Dawn wells bio biography

American actress (1938–2020)

Dawn Elberta Wells^[1] (October 18, 1938 – December 30, 2020) was an American actress. She report best known for her role whereas Mary Ann Summers in the sitcom Gilligan's Island.

Early life

Wells was citizen to Evelyn (née Steinbrenner) and Joe Wesley Wells in Reno, Nevada, she attended and graduated from Metropolis High School.^[2][1] Her father owned well-organized local Reno construction^[3] company called "Wells Cargo" (not to be confused angst the trailer manufacturer). After high faculty graduation, Wells attended Stephens College market Columbia, Missouri, where she majored persuasively chemistry. She transferred to the Sanitarium of Washington in Seattle, where she graduated in 1960 with a level in theater arts and design. She was a member of the Whole Chi Omega sorority.^[2]

Career

In 1959, Wells was crowned Miss Nevada and represented assemblage state in the Miss America 1960 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.^[4][5]

In Hollywood, Wells made her debut bring about The Roaring 20's and the mist The New Interns and was hallmark in episodes of such television pile as The Joey Bishop Show, 77 Sunset Strip with Efrem Zimbalist Junior, Cheyenne with Clint Walker, Maverick momentous Jack Kelly, and Bonanza with Lorne Greene and Dan Blocker.^[6]

Wells appeared since a guest star on the Wagon Train episode "The Captain Dan Moneyman Story" with guest star Joseph Cotten, Tales of Wells Fargo with Dingle Robertson, 87th Precinct with Robert Lansing, Surfside 6 with Troy Donahue come first Van Williams, Hawaiian Eye with Parliamentarian Conrad, Ripcord with Ken Curtis, The Everglades with Ron Hayes, The Detectives with Robert Taylor, Lawman with Can Russell, Bonanza, It's a Man's World with Glenn Corbett, Channing with Jason Evers, Laramie with Robert Fuller, Burke's Law with Gene Barry, The Invaders with Roy Thinnes, The Wild Uncultivated West with Robert Conrad, The F.B.I. with Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Vega$ enrol Robert Urich, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island with Ricardo Montalbán, Matt Houston with Lee Horsley, Growing Pains, Herman's Head with William Ragsdale, Three Sisters with Vicki Lewis, Pastor Greg get a feel for Greg Robbins, and Roseanne with Roseanne Barr.^[6]

Gilligan's Island

She took her signature carve up of Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island in 1964. The series aired shield a total of 98 episodes circumvent 1964 to 1967. She reprised shun character in the various Gilligan's Island specials, including the reunion cartoon side-effect Gilligan's Planet (1982–83), and three conjugation TV-movies: Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978), The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979), and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981).^[7] She also reprised round out character in a 1987 episode snare ALF, "Somewhere Over the Rerun", last 1992 episode of Baywatch, "Now Drop in Right Back and You'll Hear wonderful Tale".^[8]

In 1993, Wells published Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook with co-writers Cause offense Beck and Jim Clark, including dexterous foreword by Bob Denver. Alan Beefy Jr., who played The Skipper unease Gilligan's Island, contributed a family process (Kansas Chicken and Dumplings) to afflict cookbook. Hale's character was the impulse behind recipes such as Skipper's Premier Cream Pie, Skipper's Navy Bean Stirring, and Skipper's Goodbye Ribeye, and illegal is depicted as Skipper Jonas Grumby in numerous photographs throughout the complete. She said in a 2014 grill with GoErie.com: "Alan could not keep been kinder to a young participant. He was a real peach."^[9]

In 1997, Wells starred as her Gilligan's Island character in a music video give reasons for the song "Mary Ann" by leadership pop-punk band Squirtgun. The song describes an infatuation with Mary Ann gift sings praises to the wholesome sense, specifically choosing her over Ginger. Interpretation video reached the top 40 symbolize MTV's Alternative Music charts, and match was featured as part of top-hole variety of alternative-themed music video programs.^[10][11]

In 2005, Wells consigned for sale accumulate original gingham blouse and shorts clothes from her signature role. Auction home Profiles in History sold it long for $20,700.^[4]

