Alex Carson
Before her death from COVID-19 in late 2020, Dawn Wells an American actress that was best known for her role as Marry Ann Summer on the hit television sitcom Gilligan’s Island. Considered by some to have been the show’s most popular character, Dawn became an icon due to her performance. However, Dawn would never have become an actress if it wasn’t for an injury that she had sustained early in her life. As well, this injury coincidentally repeated itself in the actress’s final years, and with the opposite effect. Join Facts Verse as we explore the injury that started and ended Dawn Wells’ acting career.
Dawn Wells was born on October 18, 1938, in Reno, Nevada. During her youth, the young girl aspired to be a professional ballet dancer. However, as she got further along in her educational pursuits. She changed her mind and made the decision to become a pediatric surgeon instead. Little did she know that a freak injury was about to set her on a path towards a completely different profession than either of the two that she had considered.
Between her high school and college careers, Dawn sustained a knee injury that left her debilitated for some time. She attended a Missouri women’s college by the name of Stephens College. Where her injury prevented her from performing in any Physical Education courses. Because of this, Dawn forced to join the theater instead. Join Facts Verse as we explore the injury that started and ended Dawn Wells’ acting career.
While performing in theater, Dawn fell in love with the art of acting. Dawn decided that she wanted to pursue that professionally instead of medicine. She dropped out of college to pursue her acting career. And knowing that she could go back to her medical pursuits if the acting thing didn’t work. Luckily, her instincts about acting proved to be correct, and she was soon getting jobs on television. Eventually, she was going to make her way onto Gilligan’s Island. And where she’d become an icon in the eyes of television audiences.
One experience that helped give Dawn both the couragen. And the public boost that she needed to become an actress was the 1959 Miss America pageant. It is in which she’s given the title of Miss Nevada. Dawn was 20 at the time. And wowed the audience with both her incredible natural looks and the dramatic reading that she performed for the talent portion of the pageant. Perhaps as a result of her performance in this pageant. Dawn was soon getting roles in popular television programs, such as Maverick and Bonanza.
When it came to getting her role on Gilligan’s Island, Dawn really had to try hard for the part due to there being some pretty hefty competition. There were over 300 actresses that auditioned for the role. Among the hundreds of actresses vying for the part of Mary Ann was Raquel Welch. Join Facts Verse as we explore the injury that started and ended Dawn Wells’ acting career.
Although Raquel certainly a talent to be reckoned with at the time, she just not what the creators of Gilligan’s Island were looking for. The character of Mary Ann needed an actress with a distinct and innocent naivety. Thankfully, Dawn had the unique charm that the creators envisioned. Dawn often joked that the role of Mary Ann was just about the only thing in the world that she could win in a competition against Raquel Welch. Though Dawn always had a habit of being a bit self-depreciating about her own self worth.
Dawn inevitably won the part of Mary Ann, and Gilligan’s Island became a giant success. It said that Dawn was the cast member that received the most fan mail. Although Dawn has always been skeptical of this claim. Regardless, her presence was certainly a huge part of what drew audiences in every week. The show ran for three seasons, from 1964 to 1967, with 98 episodes produced in total. Although the show didn’t have as long of a run as some other successful shows, it has become one of the most iconic shows of it’s time. Likewise, Mary Ann has become one of the era’s most popular female characters.
Although Dawn never quite achieved another role worthy of her unique charm, she continued to work sporadically in both film and television throughout the decades leading up to her recent death in 2020. However, another knee injury occurred late in her career that had the exact opposite affect of the one that preceded it. If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support! As well, subscribe to the channel if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!
Dawn Wells’ popularity as Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island proved to be a double-edged sword, with audiences seemingly unable to separate the actress from her iconic character. However, whereas many of Dawn’s contemporaries grew resentful when faced with similar problems. Dawn embraced her image as Mary Ann for the remainder of her career. Not only did Dawn reprise the role of Mary Ann multiple times in various forms. But she also wrote a book later in life detailing her time as the character. Join Facts Verse as we explore the injury that started and ended Dawn Wells’ acting career.
