Gilligan's Island Actor Dawn Wells Passes Away From COVID-19 Complications

Dawn Wells, star of the iconic 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island, died on Wednesday morning due to COVID-19 complications in Los Angeles. She was 82 years old.

Wells was known for her portrayal of Mary Ann Summers on Gilligan's Island. "There is so much more to Dawn Wells" than the character that made her famous, her publicist Harlan Boll said in a statement.

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Gilligan’s Island cast pays tribute

Dawn Wells' co-star on the show, Tina Louise, paid tribute to her on Twitter, writing, "I will always remember Dawn's kindness to me. 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."

I will always remember Dawn's kindness to me. 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. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/teFLyVv07C

— Tina Louise (@TheTinaLouise) December 31, 2020

"Oh, this so sad. Bon voyage, Mary Ann,'' actor and author Jane Lynch posted on Twitter.

Oh, this so sad. Bon voyage, Mary Ann. Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on 'Gilligan's Island,' dies of Covid-19 complications at 82 - CNN https://t.co/mDPJUOLNsk

— Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) December 30, 2020

Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer tweeted that it was a "thrill'' to meet Wells when she came to visit them on the show, adding, "She could not have been more lovely and gracious."

“Dawn was a very wonderful person. I want people to remember her as someone who always had a smile on her face,” Louise told New York Post. “Nothing is more important than family and she was family. She will always be remembered.”

Besides appearing on various television programs, Wells also acted in films and on stage, and was also a teacher and motivational speaker, Boll said.

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Before she began her acting career, Wells represented the state of Nevada in the 1959 Miss America pageant. Her early television roles came on shows including 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick and Bonanza. However, it was Gilligan’s Island that brought her fame. Wells had said her character on the sitcom "was molded by me, from me" and that the "values and principles" of the Kansas farm girl mirrored her own.

Feature Image Credit: Entertainment Weekly

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