Dawn Wells Once Revealed Her Surprisingly Low Paycheck For Gilligan's Island
In the first season of Sherwood Schwartz's "Gilligan's Island," the opening theme song infamously left out character descriptors for Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson. It listed Gilligan, the Skipper too, the millionaire and his wife, the Movie Star, but then merely described Wells and Johnson as "And the rest." This was certainly unfair, as all seven members of the show's ensemble were equally important, each one bringing something valuable to the overall character dynamic.
As many "Gilligan's" fans know, the reason Wells and Johnson weren't described was because of a stipulation in co-star Tina Louise's contract. Louise, who played Ginger the Movie Star, required that she be named last on any opening credits roll. Title star Bob Denver, however, felt that Wells and Johnson deserved more, and pulled rank on Louise. It seemed that he, too, had a contract stipulation allowing him to be listed in the credits wherever he wanted. He threatened to place his own credit last if Louise didn't budge. Louise capitulated, and the second season theme song was changed to include "The Professor and Mary Ann." Johnson and Wells finally got their due.
Wells, however, suffered another major injustice on "Gilligan's Island." Back in 2016, Wells was interviewed by Forbes Magazine, and the actress revealed that she was paid much less than some of her co-stars. Denver, being the title character, got a reasonable sum, although Louise and Mr. Howell actor Jim Backus were considered the "stars" on the cast, and got paid the most. Wells, meanwhile, got relatively little. "Gilligan's Island" was massively popular, but only the millionaire was a millionaire. Also show creator Sherwood Schwartz. He was the real millionaire.
Dawn Wells was paid less than Jim Backus and Tina Louise
When asked by the Forbes interviewer, Jim Clash, if there were any myths or misconceptions the public may have about "Gilligan's Island," Wells was quick to disconnect extreme wealth and extreme fame. Wells was famous, but she clarified that the series didn't make her blindingly rich. Not that she was suffering. She said:
"A misconception is that we must be wealthy, rolling in the dough, because we got residuals. We didn't really get a dime. I think my salary. Of course — I was low on the totem pole, Ginger and Thurston got more — was $750 a week. Sherwood Schwartz, our producer, reportedly made $90 million on the reruns alone!"
$750 a week is a decent living, of course; Wells was hardly destitute. In 2024 money, her salary would be about $7,507 a week, or over $390,000 a year. That's hardly nothing. And Wells hardly resents her time on the series, saying that it "was very good for me, for all of us who were there, because we're known worldwide." She added that "Mary Ann is loved all over the world. It's amazing."
While "Gilligan's Island" went off the air in 1967, it continued to be lucrative for decades. In addition to a sweet, unending syndication deal, Wells and her co-stars (sans Louise) often returned to their "Gilligan's" character in several spin-off TV movies and two animated shows. This was in addition to constant appearances at pop culture conventions, selling autographs. Wells didn't do too much screen acting after the 1980s, however, content to collect checks for spots on "The Love Boat" and for multiple appearances on hot game shows.
Wells' final role was playing Gumbalina Toothington in a 2019 episode of Netflix's "The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants." Wells died of COVID-19 in 2020 at the age of 82, and the world lost a TV legend.