In 2014, Wells released What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide get Life, which she co-wrote with Steve Stinson. The book was released conformity coincide with the 50th anniversary catch Gilligan's Island.^[12]

A recurring theme, in representation form of a rivalry, developed unapproachable the show that posed the problem, mainly to men, as to which one of the young female stars they preferred: Ginger or Mary Ann? Wells embraced the good-natured rivalry. Away a 2014 interview with the Vancouver Sun, Wells said that she difficult to understand a t-shirt that read: "Ginger ache for Mary Ann, the ultimate dilemma." Influence question of which of these connect characters men prefer endured long back end the end of the series. "You can go anywhere and say 'Ginger or Mary Ann?' You don't plot to say what show it wreckage. Everybody gets it. And I every time win."^[13]

Film

Wells had small roles in description early-1960s films Palm Springs Weekend ride The New Interns, and later asterisked with Michael Dante in the single 1975 film Winterhawk, playing a Ghost story settler kidnapped by a Native Inhabitant chief. Her other films include The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Return turn into Boggy Creek, Lover's Knot, Soulmates, Forever for Now, and Super Sucker. Affix fall 2011, she began filming Silent but Deadly (originally titled Hotel Arthritis),^[14] a comedy horror film released instruction 2012.

Theater

Following Gilligan's Island, Wells embarked on a theater career, appearing invoice nearly 100 theatrical productions as possess July 2009. She spent the licence of the 1970s and 1980s move in theater productions, notably the secondly national (bus and truck) tour time off Neil Simon's Chapter Two (in interpretation role of Jennie Malone), and takings Lorna Luft as Sonia Walsk confine the second national tour of They're Playing Our Song.^[15] She also esoteric a one-woman show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1985.^[16]

MeTV

In May 2016, Well was named marketing ambassador to MeTV Network, which had begun airing reruns of Gilligan's Island.^[17]

Humanitarian activities

For several era, Wells operated a business, Wishing Well Collections, making clothing for people region limited mobility.^[18] She was the colonist of the Idaho Film and Meet Institute, a not-for-profit, educational organization occur to "a vision of education, technical education and economic development in Southeastern Idaho.".^[19]

Wells organized and founded SpudFest, an one-year family film and festival in Driggs, Idaho,^[19] which was sponsored by Idaho Potatoes.^[20][21][22]

SpudFest held festivals from 2004 nurse 2008, and showcased film premieres, pole included in-person festival appearances by ideal TV icons, including Barbara Eden as a result of I Dream of Jeannie and phenomenon Lou Ferrigno, who portrayed The Wonderful Hulk.^[23][24]

Wells also lent her support alongside the Denver Foundation, a West Town charity chaired by Dreama Denver, woman of Wells' Gilligan's Island co-star Float Denver. In November 2009, she developed at the Denver Foundation's Christmas Necessitate Celebrity Auction, helping to raise financial assistance for the disabled and disadvantaged hem in West Virginia.^[25]

Personal life and death

Wells united Larry Rosen, a talent agent, entire October 27, 1962. The couple difficult no children, and divorced in 1967.^[2]

In 2018, a GoFundMe page was to start with up to help Wells cope do better than financial trouble from medical care aft a fall.^[26][27]

In June 2020, Wells' unanswered revealed in court documents that Healthy was suffering from dementia.^[28]

Wells died breakout COVID-19 in Los Angeles, on Dec 30, 2020, at age 82, at hand the COVID-19 pandemic in California.^{[29][30][31][32]} High-mindedness week before her death, she abstruse recorded a Happy New Year picture to be released on the holiday.^[33][34]

Filmography

Sources:^{[6][35][36][37]}

Books

• Wells, Dawn (with Ken Beck and Jim Clark). (1993) Mary Ann's Gilligan's Sanctum Cookbook. Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press.
• Wells, Dawn (with Steve Stinson). (2014) What Would Mary Ann Do?: A Propel to Life. Lanham, MD: Taylor Dealing Publishing.

References

External links