Gilligan’s Island: Every Main Character, Ranked

Sherwood Schwartz’s 1964 sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” is simultaneously hopeful and hopeless. It is hopeful in that seven ostensible strangers, all from different classes and walks of life, became stranded on a remote tropical island, and managed to survive and thrive, living together in harmony and often working together to achieve common goals. Even though there are rich people and poor people on the island, all sense of class has been erased. On Gilligan’s Island, everyone is equal. Democracy works.  

The show is hopeless, however, because the seven stranded castaways seem to be eternally trapped on that island. Every time an opportunity for escape presents itself — a hot air balloon, a new signaling device, etc. — Gilligan (Bob Denver) fouls it up for everyone. Gilligan, a friendly, gentle, clumsy idiot, bumbles his way through life, often ripping hope from his compatriots. 

More viewers likely see “Gilligan’s Island” in its former context, however. The show is broad, bright, and cartoonish. It doesn’t really take place in the real world, where starvation and disease would be an issue. It’s a clean universe where survival is easy. The worst that might happen is that the Skipper (Alan Hale) will hit Gilligan with his hat. Death doesn’t exist on “Gilligan’s Island” any more than it exists in, say, “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” 

As such, it’s okay to accept the seven “Island” castaways as mere archetypes. /Film even recently noted that the seven castaways are updated versions of the stock characters seen in Commedia dell’arte. 

None of the characters are useless, but some, perhaps, stick in the memory more than others. Here is a rundown.

Natalie Schafer made a decades-long career playing clueless socialites and fluttery, bourgeois ditzes. She had been playing Mrs. Howell-type characters since her early days on the stage, and would continue to play them after “Gilligan’s Island” was canceled. In 1964, she was a natural expert at her very specialized character type, and Mrs. Howell felt natural, easy, and funny. Schafer herself was also an impressive figure, having survived breast cancer in secret, and famously altering her age so she could continue to work in Hollywood; it wouldn’t be until her death in 1991 that her co-stars learned Schafer was 12 years older than she said she was. She wasn’t 78. She was 90. 

Lovey Howell is listed last merely because she was often written as a mere adjunct to Mr. Howell. The Howells moved as a unit, only sometimes emerging as unique characters unto themselves. Thurston Howell had more interests and foibles than Lovey, so he emerged as the more interesting character. Lovey was often eclipsed by other characters, and had the least to do. 

In terms of stock Commedia characters, both she and Mr. Howell were Pantalone. While they were both funny, having two rich people on the island seemed to offset the otherwise well-balanced class dynamic. At the very least, there were two married people on the island. Everyone else was single. 

What I appreciate about Thurston Howell (Jim Backus) is that he is rich, but he’s also kind of useless. Gilligan’s Island, because it’s so remote, is free of the strictures of capitalism, and all the characters need to work together to survive. Because they were used to a relaxed, posh lifestyle, the Howells were frequently seen relaxing in beach chairs drinking tropical drinks, but they also would get off their butts if some light labor was needed. “Gilligan’s Island” eliminated their class, forcing the Howells to live as equals. 

Mr. Howell never really grew as a character — he was always a capitalist at heart — but he did find himself having to live in a universe where his money didn’t matter. On a desert island, you’re only as useful as the skills you possess. These themes would also be explored in Ruben Östlund’s 2022 satire “Triangle of Sadness.” 

The biggest pity of Mr. Howell is that he never had a true reckoning. He never playfully announced that his wealth was illusory and that strength of character, hard work, and diplomatic peace were preferable paths to walk. He skated up to the notion a few times, but never crossed the line. When Mr. Howell eventually left the island (in 1970s TV movies), he was still rich, opening a resort on Gilligan’s Island. He just went back to his old ways. 

Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) is a wholly uncomplicated character, defined more by her demeanor than her class. Mary Ann was the peacemaker, the friendly face, the gregarious one. Without really being assigned the task, she became the island’s morale officer, usually there to offer an upbeat attitude and a kind word. Mary Ann’s presence on the island helped communicate that life wasn’t so bad. She wasn’t temperamental like the Skipper, and never seemed to be too distressed about their situation. And if Mary Ann is happy, then the show is happy. 

In terms of practicality, Mary Ann also had the single most valuable skill for people lost on a desert island; she knew agriculture. Mary Ann was a farm girl from Kansas, and knew how to tend to crops. As such, when actual food production was required, she was there. That’s my headcanon, anyway. I like to think Mary Ann was constantly tending to their bounty of fruits, making sure the castaways were all fed. 

She also served as the Betty to Ginger’s Veronica, a pair of compatriots who could often gather and complain about the island’s majority of men. Mary Ann’s positivity was invaluable. 

