Take a deep breath before seeing Tina Louise at 90 – this is Ginger from ‘Gilligan’s Island’ today
Tina Louise became a superstar overnight as she starred as Ginger in the hit television show Gilligan’s Island. The New York native became a great actress, singer, and model. Though, she was often praised for her looks and not necessarily for her work on screen.
Today, Louise is the only cast member of Gilligan’s Island who still is alive. The show changed her life forever, but her career didn’t only consist of acting. The now 90-year-old is still going strong – and when you see her today, you’ll have a hard time believing she isn’t a few decades younger!
Let’s look at her magnificent life, career, and what she looks like today.
“That was very, very important. I respect the fact that people like it so much. I understand that for myself – when you need diversion, you need diversion. When I was on my bed for two-and-a-quarter months [recuperating], I needed diversion. Fortunately, there was the reality show of an election that was really getting heated. I was grateful for that, the books I read and the people that came by.”
“The writers didn’t want us to get off the Island”
Even though the series became very successful, it “only” lasted for three seasons. So what happened? According to Tina, it was an executive decision.
“The writers didn’t want us to get off the Island,” Louise explained. “The show was in the Top 10 or 20 when it ended. The [network] president wasn’t happy [with the 1967] schedule. He wanted Gunsmoke to come back on. So they took our show off,” she added. “In syndication, it just went on and on and on … and on and on and on.
“When it did end I just got back to what I was doing. Which was more dramatic roles,” she added.
Tina Louise continued her successful career both in acting and in music. She starred in the television series Kojak in 1974, and other roles include the 1975 movie The Stepford Wives, the 1987 comedy OC and Stiggs, and the rockabilly satire film Johnny Sue in 1992, starring Brad Pitt.
Even though she had reached retirement age, Tina would not stop with her passion. In 2014, she starred in the spiritual drama Tapestry, and other things became more interesting.
Beginning with her Sunday: A Memoir book in 1997, Tina Louise has written several books. Her children’s book When I Grow Up in 2007 was very special, as she donated some of the proceeds to literacy programs. Moreover, Louise has been volunteering at local public schools since 1996.
She is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences member and a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. But while the recognitions are very special to her, she has sadly seen many of her colleagues pass away over the years. Tina Louise is the last living cast member of Gilligan’s Island. In 2020, her former Gilligan’s Island castmate and friend, Dawn Wells, passed away from Covid-19.
This is Tina Louise from ‘Gilligan’s Island’ today
“Dawn was a very wonderful person. I want people to remember her as someone who always had a smile on her face,” Louise told the New York Post. “Nothing is more important than family and she was family. She will always be remembered.”
“We were part of the wonderful show that everyone loves and has been a great source of comfort, especially during these times.”
Tina Louise was married to the late TV talk show host Les Crane for four years. The couple divorced in 1971, and together, they share a daughter, Caprice Crane, who’s moved on to become a producer, screenwriter, and novelist. Today, Tina has two grandchildren,” whom she calls “my two beautiful babies.”
The 90-year-old still lives in her hometown of New York (in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan.)
Even though she is getting quite old – which remains hard to believe when seeing pictures of her – Tina is ready to meet the right man.
“Numbers are not what you look like”
“I’m open. I’m open. I’m open to life,” Louise said. “These days, I’m still not going out very far. If I go out with a friend, it’s once in two weeks.”
Meanwhile, she didn’t want to give her age when interviewed by the New York Post in 2021.
“Don’t number me. Who needs it?” Tina Louise added. “Numbers are not what you look like or how you live your life … Buddha said, ‘Live in the present moment. Wisely and earnestly.’”
