RIP 🙏 Remembering Dawn Wells (Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island)

On December 30, 2020, news broke that beloved actress Dawn Wells passed away from complications of COVID-19, at the untimely age of 82.

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Although this comes as a shock and a tragedy to many fans, it is the fans of Gilligan’s Island that will be shaken the hardest.

Gilligan’s Island featured Dawn Wells in a prominent role as Mary Ann Summers, a wholesome farm girl among a diverse group of castaways. This role cemented her place among Hollywood royalty, and earned her the adoration of audiences around the world. In Dawn Wells’ opinion, Mary Ann had it all, and she completely understood why audiences took such a liking to her. “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.” Needless to say, Mary Ann also kept viewers engaged with her cute and charming appearance. Her iconic costumes featuring a gingham dress and belly button-covering shorts are instantly recognizable, and sold for $20,000 in 2005.

Previously, Dawn Wells was one of two surviving cast members from the original Gilligan’s Island cast. Now, only Tina Louise, who played Ginger in the series, keeps the cast alive.

Dawn Wells’ role in Gilligan’s Island is a legendary accomplishment in its own right, but there is much more to the life of Dawn Wells that deserves discussion. In this video, we’re going to pay tribute to Dawn Wells’ legacy by taking a look back at some of the most memorable moments of her career, and how she came to be the heartthrob of a generation.

It wouldn’t be long until Dawn Wells landed the role of a lifetime, Mary Ann Summers in Gilligans Island. The series kicked off in 1964, but Dawn Wells wasn’t involved right away. The pilot for Gilligan’s Island featured Nancy McCarthy as a character named “Bunny”. The network ultimately decided to recast this character, among others, after the series was greenlit for a full season.

At this point, Dawn Wells auditioned for the role of Mary Ann, but she wasn’t without competition. Other actresses who auditioned for the role included Raquel Welch and Pat Priest.
Obviously, they went with Dawn Wells for the role, who played a large part in solidifying the series as an indisputable classic.

Mary Ann wasn’t the only popular character on Gilligan’s island, though. Tina Louise played Ginger, and the combination of these two women on the screen ignited a debate that still continues to this day: Ginger or Mary Ann? Two very different characters, both regarded as some of the most beautiful women in classic television. Ultimately, it seems the answer comes down to their personality. Do you prefer the flashy elegance of Ginger? Or the approachable, down to earth qualities of Mary Ann?

Throughout the Gilligan’s Island series, Mary Ann shined in many different episodes, delivering some of the series’ most memorable moments. Who can forget her performance as “The Honey Bees” in the episode, “Don’t Bug the Mosquitoes”? Or, her jaw-dropping performance in the episode titled “The Second Ginger Grant”. Of course, the most memorable moment for Mary Ann fans might be the episode called “Beauty is as Beauty Does”, where she accidentally loses her bathing suit in the lagoon.

But, playing a role in a popular sitcom isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. Oftentimes, actors who appear in these series find themselves “typecast” as a certain character or personality. This can make it difficult for them to move on to other projects, and in some cases, it can even end an actor’s career.

In a 1985 interview with People magazine, Wells revealed that she initially tried to move past her role as Mary Ann. She tried to break from that image so as not to impact her future career opportunities. However, she eventually came to appreciate it and fully embrace it. She came to realize that her role as Mary Ann was a part of TV history, much like Beaver from Leave it to Beaver or the cast of the Brady Bunch.

Despite her inner turmoil with her role, Dawn Wells remained close with the rest of the cast long after the series wrapped. Specifically, she is known to have been close with Alan Hale Jr., the actor who played the role of the Skipper. She credits him for being supportive and kind in her early years of acting, and they became closer and closer as friends over the years. In fact, they were even neighbors for a short time.

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