She was 82.
Tina Louise played movie star Ginger Grant on “Gilligan’s Island” and said in a statement to CNN, “I was sad to hear of Dawn’s passing, I will always remember her kindness to me.”
“We have been part of creating a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and a smile to people through this difficult time,” the statement read. “I hope people will remember her as I do – always with a smile on her face.”
Born in Reno, Nevada, Wells represented her home state in the Miss America pageant in 1959.
That opened the door for her to pursue a career in Hollywood, where she appeared on a host of television shows including ’77 Sunset Strip ‘,’ Maverick ‘,’ Bonanza ‘,’ The Joey Bishop Show ‘and’ Hawaiian Eye. ‘.
She beat 350 other actresses to land the role of girl next door Mary Ann on “Gilligan’s Island,” which aired on CBS from 1964 to 1967 and later in syndication.
“One misconception is that we have to be rich by rolling the dough because we have leftovers. We didn’t really get a dime,” she said. “I think my salary – of course I was low on the totem pole, Ginger (Tina Louise) and Thurston (Jim Backus) got more – $ 750 a week. Sherwood Schwartz, our producer, reportedly made $ 90 million on the reruns alone. ! “
She has starred in more than 150 TV shows, seven movies including “Winterhawk” (which she also narrated) and more than 60 productions on and off Broadway.
In addition to acting, Wells has also worked as a producer, author, journalist, motivational speaker, teacher, humanitarian, spokesperson and president of the Terry Lee Wells Foundation, an organization for women and children in northern Nevada, and led her Boot Camp for Film Actors . seven years in Idaho.
She received the Elephant Sanctuary Trumpeting Award for her activism in support of The Elephant Sanctuary. Established in 1995, the reserve is the country’s largest natural habitat, specially developed for African and Asian elephants.
But it was her pigtail-wearing character on “Gilligan’s Island” that made her a beloved star – and she had fun with it.
Wells acted as the “castaway correspondent” for Channel 9 in Sydney, Australia, where she interviewed actors and directors including Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Julia Roberts, Rene Russo, Mel Gibson, Ron Howard and Richard Donner.
At the premiere of the movie “Gravity”, she presented star Sandra Bullock a coconut cream cake, in honor of their shared experience of “being stranded”.
“Gilligan’s Island” was an unexpected hit and in honor of the 50th anniversary of the series, Wells released “A Guide To Life: What Would Mary Ann Do?” From. in which she wrote about the significance of the Mary Ann character and observed the cultural shifts that have taken place since she was on the island.
Her gingham dress and famous “Gilligan’s Island” shorts are currently on display in the lobby of The Hollywood Museum.
She is survived by her stepsister, Weslee Wells.