Debby Stevens
(Bob) Robert Osbourne Denver (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005 New York, etc.
Bob Denver
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Bob Denver
Bob Denver Gilligans Island 1965.jpg
Denver on the set of Gilligan's Island
Born January 9, 1935
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Died September 2, 2005 (aged 70)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater Loyola University (Loyola Marymount University)
Occupation Actor
Years active 1959–2001
Known for Gilligan's Island
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Rescue from Gilligan's Island
The Castaways on Gilligan's Island
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island
Spouses
Maggie Ryan
​
​(m. 1960; div. 1966)​
Jean Webber
​
​(m. 1967; div. 1970)​
Carole Abrahams
​
​(m. 1972; div. 1975)​
Dreama Perry ​(m. 1979)​
Children 4
Robert Osbourne Denver (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005) was an American comedic actor who portrayed Gilligan on the 1964–1967 television series Gilligan's Island, and beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
Early life
Denver was born on January 9, 1935,[1] in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Brownwood, Texas. He graduated in 1953 from David Starr Jordan High School in Long Beach, California. He graduated from Loyola University in Los Angeles, California, with a degree in political science. He acted in college productions at Loyola and met fellow student Dwayne Hickman, with whom he later co-starred in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. After graduation, he coached physical education and taught mathematics and history at Corpus Christi School, a Catholic elementary school in Pacific Palisades, California.[2]
Career
Most of Denver's acting career was in television, though he also appeared in several films and on Broadway. He was widely associated with the title character that he played in the 1960s television series Gilligan's Island, and he continued to appear as Gilligan in several movies, as a guest on other television series, in personal appearances, and as a voice actor in the animated version of the series.
Television career
Denver made his television debut in 1957, playing a small part in an episode of The Silent Service (S01 E37: "The Loss of the Tang"). While teaching at Corpus Christi in 1958, Denver was permitted to audition for a role on the sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as a favor to his sister, who was a secretary on the production lot. He gained the role and left teaching the following year to become a regular on the series. From 1959 to 1963, he appeared on the series as Maynard G. Krebs, the teenaged beatnik best friend of Dobie Gillis, played by Dwayne Hickman. After filming the first three episodes, Denver received his draft notice, and was briefly written out of the script and replaced, but he was designated 4-F due to an old neck injury and returned to Dobie Gillis having missed only one episode. Denver later reprised his Maynard G. Krebs role in the television sequels Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis? (1977) and Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis (1988).
During his time on Dobie Gillis, Denver appeared on the NBC interview program, Here's Hollywood. In 1963, Denver played his only major dramatic role on television, as a physician (Dr. Paul Garrett) in one episode of Dr. Kildare, telecast on October 10, 1963; the episode, "If You Can't Believe the Truth ...", also featured Barbara Eden and Ken Berry.[3] Between the end of Dobie Gillis and the beginning of Gilligan's Island, Denver appeared in an episode of The Farmer's Daughter and in the final episode of The Danny Thomas Show. He also had a one-episode role replacing the actor who played Dudley A. "Dud" Wash, the fiancé of Charlene Darling of the Darlings, on The Andy Griffith Show which was aired March 30, 1964. This was done by the network to promote Denver's face and make him more familiar to the viewing audience since Gilligan's Island was about to go on air.[4]
Following the cancellation of Dobie Gillis, Denver landed the title role on the sitcom Gilligan's Island, which ran for three seasons (1964–67) on CBS, and became a staple of later syndication. His role as the well-meaning but bumbling first mate among a small group of shipwrecked castaways became the one for which he is most remembered. During the run, Denver privately went out of his way to help his co-stars who warmly appreciated his efforts, such as successfully demanding that Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells be included in the series' opening credits and insisting that Wells get an equal share of the series' publicity with Tina Louise.[5][6] A decade after the series was canceled, Denver played Gilligan in the made-for-TV reunion movies Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978), The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979), and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981). He also lent his voice to the animated series The New Adventures of Gilligan and its sequel Gilligan's Planet. During the 1980s and 1992, he reprised the character of Gilligan for numerous cameo appearances, including episodes of ALF, Meego and Baywatch, and played a bartender in the film Back to the Beach (1987).
After Gilligan's Island, Denver went on to star on other TV comedy series, including The Good Guys (1968–1970), Dusty's Trail (1973-1974) (a show similar to Gilligan's Island, involving a lost wagon train headed to California), and the Sid and Marty Krofft children's program Far Out Space Nuts (1975). Four episodes of Dusty's Trail were later combined to create a feature film, The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976).
Denver's other television roles included guest appearances on multiple episodes of Love, American Style; The Love Boat; and Fantasy Island. In 1983, he starred in the television pilot The Invisible Woman as the bumbling mad scientist uncle of the title character.
