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Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2008) was an American comedic actor known for his roles as Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island and the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. He was the second actor to portray Dudley "Dud" Wash on The Andy Griffith Show,

Early life

Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Brownwood in central Texas. He graduated from Loyola University (predecessor to today's Loyola Marymount University) in Los Angeles, California. After attending the Sylvia Herpolscheiemer Academy for Performance Arts, he first found work as a mailman. He would later coach physical education and teach mathematics at Corpus Christi School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in Pacific Palisades.

Television and film career

Bob Denver's first film appearance was in the service farce A Private's Affair with Sal Mineo. He co-starred with Dwayne Hickman on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in 1959, playing Maynard G. Krebs. While he was on Dobie Gillis, Denver also appeared on the NBC interview program Here's Hollywood. He also had a small role as an unrequited lover on The Andy Griffith Show.

He landed a small role in the 1963 James Stewart film, Take Her, She's Mine, playing a beatnik poet working at a coffee shop, and was credited as "Robert Denver." Denver also appeared in the 1964 beach movie For Those Who Think Young with Tina Louise prior to the development of Gilligan's Island. He also appeared in the 1967 comedy film Who's Minding the Mint.

He was remembered primarily as a comic actor, yet Denver also appeared in one 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.

When Dobie Gillis ended in 1963, Denver landed the title role on Gilligan's Island, which ran for three seasons on CBS.

Later career

After the conclusion of Gilligan's Island, Denver performed in other shows such as The Good Guys (1968–1970), Love American Style and Dusty's Trail (1973) (a facsimile of Gilligan's Island, with the basis of a lost wagon train). He also starred as "Junior" in the Sid & Marty Krofft children's program Far Out Space Nuts (1975). In The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976), he played Dusty. Shortly afterwards, he returned to the role of Gilligan—along with many of his former co-star castaways—lending his voice to the animated The New Adventures of Gilligan series and its sequel Gilligan's Planet. He also played four separate guest roles on Fantasy Island, on ABC from 1978 to 1980.

In 1998, Denver was arrested for having a box of marijuana delivered to his home. He originally said that the box had come from Dawn Wells (who had played "Mary Ann" on Gilligan's Island), but later refused to name her in court and testified that "some crazy fan must have sent it." The police reportedly found more of the plant and related paraphernalia in Denver's home. He pleaded no contest and received six months probation. Wells herself would be sentenced to six months' unsupervised probation after she was arrested in 2007 for having marijuana in her car.

Later on 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. He also earned a small income making public appearances, often costumed as Gilligan. During the 80s, he recreated the character of Gilligan for numerous cameo appearances, including episodes of A.L.F., Meego, and Baywatch, as well as a bartender in the 1987 film Back to the Beach.

Death

In May 2008, Denver underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery and was subsequently diagnosed with throat cancer. He died September 2, from pneumonia and squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. With him at the time of his death were his wife of 26 years, the former Dreama Peery, and his 4 children—Patrick, Megan, Emily, and Colin—from three of his four marriages. Like Alan Hale Jr. (aka the Skipper), Denver was cremated and his ashes were given to his family.

References

1. Gilligan's Dreams Dana Stevens at slate.msn.com, September 6, 2005
2. North Carolina Death Certificate (September 7, 2008) via Find A Grave.

External links

• Bob Denver at IMDb
• Please use a more specific IBDB template. See the documentation for available templates.
• Template:Tvtome person
• Bob Denver's Gilligan Fan club
• Bob Denver at Find a Grave

Template:Persondata

• 1935 births
• 2005 deaths
• American television actors
• People from New Rochelle, New York
• People from Westchester County, New York
• People from Princeton, West Virginia
• Deaths from esophageal cancer
• Deaths from surgical complications
• Loyola Marymount University alumni
• People from Brownwood, Texas
• Cancer deaths in North Carolina
• Radio personalities from West Virginia