Dawn Wells Loved Playing Mary Ann on ‘Gilligan’s Island’

It’s been over a year since the legendary “Gilligan’s Island” star Dawn Wells passed away at the age of 82 following a battle with dementia and COVID-19. Now, TV producer Lloyd J. Schwartz is speaking out to talk about how much Wells loved playing the character of Mary Ann on the iconic comedic television show. 

Wells Received More Fan Mail Than Anyone Else on the Show

When asked by Fox News who received the most fan mail on the set of “Gilligan’s Island,” Schwartz replied, “That’s the easiest question. Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann, got five times the fan mail than everybody else.”

“She was the only normal person in the show,” he added. “She was the one everyone identified with. All the other folks were extreme characters. But Mary Ann seemed like the girl next door. The girls loved her because she was like their best friend.”

“And the guys loved her because she was cute and accessible to them. [Tina Louise as] Ginger was a voluptuous movie star,” Schwartz continued. “She almost seemed untouchable to mere mortals. But Mary Ann was the cute one who you could easily be friends with.”

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‘We Did Lots of Things Together’

Schwartz is the son of “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch” creator Sherwood Schwartz, who died in 2011 at the age of 94. Schwartz has long focused on keeping his father’s legacy alive, and he explained that he had stayed in touch with Wells over the years.

“We did lots of things together,” he said. “We did some plays together, and we talked quite a bit. She was a really dear person who embraced her character Mary Ann. She loved what Mary Ann represented and the influence it had on people. She loved how she made people feel years later. And she certainly continued to get fan mail. She adored her fans.”

Schwartz went on to recall a specific memory of Wells interacting with a fan: 

“I remember we were doing an event somewhere and people couldn’t stop coming up just to say hi to her. As I stood next to her, I realized what her life must have been like. I remember one guy approached her and said, ‘If I had to pick between Ginger and Mary Ann, it would be you.’”

“She would always respond with a smile and say how nice that was. And then the next guy would come over and say the same thing. She probably spent her whole life with people coming up to her saying how much they adored her. And she was extremely gracious with every single person.”

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‘She Was Thrilled If You Just Knew Her As Mary Ann’

“She was able to continue her acting in different ways,” Schwartz concluded. “She did a lot of theater. But she was thrilled if you just knew her as Mary Ann. She knew how much that role meant to people.”

Wells died in December of 2020, leaving Tina Louise, who played Ginger on “Gilligan’s Island,” as the last surviving main cast member. However, Wells and the rest of the cast will live on forever through the episodes of “Gilligan’s Island” which continue to bring joy to millions of people to this day.