How Bob Denver Felt About His Gilligan's Island Co-Star Alan Hale Jr.

At the start of "Gilligan's Island," before the seven castaways-to-be took their fateful three-hour tour, there were only two pre-established inter-character relationships. There was, of course, the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Howell (Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer), a couple that had been married for years, but there was also the professional relationship between the Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.) and his first mate, Gilligan (Bob Denver). As audiences would eventually learn, Gilligan was kind of clumsy and innocent like a child, but he was clearly capable enough as a sailor to remain in the Skipper's employ. 

Also, the Skipper, although often wrathful enough to strike Gilligan with his hat, clearly had affection for the man; the Skipper often referred to Gilligan as his "little buddy," and the two men had no compunctions about sharing a cabin. It's never made an integral part of the show, but one might get the impression that the Skipper and Gilligan have been close friends for many years, and their working relationship has always been productive, despite Gilligan's incessant clumsiness. Some have suggested that the Skipper and Gilligan were lovers, but their vibe is closer to that of a big brother looking after an innocent younger brother. 

As it so happens, Denver and Hale were also fond of one another. After "Gilligan's Island" was canceled in 1967, the two remained on good terms, often seeing each other at pop culture conventions and other public appearances. Denver was interviewed by the Asbury Park Press (handily transcribed by MeTV) after Hale passed away in 1990, and he said that Hale was just as chipper, friendly, and funny in person as he was on-screen. Denver said that Hale and the Skipper were, more or less, the same person after a while. 

Hale, it seems, never resented the fame he achieved from playing the Skipper. "Gilligan's Island," recall, was overwhelmingly popular, and its seven stars became household names in the show's three brief seasons. While Tina Louise, who played Ginger, didn't want to return for reunions and didn't seem to like public appearances, Hale embraced them. Indeed, the cast of "Gilligan's Island" seemed to have continued their careers for a spell with only public appearances and cast reunions where they could sign autographs. Some stars hate the con circuit, but others embrace it. As Denver recalled: 

"He was so much fun. [...] We used to do two or three P.A.s a year. He'd bring the Skipper's hat and put it on. He loved the Skipper. [...] In many ways, he was the Skipper. He was always laughing, always having a good time."

Hale, it should be noted, had a prolific acting career both before and after "Gilligan's Island." He always took a pragmatic approach to acting, taking whatever jobs he could, and approaching them with utmost professionalism. If he was required to be broad and silly, he would be broad and silly. Throughout the 1970s, Hale would turn up in single episodes of multiple hot TV shows, from "Ironside" to "Gunsmoke" to "The Love Boat." He had no issues being a pop culture gadfly, and Denver seemed to admire that attitude. 

Before he died, Hale even got to comment on his time as the Skipper, and, just as Denver said, he loved it. Comedy, he said, was always his favorite thing to do. And the Skipper was so popular, that he practically became a Jungian archetype. Who could be upset about that?