Dawn gladly reprised her role in numerous made-for-television movie sequels that produced for Gilligan’s Island. But that wasn’t the only way that she was able to continue being Mary Ann. Dawn once again stepped back into the role for a 1992 episode of Baywatch that paid homage to Gilligan’s Island. The episode became one of the most memorable of Baywatch’s entire run. With series actress Erika Elenjak since sharing that she considers that episode to be her favorite. Dawn’s appearance in that episode revitalized public interest in both her and the character of Mary Ann, not to mention Gilligan’s Island.
Besides her reprisals of Mary Ann, Dawn also performed a number of other roles in film, television, and theater after Gilligan’s Island came to an end. Some of Dawn’s most notable filmed performances after Gilligan’s Island included roles in the 1970s horror films The Town That Dreaded Sundown and Return to Boggy Creek.
Though her film roles eventually decreased in stature, Dawn continued to shine as a dramatic actress in theater throughout most of her life. By 2009, she had appeared in almost 100 professional theater productions. In 2014, she further capitalized on the iconic status of her Gilligan’s Island character with the memoir What Would Mary Ann Do? Dawn then suffered another knee injury that forced her to give up her acting career and venture into producing instead.
It was a strange coincidence that Dawn’s career as an actress had both started and ended with knee injuries. She produced a few notable works later in her career, including the Showtime movie American Christmas. However, her personal life was taking a downward spiral around the same time. In 2018, one of Dawn’s friends launched a Kickstarter campaign for her. Claiming that Dawn had been struggling severely after the knee injury and also in extreme debt that preventing her from getting the care she needed.
As a result of the goodwill that Dawn had built up over the years with Mary Ann fans. And the Kickstarter campaign made in her honor was able to reach it’s goal of $200,000. It seemed like everything was turning out okay for Dawn. And she was incredibly thankful for the love and support given to her by fans. However, she claimed that the Kickstarter campaign made without her awareness, saying that she fairly embarrassed by the whole thing.
Sadly, Dawn didn’t have a family to help support her through her times of trouble. Miraculously, the television audience came through and saved the day. However, another tragedy was going to occur a few years later. It is putting Dawn’s life to an end regardless of the love from her fans. In 2020, the world was shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. While many doubted the impact that the virus was going to have. It soon proved deadly to many that protracted it.
There have been numerous celebrities that have died of COVID-19, and Dawn is one of them. In late December of 2020, it was announced that Dawn had passed away from the illness. She was pronounced dead on December 30, at the age of 82. During her final years, the Kickstarter campaign had allowed her to move into the facility of her choice and live a life of relative comfort. If it wasn’t for the love and support of Mary Ann fans, she likely would’ve suffered much more during her final years than she did.
Despite her sudden end, Dawn had an incredible life and career that saw her attain massive amounts of success in entertainment. Although she inevitably became pigeonholed due to her iconic performance as the good girl Mary Ann. It was a role that she remained grateful for. And she continued to scratch her dramatic itch via her numerous performances on the stage. If it wasn’t for the knee injury that Dawn sustained as a young adult. She likely never would’ve been able to make the impression that she did on television audiences. Sadly, a similar knee injury also proved to be the thing that ended her days as a performer. Join Facts Verse as we explore the injury that started and ended Dawn Wells’ acting career.
Since Gilligan’s Island’s first airing, there has been a constant debate about which of the show’s two female castaways was the more attractive. Of course, those two female castaways were Mary Ann and Ginger. It has generally been established amongst Gilligan’s Island fans that Mary Ann has proven the much more popular pick of the two. Comment down below to share whether you pick Mary Ann or Ginger. Or if you were surprised to learn that there would be no Mary Ann if it wasn’t for the knee injury that sparked Dawn’s career in entertainment. As always, like this video to show your support. And subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!
