Dawn Wells Dies at 82 Due to COVID-19; Remembering the Gilligan's Island Star

Popular 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island star Dawn Wells died on Wednesday due to causes related to COVID-19 in Los Angeles.

Wells was 82-years-old.

She was remembered to star as Mary Ann in the sitcom, seen pig-tailed and wearing her notable dungarees or gingham dress, which is on display at the Hollywood Museum, as reported by Variety.

The Mary Ann character was the girl-next-door to Tina Louise's evening dress-clad character Ginger.

Ginger was the character who was often subjected to leering comments from the male stars they were shipwrecked with on a tropical island.

This was after they became stranded during a "three-hour tour."

Louise was the last remaining member of the crew and said that she was sad to learn of Dawn's passing, adding that she will always remember Wells' kindness to her.

"We shared in creating a cultural landmark that has continued to bring comfort and smiles to people during this difficult time," Louise was quoted on a report.

Fans are still arguing which island girl was the best in the show-Ginger or Mary Ann?

Wells said that there was no rivalry that existed between the two actors.

She earlier said that to her, Louise was a generous mentor to her.

The Mary Ann actor said that she learned a lot from Tina, from camera angles to make up, according to a Cheat Sheet report.

In her earlier interviews, Wells was asked how she would like to be remembered, to which she said that she wanted to be remembered to be kind, good friend, happy, and made a difference.

Dawn Wells legacy

Dawn Elberta Wells was born in Reno, Nevada on Oct. 18, 1938.

Wells' father was a real estate developer and her mom a homemaker.

Wells wrote in her book before that even though that her parents divorced, she did not grow up in a broken home as she was raised by a very good mother and a great dad.

She said that in middle school she was chubby with severe acne, braces on her teeth, and bad kneed due to her ballet lessons.

Despite her appearances, Wells said that she was popular. She even was crowned as Miss Nevada in 1959 and competing in the 1960 Miss America pageant.

In the same year, she graduated with a degree in theater arts from University of Washington after she first studied chemistry, according to a Hollywood Reporter report.

Wells starred in about six dozed different stage plays but was less prolific on the big screen.

Her horror film The Town That Dreaded Sundown, in 1976, where she played a real-life murder victim, has become a cult classic.

She then continued to play another role in a horror film entitled Return to Boggy Creek in 1977.

She also played alongside Denver Pyle and Woody Strode in a 1975 film Winterhawk.

For a brief time, Wells was a journalist and hosted Australian news show Midday.

During her career as a journalist, she interviewed celebrities like Eddie Murphy, Julia Roberts, and Tom Hanks.