Gilligan's Island Star Tina Louise Was Lied To About Her Role Before Filming

Fans of Sherwood Schwartz's 1964 sitcom "Gilligan's Island" likely know the story well. In the first season of the series, the show's catchy theme song listed only five of the seven lead characters in its lyrics. The final character listed was "the movie star," alluding to Tina Louise's character, Ginger. Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells, who played The Professor and Mary Ann, were simply described as "and the rest!" According to a 2004 article in the Washington Post, Gilligan actor Bob Denver petitioned to have the opening theme changed, as to give everyone equal billing, and "and the rest" was changed to "The Professor and Mary Ann." 

Fans may also be able to tell you that Ginger — as least as we know her today — wasn't originally intended to be on the series. In the original "Gilligan's Island" pilot episode, "Marooned," the characters of Ginger and Mary Ann were actually a pair of secretaries named Ginger and Bunny, played by Kit Smythe and Nancy McCarthy. Ginger, the movie star, wasn't added until the series had been retooled and recast. The character of the Professor was also recast, and the new ensemble was finally formed. Denver, Louise, Wells, and Johnson were joined by Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, and Alan Hale. Collectively, they became one of the most famous ensembles on TV.

It was during the retooling phase, naturally, that Tina Louise was brought onto the series, although it came with a misunderstanding. Schwartz was once interviewed by the Television Academy Foundation, and he revealed that Louise was told (not by him) that she was going to be the star of "Gilligan's Island." Ginger, of course, is one-seventh of an ensemble, and it seems that the misunderstanding upset Louise to no end. 

Sherwood Schwartz was asked to tell any funny stories he might recall from the casting of "Gilligan's Island," and he remembered the Tina Louise incident right away. Schwartz said: 

"Well, we made three cast changes after the pilot. And one of them was Ginger, because Tina Louise was in a play and unavailable when we first shot the pilot. She became available ... these are problems that a producer has." 

As it so happens, the play that Tina Louise left to appear on "Gilligan's Island" was called "Fade Out — Fade In," a project she was working on with Carol Burnett. Schwartz continued: 

"She signed in New York to do the show. Now they told her that 'Gilligan's Island' was the story about a movie star who was stranded on an island with six other people. Well, I didn't know that! But she arrives in Hollywood and reads the first three scripts, she comes storming into my office. 'What are these three scripts?' I said 'why?' And she told me what she had been told. I said 'Tina, this is a rotating show. There will be shows featuring you. These first three don't happen to feature you.' [...] Then she told me her sad plight. What she was told. They [actors] don't care about the producers headaches." 

/Film previously noted that the original vision for Ginger was also to make her aloof and sarcastic, but Tina Louise and Sherwood Schwartz workshopped the character to make her more of a Marilyn Monroe type. Louise may not have been the star, but she admitted in interviews that she actually loved playing Ginger and was proud of her work.