Dawn Wells: 'Gilligan's Island' Actors Weren't Paid Syndication Royalties, And I Never Hooked Up With The Professor (VIDEO)

The TV classic "Gilligan's Island" aired for three seasons and for decades after that in syndication. But as Dawn Wells, the actress who played the bubbly Mary Ann, told "Good Day NY" (weekdays, 9 a.m. EST on Fox) the cast wasn't fortunate enough to share in the syndication royalties.

"No, they didn't exist!" Wells lamented. "Our producer made $90 million on the re-runs of 'Gilligan's Island' alone, but we didn't get any of it."

Another opportunity Wells missed out on while they were filming was an off-screen, on-island romance. When Rosanna Scotto asked her if she ever was romantically involved with anyone in the cast, Wells said that she and Russell Johnson, who played the Professor, had a special connection, but they could never hook up because they were both married. "I could have fallen in love with the Professor in a minute, but we were both married ... He was darling and he was handsome; he was the funniest one on the show," she said.

At that point Rosanna Scotto pressed her for more details, noting that being married "has never stopped anyone in Hollywood before." Wells sighed and replied, "Yeah, I know. But we were square. We were a family. That reads on camera," she noted. While a fling might have lasted for a few months, the on-screen chemistry was immortalized for over half a century. It's too bad they weren't properly compensated for it.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article inaccurately transcribed Wells' remarks, omitting the world "million" from the figure earned by the show's producer. But $90 still goes a long way on a desert island.

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Comments

[JScott]

08:55 AM on 02/17/2012

Yup kinda got screwed royalty wise.

[bmitche]

05:45 PM on 02/16/2012

She stated that she was attracted to the Pofessor, but they were both married. The interviewer stated that it usually doesn't matter in Hollywood. What the interviewer forgot is that when Gilligan's Island aired, the word RESPECT was still valid.

[Scott In FL]

11:00 PM on 02/16/2012

Ah yes, respect for shows about belittling actors by having them act out scripts where dozens of people visit the island, but never take the castaways with them or get them help. Or having shows where the lead character's mother is a car or a pig is popular enough to become mayor of Hooterville. There was as much RESPECT in Hollywood in the 60s as there is today. You can't argue against the same percentage of couples being loyal to each other now as they were then. The only difference now is that there is more reporting of scandals. In the 60s, there was no TMZ or tabloids (like there are now) that pryed into people's personal lives.

[Willie12345]

05:04 PM on 02/16/2012

She and the Captain did all the Hooking Up on the good ship, Minnow.

[drewscustomcarts]

03:10 PM on 02/16/2012

I always liked Daphne from Scobby Doo.......

[sjm337161753]

03:09 PM on 02/16/2012

Seeing "Mary Ann" made me remember a funny situation from The Simpsons: (Moe the bartender is trying out for a soap opera.)

Casting Director: "You said you wanted ugly!"

Producer: "I meant Hollywood ugly - Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island ugly - not ugly-ugly!"

[klpatrick4]

03:01 PM on 02/16/2012

I loved Mary Ann as a kid, but I appreciate Dawn even more as an adult. I wish more of my kid's icons had the moral fortitude to put their commitments to their marriages above their feelings below the waists. I love that she admitted to the attraction, but that they `couldn't' do anything about it because they were both married. Hats off to both of them for that.

[Douglas Tripp]

02:46 PM on 02/16/2012

How about Mrs Howell ,rich,and experienced ,Just kidding

[tomofyork2]

02:42 PM on 02/16/2012

As "Syndcation royalties' was an entirely new creation, even for the Producers, then the Producers should not have collected either. Some honest Judge should open that can of worms and the performers and designers of all the old shows be compensated. The Greed of Corporations is a stench in USA. And the world is watching.

[buminthesun421]

02:38 PM on 02/16/2012

I heard the professor invented viagra.

[Batjak]

02:36 PM on 02/16/2012

ginger and Mary Ann the last two living?

[gfgarv]

02:47 PM on 02/16/2012

Skipper- Dead
Gilligan- Dead
Mr. Howell- Dead
Mrs. Howell- Dead
The Professor- Alive and close to 90 years old
Ginger - Alive
MaryAnn- Alive

[cmcclarty]

03:02 PM on 02/16/2012

I belive so.

[readyinga]

02:35 PM on 02/16/2012

Mary Ann of course...Ginger was hot bot Mary Ann was the bomb.

[windancin]

02:27 PM on 02/16/2012

Wow...I find it repulsive that the actors didn't make a penny on the re-runs of "Gilligan's Island." Why would just the producer make $90 million and not give them a % ? When I see the trash on TV now that are making MILLIONS every month...i.e. "The Kardashians"...."Housewives"....'New Jersey"...etc.... It's totally disgusting. Greed is alive & well....there needs to be guidelines and laws enforced regarding these matters, it's like legalized crime...robbery !

[ltlwillie53]

02:18 PM on 02/16/2012

ok guys.......ginger or mary ann????.....mine is mary ann....

[gfgarv]

02:38 PM on 02/16/2012

some guys might take the professor.

[hopein2012]

02:56 PM on 02/16/2012

me too

[forkuu]

02:04 PM on 02/16/2012

i was once in an elevator at the met with tina louise. i was thrilled she was still sexy...

[Haveissues]

01:58 PM on 02/16/2012

Professor and Mary Ann. Oh yeah.

[forkuu]

02:04 PM on 02/16/2012

like the viewers did not know..it was very obvious