Tina Louise From Then to Now: Photos of the ‘Gilligan’s Island’ Actress Through the Years

Early Days

Tina began performing as a child and eventually got her break on Broadway, appearing in the musical revues Two’s Company (1952) and John Murray Anderson’s Almanac (1953). She also appeared in the 1956 Broadway musical Li’l Abner before making her film debut in 1958 when she starred in God’s Little Acre.

Gilligan’s Island

In the 1960s, Tina starred as Ginger on Gilligan’s Island alongside costars Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus and more. Looking back on the show years later, she told Closer in December 2019, “On this 55th anniversary of Gilligan’s Island, I want to say how wonderful it is that our show is still on the air after all these years. I honestly feel like I have so many friends out there who just love what we did and what we shared and the joy we brought. I’m so happy to have been part of something that was so special to American television.”

Life After the Island

Tina did not star in any of the Gilligan’s Island sequel movies. However, she went on to appear in the spy spoof The Wrecking Crew in 1969 alongside Dean Martin as well as The Stepford Wives in 1975. In December 2020, she became the last surviving cast member of Gilligan’s Island.

Later Work

Tina appeared in numerous film and television projects, including the 1992 indie film Johnny Suede, which starred Brad Pitt. Here, the two pose together for a photo in Los Angeles.

Lasting Legacy

Pictured here at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom for the 2003 television special CBS at 75, Tina will always be remembered for her work on Gilligan’s Island. During an August 2024 interview with Pix11, Tina reflected on the impact the show has had on her life. “Well, I have a lot of friends,” she said. “I enjoy it a lot. I thought it was going to just last six months, but it seemed to go on forever.”

As for how she landed the gig, she explained, “I had just become a member of the Actor’s Studio, and I didn’t really want to do it but they weren’t happy with the person who did the pilot, so I was just asked to do it. I was in a Broadway show at the time with Carol Burnett, and I was asked to do this,” she said. “I was encouraged by a friend who told me it would only last six months and then I could go back to what I had been training for.”

Family First

In recent years, Tina spends plenty of time with her daughter, Caprice Crane, whom she welcomed during her marriage to Les Crane. “I feel like whatever childhood I could have, I had with my daughter, who I raised by myself,” the long-divorced star told Closer. “We would have Easter egg hunts, and on Christmas Eve I’d invite all of her friends over.” She is also a proud grandmother to twins Kingston and Clementine. “My daughter has been living in L.A., so I go to the library and read to them over the cellphone,” said Tina, who lives in New York.