‘Gilligan’s Island’ star dies of COVID-19
Actress Dawn Wells, who played the perky, wholesome Mary Ann in the 1960s sitcom, died of complications from the disease.
Dawn Wells, the actress best known for her role as Mary Ann in the ’60s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died Wednesday from COVID-19 complications, her representative told USA TODAY. She was 82.
Wells died Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. in Los Angeles from “causes related to COVID,” Harlan Boll told USA TODAY in an email. He said she “passed peacefully ... in no pain.”
The star, born in Reno, represented her state as Miss Nevada in the 1959 Miss America pageant, then switched to acting. Her first TV roles were on shows such as “Maverick,” “Bonanza” and “77 Sunset Strip” before she beat 350 other actresses for the role of Mary Ann.
Portrayed on “Gilligan’s Island” as a perky wholesome Kansas farm girl whose wardrobe included a gingham dress and belly-button-covering shorts, Wells told The Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the series always provided life lessons beyond the comedy.
“It was a fun, silly show that made you laugh and didn’t preach to the audience,” she said when the show marked its 55th anniversary in 2019. “But there was an awful lot in the character of Mary Ann that kids could learn from today: She was fair, she pitched in to help, she had standards, she wasn’t worried about a $500 purse, and she would be your best friend you could trust.”
Wells enjoyed working on the show and got along with her fellow castaways – even Tina Louise (Ginger), now the only surviving original cast member, despite rumors over the years that the two feuded.
“I will always remember her kindness to me,” Louise said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. “We shared in creating a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and smiles to people during this difficult time. I hope that people will remember her the way that I do – always with a smile on her face.”
“Gilligan’s Island” fans were split between crushes on Ginger vs. Mary Ann. Wells said in an interview in 2019 that her character’s down-home appeal worked in her favor.
“Don’t get me wrong – Tina was so beautiful and sexy, and I learned so
much from her,” Wells told The Palm Beach Post. “But Mary Ann was wholesome, approachable and attainable. She’s the girl you’d have a crush on and want to bring home to Mom.”
Wells appeared in stage productions, movies and 150 TV shows in her career off the island.
Most recently, Wells starred in two web series – “Life Interrupted” and “She’s Still on That Freakin’ Island.” She voiced Gumbalina Toothington in animated series “The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants” in 2019.
Wells wrote several books about the show, including 2014’s “A Guide to Life: What Would Mary Ann Do?”
“I wrote the book partly in response to fans over the years,” she told USA TODAY. “It’s amazing that so many people still appreciate Mary Ann’s sense of values.
“It was a show about seven people from various walks of life who were thrown together and had to adapt to get along despite their differences. That’s a lesson we can all learn.”
Fellow members of Hollywood and fans alike mourned Wells on Twitter.
“Condolences to the family of Dawn Wells. Very sad,” William Shatner wrote.
“Bewitched” actress Erin Murphy wrote she was “absolutely devastated to share the news that my lifelong friend, Dawn Wells, has passed away.”
“Oh, this so sad. Bon voyage, Mary Ann,” Jane Lynch tweeted.