Dawn Elberta Wells was an American actress known for her role as Mary Ann Summers in the sitcom Gilligan's Island.
23 Facts About Dawn Wells
2.
Dawn Wells's father owned a local Reno construction company called "Wells Cargo".
3.
Dawn Wells transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle, where she graduated in 1960 with a degree in theater arts and design.
4.
Dawn Wells was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
5.
In 1959, Dawn Wells was crowned Miss Nevada and represented her state in the Miss America 1960 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
6.
In Hollywood, Dawn Wells made her debut on The Roaring 20's and the movie The New Interns and was cast in episodes of such television series as The Joey Bishop Show, 77 Sunset Strip with Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
7.
Dawn Wells took her signature role of Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island in 1964.
8.
Dawn Wells reprised her character in the various Gilligan's Island specials, including the reunion cartoon spin-off Gilligan's Planet and three reunion TV-movies: Rescue from Gilligan's Island, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island, and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island.
9.
Dawn Wells reprised her character in a 1992 episode of Baywatch, "Now Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale".
10.
In 1993, Dawn Wells published Mary Ann's Gilligan's Island Cookbook with co-writers Ken Beck and Jim Clark, including a foreword by Bob Denver.
11.
In 1997, Dawn Wells starred as her Gilligan's Island character in a music video for the song "Mary Ann" by the pop-punk band Squirtgun.
12.
In 2005, Dawn Wells consigned for sale her original gingham blouse and shorts ensemble from her signature role.
13.
Dawn Wells had small roles in the early-1960s films Palm Springs Weekend and The New Interns, and later starred with Michael Dante in the independent 1975 film Winterhawk, playing a Western settler kidnapped by a Native American chief.
14.
Dawn Wells spent the majority of the 1970s and 1980s touring in theater productions, notably the second national tour of Neil Simon's Chapter Two, and replacing Lorna Luft as Sonia Walsk in the second national tour of They're Playing Our Song.
15.
Dawn Wells had a one-woman show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1985.
16.
In May 2016, Dawn Wells was named marketing ambassador to MeTV Network, which had begun airing reruns of Gilligan's Island.
17.
For several years, Dawn Wells operated a business, Wishing Dawn Wells Collections, making clothing for people with limited mobility.
18.
Dawn Wells organized and founded SpudFest, an annual family film and festival in Driggs, Idaho, which was sponsored by Idaho Potatoes.
19.
Dawn Wells lent her support to the Denver Foundation, a West Virginia charity chaired by Dreama Denver, widow of Dawn Wells' Gilligan's Island co-star Bob Denver.
20.
Dawn Wells married Larry Rosen, a talent agent, on October 27,1962.
21.
In 2018, a GoFundMe page was set up to help Dawn Wells cope with financial trouble from medical care after a fall.
22.
In June 2020, Dawn Wells' manager revealed in court documents that Dawn Wells was suffering from dementia.
23.
Dawn Wells died from COVID-19-related causes in Los Angeles on December 30,2020, at age 82, during the COVID-19 pandemic in California.