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Robert "Bob" Denver (January 9 1935 – September 2 2005) was an American comedic actor best known for his role as "Gilligan" on the television series Gilligan's Island. Earlier, Denver had played beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the (1959-1963) TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, a characterization that was similar to Gilligan in many ways.
Maynard G. Krebs Born in New Rochelle, New York and raised in Brownwood, Texas, Denver graduated from Loyola University (predecessor to today's Loyola Marymount University) in Los Angeles, California and worked as a mailman and a high school teacher before landing the role of Maynard G. Krebs on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in 1959. His co-star Dwayne Hickman, who played Dobie Gillis, was also a Loyola graduate. Gilligan When Dobie Gillis ended in 1963, Denver landed the role of Gilligan on Gilligan's Island. During the run, Denver proved a gracious and generous castmember such as when he demanded that Russell Johnson's and Dawn Wells' character names be included in the opening title sequence. In the first season, the two had merely been referred to as "and the rest" ("are here on Gilligan's Isle"). They were added with the rest of the cast in the second and third seasons. After Gilligans Island After Gilligan's Island, he appeared in other television shows including The Good Guys (1968–1970) and Dusty's Trail (1973) (a virtual copy of Gilligan's Island, set on a lost wagon train). He also starred in a children's program, Far Out Space Nuts (1975), which was essentially Gilligan in space. Although appreciated by Bob Denver fans, none of these shows matched the wider audience success of his earlier roles. The marijuana arrest In 1998, Denver was arrested for having a parcel of marijuana delivered to his home. He originally said that the parcel had come from Dawn Wells (who had played "Mary Ann" on Gilligan's Island) but later refused to name her in court, and testified that "some crazy fan must have sent it". The police reportedly found more of the drug and related paraphernalia in Denver's home. He pleaded no contest and received six months' probation. Later career Late in his life, Denver worked in his adopted home state of West Virginia as an FM radio personality. (He and his wife Dreama owned and operated the small "oldies format" station). He also earned a small income doing public appearances, often costumed as Gilligan. Death Denver underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in May 2005, and subsequently was diagnosed with throat cancer. He died of complications from cancer treatments at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina at the age of 70, surrounded by his family — his last wife (of 28 years), the former Dreama Perry; and his children (from 4 different marriages) Patrick, Megan, Emily, and Colin. He died just two days before the September 4 anniversary of the airing of the last CBS prime time telecast of Gilligan's Island. Trivia See also | ||||||||
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