14 Things You Never Knew about ‘Gilligan’s Island’

10. Raquel Welch Was Almost Wholesome Mary Ann

Generations of men are classified by their “Ginger” or “Mary Ann” preferences. Are you drawn to the sexy, sultry siren type or the wholesome farm girl next door type? The choice might have been a little complicated if Raquel Welch was actually cast as Mary Ann. The as-yet-undiscovered future sex symbol auditioned for the role, but something about her didn’t scream ‘Kansas’.

11. Thurston Howell III Was a Cheapskate IRL

He may have played a carefree millionaire on TV, but Jim Backus was a tightwad in real life. In Dawn Wells book What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life, she recounted how the actor would sometimes invite castmates out for lunch only to have conveniently forgotten his wallet when the check was presented. Before they went on hiatus for the summer, Natalie Schafer actually presented her onscreen husband with a bill for $300, his share of all the meals he mooched off them throughout the months.

12. No surprise, the “Movie Star” Didn’t Get Along with the Rest of the Cast

Like the diva she played on the show, Ginger actress Tina Louise was a bit of a diva too. She had studied under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio and considered herself a real thespian. She expected to be the star of the series, not part of an ensemble. Her agent apparently pitched the opportunity to her as a show about an actress stranded on a tropical island with a few other people. She never really warmed up to the other cast members and there was some on-set tension. A 1965 TV Guide article stated, “Denver will not say why he and the glamorous Tina [Louise] do not get along, nor will any of the castaways – they just ignore her, and she ignores them. Between scenes, while the other six principals chat and tell jokes together, she sits off by herself.” She felt the role ruined her chances of being considered a serious actress, and has refused to take part in any of the reunion sequels.