaner seller comedy “Super Sucker” with Jeff Daniels. She starred in dozens of plays, including “Chapter Two” and “The Strange Couple”.
Two years ago, a friend launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical and other expenses for Wells, although she protested that she did not need assistance. She eventually recognized her need and accepted more than $ 180,000 in donations.
Dawn left her half sister, Weslee Wells.