In terms of his practical functionality, Professor Roy Hinkley (Russell Johnson) was the single most important character on “Gilligan’s Island.” He was the one who, with his extensive scientific and engineering knowledge, could construct whatever the island might need. He was likely the one who designed the water-storage systems for the island, and he was the one to repair radios and get information for the castaways. It seems that no one could survive without the Professor. 

Then why is he not ranked at #1? Because the Professor is, kind of by design, a boring character. Both the Professor and Mary Ann served as the straight-men to an island of boobs and comedic archetypes. They rarely had storylines of their own, and exhibited few moments of growth, change, or longing. They simply were who they were, and took every crisis in stride. That kind of good-natured character was key on “Gilligan’s Island,” as they provided a vital balance. 

It just would have been nice for the Professor to possess a quirk of some kind. Even if it was broad. A phobia, perhaps, or an obsession. A story he constantly tells, or a desire to get back to inventing a squirrel-eggplant hybrid. Something. 

Also, why couldn’t he build a boat? That question has bothered viewers for decades. 

Captain Jonas Grumby (Alan Hale) was a sublime comedic creation, and Hale’s performance was pitch perfect, so the Skipper ranks kind of high. He was the slow-burn, wrathful character that was the first to lose his temper. Rather than being undone by his wrath, though, the Skipper always came across as friendly and approachable. It a testament to Hale’s talents as a comedian that he could make such an angry character simultaneously so huggable. 

Some might say that the Skipper is the reason that the castaways were lost in the first place, as he was captaining the S.S. Minnow when it was stranded. Shouldn’t a good captain know that bad weather was going to strike during his three-hour tour and discourage people from getting on board his ship? The Skipper, some have posited, was reckless. 

But, of course, it was not the Skipper that caused a terrible storm, and it’s implied that the rough weather the Minnow encountered was wholly unexpected and sudden. Indeed, if not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost. And “courage” is a great descriptor for the Skipper. He was annoyed by his situation, especially by Gilligan, but he always faced challenges with tenacity. “We just gotta get it done” was his prevailing attitude. 

Incidentally, that was an attitude shared by Hale himself. There are reports that he broke a bone on set, and didn’t tell anyone about it for weeks. He just wanted to get the job done.

Weirdly, the most adaptable character on “Gilligan’s Island” was Ginger Grant (Tina Louise), an itinerant actress with a penchant for glamour. She was the one who packed a huge amount of clothes, makeup, and jewelry for her three-hour tour, and made extensive use of it during her stay on the island. In terms of casting, Louise was hired because, well, she’s conventionally beautiful. Many young male Boomers will likely tell you that their first celebrity crush was either on Louise or Dawn Wells. 

In a way, though, Ginger was the island’s most psychologically healthy character. Because she was an actress, she saw every scenario as an improv scene she could riff on. The character posed as a psychiatrist in some instances, offering ersatz counseling for the other castaways. Because she was so pretty, her presence was disarming. Although “Gilligan’s Island” wasn’t a very sexual show, Ginger’s flirty demeanor reminded audiences that there is, at the very least, some human sexuality somewhere on this island. 

“Gilligan’s Island” was made in the 1960s, so there was a lot of objectification of Ginger (she was modeled after Marilyn Monroe), but her constant stories of Hollywood parties and her willingness to continue to hone her craft reminded audiences that she had an actual life as well. 

Gilligan (Bob Denver) is the star of the show, of course, and he holds its spirit.

As mentioned above, the castaways often began each episode in a state of hope, learning that they might have an opportunity to escape. Gilligan, however, through his idiocy, managed to fumble every rescue. One might think that the castaways would gang up on Gilligan and murder him, but they don’t. They understand that Gilligan is an innocent, almost a holy figure, incapable of escaping his curse of clumsiness. He is a cosmic figure in a lot of ways, almost mythic. He is the angelic figure in your life that prevents success. One might see a similarly cursed character in Greek mythology or in a Shakespearean play. Yes, I said it. Gilligan is at least as sophisticated a character as Falstaff. 

It’s Gilligan, I think, that keeps us coming back. He is a classic clown. He is Arlecchino. He’s the element of “Gilligan’s Island” that makes it feel timeless and universal. He has transcended the other characters, forced to live in his own world of childlike wonder. He is always curious, and his destructiveness seems like a facet of his personality that he was unwilling to take on. Like he was cursed. 

Gilligan was a lighthearted boob and a sad sack. He was a helpful friend and a force of destruction. He fit in with a crowd, while also being the source of their unhappiness. Gilligan is a bundle of contradictions and a fascinating character. He’s clearly the best one.