Whatever Happened To Tina Louise From ‘Gilligan’s Island’?

UPDATED 8/27/2020

Audiences know her as Ginger Grant from Gilligan’s Island. But Tina Louise kept herself busy well after her big hit on the CBS comedy show. For those wanting to catch up with one of their favorite stars, there are some nice moments to learn about.

And when they don’t see her on their screens, fans can listen to her at her finest. As the decades went on, Louise went from shows to movies and then even to music. It was a brief stint, but still commendable and offers some insight into what she was up to after Gilligan’s Island.

Is Tina Louise from ‘Gilligan’s Island’ still alive?

Before she became Ginger Grant, Tina Louise had other acting roles – and even other jobs altogether outside of shows and movies. But Louise knew right away she would embed herself in the entertainment world and reportedly got her first shot at it when she was only two and appeared in an ad for her father’s candy store. After she filled her free time studying dancing, singing and acting, when she got older she received modeling job offers.

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Soon, she got into acting in earnest, landing her first role in 1952 as Betty Davis in Two’s Company. From this point onward, her career became a list of big Broadway musical productions one after another. Gradually, Hollywood movies started appearing in her resume, though she kept one foot in the door of Broadway. She did, that is, until taking on the role of Ginger Grant for Gilligan’s Island. She left Broadway to fill this role after none other than Jayne Mansfield turned it down.

Why did Tina Louise leave ‘Gilligan’s Island’?

Fans of the show saw a lot of Tina Louise during her time on Gilligan’s Island. But they did not immediately see the frustration she had because of the show. Louise had a broad background and a lot of range she wanted to exercise in her acting. She felt her career had been ruined because she became associated with comedy. That’s why you don’t see her in Gilligan’s Island reunion events but do see her taking on darker, more serious movie roles whenever possible after the show ended.

Still, some comedic roles popped up here and there. But in the midst of all this action, she also got to utilize her musical background by making a record album, It’s Time for Tina. Years later, after a brief marriage (1966 to 1971) to TV and radio personality Les Crane, it would indeed be time for Tina. From her home in New York, Tina Louise advocates strongly for child literacy, directing proceeds from her intellectual property to literacy programs. She also supports the arts as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Louise also enjoys lifetime membership with the Actors Studio. She hopes to inspire kids, who she reaches through her books, and advises everyone, “The best movie you’ll ever be in is your own life because that’s what matters in the end.”