RIP Professor

[Capt Worley PE]

Russell Johnson, who played the professor on "Gilligan's Island," died Thursday morning, his agent confirmed to TheWrap. He was 89.

Johnson was the last surviving male castaway from the TV series that ran from 1964 to 1967. Bob Denver (Gilligan) died in 2005; Alan Hale (the Skipper) died in 1990; and Jim Backus (Mr. Howell) died in 1989. Natalie Schafer (Mrs. Howell) died in 1991; Dawn Wells and Tina Louise (Mary Ann and Ginger) are the last surviving castmembers.

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[Road Guy]

He was also a decorated WW II vet....

 

[knight1fox3]

Bummer!

 

[Wolverine]

Bombardier in WWII, survived over 44 missions, shot down twice, Purple Heart, used the GI bill to attend acting school, had a productive carreer in film and TV, made a lot of money playing a character that everybody loved, lived to the ripe old age of 89 . . .

And don't forget, most certainly scored with M.A. & Ginger.

That's how I want my obit to read!

And check this out (from Wiki):

In an interview with Starlog magazine in the early 1980s, Johnson said that he had wanted to appear in the original Star Trek during its run on NBC from 1966 to 1969, but he was never cast.

An episode of CBS's Newhart featured the Beavers (a men's organization) watching a Gilligan's Island episode on television. When they are suddenly evicted from the room, one of them, portrayed by Johnson, protests, "I want to see how it ends!" He is assured that the castaways don't get off the island.

He shared an amusing anecdote:

I was at a speaking engagement for MIT ... and I said ... the Professor has all sorts of degrees, including one from this very institution [MIT]! And that's why I can make a radio out of a coconut, and not fix a hole in a boat!

 

[Road Guy]

I d like to see Hollywood use some real vets in movies... They did in battleship, which was cool.. Maybe we are a dying demographic that likes to see that though...

 

[Master slacker]

Who ?