In Memoriam: Dawn Wells
Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, died on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 from COVID-19. She was 82 years old.
Gilligan’s Island followed seven people who embark on a three-hour boat tour but are instead marooned on a desert island. The sitcom aired from 1964 to 1967 during a tumultuous time in the US, providing a welcome escape from the country’s unrest. Wells played girl next door Mary Ann who was optimistic, no matter the situation. She was the second to last living member of the show, leaving only Tina Louise still alive from the cast.
Wells was born in Reno, Nevada on October 18, 1938. She became Miss Nevada in 1959 and competed for Miss America a year later when she also earned a degree in theater arts from the University of Washington.
She made her onscreen debut in 1961 in a string of TV guest spots on Maverick, Cheyenne, Wagon Train, 77 Sunset Strip, and Tales of Wells Fargo. Prior to her starring role on Gilligan’s Island, she was also in Lawman, Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, Bonanza, and Laramie.
Wells returned to the iconic sitcom for the reunion movies Rescue from Gilligan’s Island in ’78, The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island in ’79, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island in ’81. She also voiced both Mary Ann and Ginger for Gilligan’s Planet.
Throughout the late ‘70s and ‘80s, she starred in the cult horror film The Town that Dreaded Sundown, appeared in The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Alf, and Growing Pains. She did guest spots on Baywatch, Columbo, and Roseanne in the ‘90s. Wells’ later roles included Forever for Now, This is Our Time, The Bold and the Beautiful, and her final role was voice acting in The Epic Tale of Captain Underpants in 2019.
Outside of acting, she operated Wishing Wells Collections, a company that made clothes for people with limited mobility. In Idaho, she founded the educational organization Idaho Film and Television Institute, organized the movie festival, SpudFest, and was a spokeswoman for Idaho Potatoes.
Her late career endeavor was as a Marketing Ambassador for MeTV, promoting Gilligan’s Island for the classic TV network.
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In Memoriam: Dawn Wells
Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, died on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 from COVID-19. She was 82 years old.
Gilligan’s Island followed seven people who embark on a three-hour boat tour but are instead marooned on a desert island. The sitcom aired from 1964 to 1967 during a tumultuous time in the US, providing a welcome escape from the country’s unrest. Wells played girl next door Mary Ann who was optimistic, no matter the situation. She was the second to last living member of the show, leaving only Tina Louise still alive from the cast.
Wells was born in Reno, Nevada on October 18, 1938. She became Miss Nevada in 1959 and competed for Miss America a year later when she also earned a degree in theater arts from the University of Washington.
She made her onscreen debut in 1961 in a string of TV guest spots on Maverick, Cheyenne, Wagon Train, 77 Sunset Strip, and Tales of Wells Fargo. Prior to her starring role on Gilligan’s Island, she was also in Lawman, Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, Bonanza, and Laramie.
Wells returned to the iconic sitcom for the reunion movies Rescue from Gilligan’s Island in ’78, The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island in ’79, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island in ’81. She also voiced both Mary Ann and Ginger for Gilligan’s Planet.
Throughout the late ‘70s and ‘80s, she starred in the cult horror film The Town that Dreaded Sundown, appeared in The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Alf, and Growing Pains. She did guest spots on Baywatch, Columbo, and Roseanne in the ‘90s. Wells’ later roles included Forever for Now, This is Our Time, The Bold and the Beautiful, and her final role was voice acting in The Epic Tale of Captain Underpants in 2019.
Outside of acting, she operated Wishing Wells Collections, a company that made clothes for people with limited mobility. In Idaho, she founded the educational organization Idaho Film and Television Institute, organized the movie festival, SpudFest, and was a spokeswoman for Idaho Potatoes.
Her late career endeavor was as a Marketing Ambassador for MeTV, promoting Gilligan’s Island for the classic TV network.
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