Robert Osborne David "Bob" Denver (January 9, 1935–September 2, 2005) was an American comic actor, best known for playing the lead role on Gilligan's Island. For the Kroffts, he played Junior on Far Out Space Nuts.
Biography[]
Bob Denver was attending college at Loyola-Marymount University, in Los Angeles, when he got into acting. At first, Denver wasn't sure he wanted to be an actor, but gradually gave in, deciding that's what he was going to do for a career. Before he became established, he worked as a mailman and teacher. He then got a screen test for the part of Maynard G. Krebs and to his surprise, he won the part.
After four years on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959), Denver got his most famous part of Gilligan, in Gilligan's Island (1964). After Gilligan's three-year run ended, he did a few other television shows, including the Gilligan wannabe Dusty's Trail (1973) and the sci-fi/comedy pilot film The Invisible Woman (1983), as well as Broadway plays.
On September 2, 2005, Denver died of complications related to cancer treatment at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in North Carolina. He had most recently lived in Princeton, West Virginia. He is survived by his wife, Dreama, and four children.
External links[]
- Bob Denver at the Internet Movie Database
- Memorial site