Film career
Denver's first feature film appearance was in the service farce, A Private's Affair (1959), with Sal Mineo. Credited as Robert Denver, he had a small role in the Jimmy Stewart film, Take Her, She's Mine (1963), playing a beatnik poet working at a coffee shop. Denver also appeared in the beach film For Those Who Think Young (1964) with Tina Louise prior to the development of Gilligan's Island.
Other films in which Denver appeared include Who's Minding the Mint? (1967), The Sweet Ride (1968), Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968) with Phyllis Diller, and The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976). In 1983, he appeared in the television movie High School U.S.A.. His final role was a small part in the Frankie Avalon-Annette Funicello comedy Back to the Beach (1987).
Other work
Denver in 1977
In 1970, Denver replaced Woody Allen in the original Broadway production of Allen's comedy Play It Again, Sam, earning praise from The New York Times critic Clive Barnes for conveying "a genuine clown-like wistfulness" that Barnes had found lacking in Allen's own performance in the starring role.[7]
Personal life
Denver was married four times. His wives were: Maggie Ryan (1960–1966), Jean Webber (1967–1970), Carole Abrahams (1972–1975), and Dreama Perry. He fathered two sons, Patrick and Colin, and two daughters, Megan and Emily.[8]
On February 7, 1971, Denver was arrested in Anderson, California for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his car and pleaded no contest for a reduced sentence of a $250 fine.[9] In 1998, he was arrested for marijuana delivered to his home, originally saying that the delivery came from Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island, but he later refused to name her in court, testifying that "some crazy fan must have sent it." He pleaded no contest and received six months probation.[10]
Later in his life, Denver returned to his adopted home of Princeton, West Virginia, and became an FM radio personality. He and his wife Dreama ran a small "oldies format" radio station, WGAG-LP 93.1 FM. He also earned a small income making public appearances, often costumed as Gilligan. In 1992, he played Gilligan to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation for a West Virginia fundraiser for the organization.[11]
Denver was a heavy smoker.[8] He received cancer treatment and underwent heart bypass surgery in 2005.[12] On September 2, 2005, he died at age 70 from complications including pneumonia[13] following throat cancer surgery at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[7]
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1959 A Private's Affair MacIntosh
1963 Take Her, She's Mine Alex
1964 For Those Who Think Young Kelp
1967 Who's Minding the Mint? Willie Owens
1968 The Sweet Ride Choo-Choo Burns
Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? Bertram Webb
1976 The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West Dusty
1987 Back to the Beach Bartender
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1957 The Silent Service Murph Episode: "The Tang's Last Shot"
1959–1963 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Maynard G. Krebs Main cast, 144 episodes
1963 Dr. Kildare Dr. Paul Garrett Episode: "If You Can't Believe the Truth"
The Farmer's Daughter Lieutenant Tenner Episode: "An Enterprising Young Man"
1964 The Andy Griffith Show Dud Wash Episode: "Divorce, Mountain Style"
The Danny Thomas Show Herbie Episode: "The Persistent Cop"
1964–1967 Gilligan's Island Gilligan Lead role, 98 episodes
1967 I Dream of Jeannie Harold Episode: "My Son, the Genie"
1968–1970 The Good Guys Rufus Butterworth Lead role, 42 episodes
1970–1973 Love, American Style Earl / Jeffrey / Sam Cosgrove 3 episodes
1973–1974 Dusty's Trail Dusty Lead role, 26 episodes
1974–1975 The New Adventures of Gilligan Gilligan Voice, 24 episodes
1975 Far Out Space Nuts Junior Lead role, 15 episodes
1977 Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis? Maynard G. Krebs TV movie
Captain Kangaroo Himself 1 episode
1978 Rescue from Gilligan's Island Gilligan TV movie
1979 The Love Boat Jason Markham 2 episodes
The Castaways on Gilligan's Island Gilligan TV movie
1980–1983 Fantasy Island Morris Binstock
Francis Elkins
Don Winters
Tim Kearns 4 episodes
1981 The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island Gilligan TV movie
1982 Twilight Theater Various characters TV movie
The Love Boat Norman Lomax Episode; "A Dress to Remember"
Scamps Oliver Hopkins TV movie
Gilligan's Planet Gilligan Voice, 13 episodes
1983 The Invisible Woman Dr. Dudley Plunkett TV movie
High School U.S.A. Milton Feld TV movie
1987 The New Gidget Gilligan Episode: "Gilligidge Island"
ALF Episode: "Somewhere Over the Rerun"
1988 Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis Maynard G. Krebs
1992 Baywatch Gilligan Episode: "Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale"
1993 Evening Shade Himself 2 episodes
1994 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Episode: "Gilligan"
Herman's Head Episode: "The Herm from Ipanema"
1995 Roseanne Jackie Episode: "Sherwood Schwartz: A Loving Tribute"
1997 Meego Gilligan Episode: "Mommy 'n' Meego" (final appearance)
1998 The Simpsons Himself Voice
Episode: "Simpson Tide"
2001 Surviving Gilligan's Island Himself TV movie
Date & Place:
Not specified or unknown.
