The Last Surviving Main Actor from Gilligan’s Island

As befits someone whose role on “Gilligan’s Island” was a famous Hollywood star, Tina Louise was already a seasoned performer when she joined the sitcom’s cast. She started her screen acting career in the mid-1950s and had appeared in a number of Westerns and TV series before landing the part of Ginger Grant — her breakthrough role and first main character on TV.

After “Gilligan’s Island” ended its run, Louise continued her career with guest star stints on popular shows like “Kojak,” “Cannon,” “Knight Rider,” and “The Love Boat,” and she also appeared in notable roles in films, like the horror mystery classic “The Stepford Wives.” Fans of classic primetime soap operas may remember her as J.R. Ewing’s (Larry Hagman) secretary Julie Grey on “Dallas.”

Notably, Louise didn’t appear in any of the “Gilligan’s Island” TV movies, instead allowing Judith Baldwin and later Constance Forslund to take over the role. However, in a 2020 interview with the New York Post, she debunked the rumors that she might have been unhappy with the role — though she did note that she entertained the idea of exiting the show before Ginger’s character started developing. “I loved doing my part, especially after they really started writing for my character, originally billed as a ‘Marilyn Monroe’ type of character,” she said. “A different director took over and really started to write for my character. I really loved my character.”

Source: The New York Post