Dawn Wells isn’t–nor was she ever–rich from her role as Mary Ann on the beloved TV show Gilligan’s Island. In a recent interview with Forbes, the 77-year-old talked about her time on the show, on which seven castaways were stranded on a deserted island, after their ship–the S.S. Minnow–was lost in a storm. Each episode saw the castaways–including Dawn Wells–trying to find their way off the island.
Dawn Wells "@therealmaryann Live at Eight on @FOX2morning She's on her way to Desoto Missouri pic.twitter.com/Eljjn5JAXX
— John Pertzborn (@PERTZFOX) March 18, 2016
When asked to describe one big myth about Gilligan’s Island, Dawn Wells said the biggest is money related.
“A misconception is that we must be wealthy, rolling in the dough, because we got residuals,” she explained. “We didn’t really get a dime. I think my salary–of course, I was low on the totem pole, Ginger [Tina Louise] and Thurston [Jim Backus] got more–was $750 a week. Sherwood Schwartz, our producer, reportedly made $90 million on the reruns alone!”
Dawn Wells of Gilligan’s Island to host Frank Wilcox Film Festival this weekend #STL https://t.co/0ll1Y4rMB6
— FOX2 News in the AM (@FOX2morning) March 18, 2016
Even though Gilligan’s Island ran from 1964 to 1967–more than four decades ago–the salary Dawn Wells received wasn’t much.
She went on to explain, however, that it wasn’t necessarily all about the money.
“The series was very good for me, for all of us who were there, because we’re known worldwide. And Mary Ann is loved all over the world. It’s amazing,” she said.
A pop-culture question that has haunted (amused?) Gilligan’s Island fans for decades has yet to be answered. Dawn Wells doesn’t answer it here either.
Mary Ann and Ginger? Or Ginger and Mary Ann?
Lakeland Florida! pic.twitter.com/BfadQ8iFPD
— Dawn Wells (@therealmaryann) March 11, 2016
Were you a Gilligan’s Island fan? Who was your favorite of the two single ladies on the island–Mary Ann or Ginger?
More importantly–can you believe Dawn Wells is 77?