Dawn Wells | |
|---|---|
 Wells in 1975 | |
| Born | Dawn Elberta Wells (1938-10-18)October 18, 1938 Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Died | December 30, 2020(2020-12-30) (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | Reno High School |
| Alma mater | Stephens College University of Washington |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1961–2019 |
| Known for | Miss Nevada 1959 Gilligan's Island |
| Spouse | |
Dawn Elberta Wells[1] (October 18, 1938 – December 30, 2020) was an American actress. She is best known for her role asMary Ann Summers in the sitcomGilligan's Island.
Wells was born to Evelyn (née Steinbrenner) and Joe Wesley Wells inReno, Nevada, where she attended and graduated fromReno High School.[2][1] Her father owned a local Reno construction[3] company called "Wells Cargo" (not to be confused with the trailer manufacturer). After high school graduation, Wells attendedStephens College inColumbia, Missouri, where she majored in chemistry. She transferred to theUniversity of Washington inSeattle, where she graduated in 1960 with a degree in theater arts and design. She was a member of theAlpha Chi Omega sorority.[2]
In 1959, Wells was crownedMiss Nevada and represented her state in theMiss America 1960 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, finishing outside the top ten.[4][5]
In Hollywood, Wells made her debut onThe Roaring 20's and the movieThe New Interns and was cast in episodes of such television series asThe Joey Bishop Show,77 Sunset Strip withEfrem Zimbalist Jr.,Cheyenne withClint Walker,Maverick withJack Kelly, andBonanza withLorne Greene andDan Blocker.[6]
Wells appeared as a guest star on theWagon Train episode "The Captain Dan Brady Story" with guest starJoseph Cotten,Tales of Wells Fargo withDale Robertson,87th Precinct withRobert Lansing,Surfside 6 withTroy Donahue andVan Williams,Hawaiian Eye withRobert Conrad,Ripcord withKen Curtis,The Everglades withRon Hayes,The Detectives withRobert Taylor,Lawman withJohn Russell,Bonanza,It's a Man's World withGlenn Corbett,Channing withJason Evers,Laramie withRobert Fuller,Burke's Law withGene Barry,The Invaders withRoy Thinnes,The Wild Wild West with Robert Conrad,The F.B.I. with Efrem Zimbalist Jr.,Vega$ withRobert Urich,The Love Boat,Fantasy Island withRicardo Montalbán,Matt Houston withLee Horsley,Growing Pains,Herman's Head withWilliam Ragsdale,Three Sisters withVicki Lewis,Pastor Greg with Greg Robbins, andRoseanne withRoseanne Barr.[6]
She took her signature role of Mary Ann onGilligan's Island in 1964. The series aired for a total of 98 episodes from 1964 to 1967. She reprised her character in the variousGilligan's Island specials, including the reunion cartoon spin-offGilligan's Planet (1982–83), and three reunion TV-movies:Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978),The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979), andThe Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981).[7] She also reprised her character in a 1987 episode ofALF,"Somewhere Over the Rerun", and 1992 episode ofBaywatch,"Now Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale".[8]
In 1993, Wells publishedMary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook with co-writers Ken Beck and Jim Clark, including a foreword byBob Denver.Alan Hale Jr., who playedThe Skipper onGilligan's Island, contributed a family recipe (Kansas Chicken and Dumplings) to her cookbook. Hale's character was the inspiration behind recipes such as Skipper's Coconut Cream Pie, Skipper's Navy Bean Soup, and Skipper's Goodbye Ribeye, and he is depicted as Skipper Jonas Grumby in numerous photographs throughout the book. She said in a 2014 interview with GoErie.com: "Alan could not have been kinder to a young actress. He was a real peach."[9]
In 1997, Wells starred as herGilligan's Island character in a music video for the song "Mary Ann" by the pop-punk bandSquirtgun. The song describes an infatuation with Mary Ann and sings praises to the wholesome character, specifically choosing her over Ginger. The video reached the top 40 of MTV's Alternative Music charts, and it was featured as part of a variety of alternative-themed music video programs.[10][11]
In 2005, Wells consigned for sale her original gingham blouse and shorts ensemble from her signature role. Auction house Profiles in History sold it for $20,700.[4]
In 2014, Wells releasedWhat Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life, which she co-wrote with Steve Stinson. The book was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary ofGilligan's Island.[12]
A recurring theme, in the form of a rivalry, developed from the show that posed the question, mainly to men, as to which one of the young female stars they preferred:Ginger or Mary Ann? Wells embraced the good-natured rivalry. During a 2014 interview with theVancouver Sun, Wells said that she had a t-shirt that read: "Ginger or Mary Ann, the ultimate dilemma." The question of which of these two characters men prefer endured long after the end of the series. "You can go anywhere and say 'Ginger or Mary Ann?' You don't have to say what show it is. Everybody gets it. And I always win."[13]
Wells had small roles in the early-1960s filmsPalm Springs Weekend andThe New Interns, and later starred withMichael Dante in the independent 1975 filmWinterhawk, playing a Western settler kidnapped by a Native American chief. Her other films includeThe Town That Dreaded Sundown,Return to Boggy Creek,Lover's Knot,Soulmates,Forever for Now, andSuper Sucker. In fall 2011, she began filmingSilent but Deadly (originally titledHotel Arthritis),[14] a comedy horror film released in 2012.
FollowingGilligan's Island, Wells embarked on a theater career, appearing in nearly 100 theatrical productions as of July 2009. She spent the majority of the 1970s and 1980s touring in theater productions, notably the second national (bus and truck) tour ofNeil Simon'sChapter Two (in the role of Jennie Malone), and replacingLorna Luft as Sonia Walsk in the second national tour ofThey're Playing Our Song.[15] She also had a one-woman show at theMGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1985.[16]
In May 2016, Wells was named marketing ambassador toMeTV Network, which had begun airing reruns ofGilligan's Island.[17]
For several years, Wells operated a business, Wishing Wells Collections, making clothing for people with limited mobility.[18] She was the founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute, a not-for-profit, educational organization with "a vision of education, technical training and economic development in Southeastern Idaho.".[19]
Wells organized and foundedSpudFest, an annual family film and festival in Driggs, Idaho,[19] which was sponsored byIdaho Potatoes.[20][21][22]
SpudFest held festivals from 2004 to 2008, and showcased film premieres, and included in-person festival appearances by classic TV icons, includingBarbara Eden ofI Dream of Jeannie and actorLou Ferrigno, who portrayedThe Incredible Hulk.[23][24]
Wells also lent her support to the Denver Foundation, a West Virginia charity chaired by Dreama Denver, widow of Wells'Gilligan's Island co-starBob Denver. In November 2009, she appeared at the Denver Foundation's Christmas Wish Celebrity Auction, helping to raise funds for the disabled and disadvantaged in West Virginia.[25]
Wells married Larry Rosen, a talent agent, on October 27, 1962. The couple had no children, and divorced in 1967.[2]
In 2018, aGoFundMe page was set up to help Wells cope with financial trouble from medical care after a fall.[26][27]
In June 2020, Wells's manager revealed in court documents that Wells was suffering from dementia.[28]
Wells died fromCOVID-19 in Los Angeles, on December 30, 2020, at age 82, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in California.[29][30][31][32] The week before her death, she had recorded aHappy New Year video to be released on the holiday.[33][34]
