Russell Johnson, the Professor on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ dead at 89

By Josh Dickey
TheWrap

Russell Johnson, who played the  professor on “Gilligan’s Island,” died Thursday  morning, his agent confirmed to TheWrap. He was 89.

Johnson died at his home in Washington state of natural causes, his agent,  Michael Eisenstadt said.

Born in rural northeastern Pennsylvania, Johnson graduated from a private  boarding school for orphaned children before joining the Air Force, flying  dozens of combat missions in World War II — including one that turned him into  a real-life castaway in the Philippines in 1945. Johnson’s B-25 bomber was shot  down by heavy flak; he broke both his ankles during the mission, and received  the Purple Heart.

Johnson’s acting career started nearly a decade later, with early roles in  westerns and sci-fi movies and TV shows, including “It Came From Outer Space,”  “This Island Earth” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters.” His TV career was robust  through the late 1950s and early ’60s, including as a regular on “Black Saddle”  and two episodes of “The Twilight Zone.”

But he’ll be best remembered as Roy Hinkley — “The Professor” — on  “Gilligan’s Island.” Johnson’s unwavering, straight-man treatment of the  character brought brains and gravitas to the otherwise silliness of Sherwood  Schwartz’s creation; it also afforded the otherwise hapless castaways a  badly-needed hero, whose fix-it-with-whatever’s-around approach would give way  to more modern characters like Richard Dean Anderson’s “MacGyver” and spurned  spy Michael Westen on “Burn Notice.”

Johnson was the last surviving male castaway from the TV series that ran from  1964 to 1967. Bob Denver (Gilligan) died in 2005; Alan Hale (the Skipper) died  in 1990; and Jim Backus (Mr. Howell) died in 1989. Natalie Schafer (Mrs. Howell)  died in 1991; Dawn Wells and Tina Louise (Mary Ann and Ginger) are the last  surviving castmembers