The Skipper’s “Little Buddy” was undergoing cancer treatment.
Bob Denver, who created one of the most recognizable characters in television history on “Gilligan’s Island,” has died.
Denver, 70, died Friday at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer. His wife, Dreama, and four children were with him when he died.
“Our lives will never be the same without him,” the Denver family says in a statement posted on Denver’s Web site. “There are no words to describe how much his wisdom and gentleness will be missed.”
When “Gilligan’s Island” premiered in 1964, TV viewers already knew Denver from “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” in which he played the work-averse beatnik Maynard G. Krebs. (Denver and “Dobie Gillis” star Dwayne Hickman had been classmates at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles prior to landing their parts.) It was Gilligan, however, that made him a household name for the rest of his life.
The series ran from 1964-67 on CBS and for its first two seasons was among the top 25 shows on television. It has been in pretty much continuous reruns since then and spawned two animated series, three reunion movies and last year’s unscripted series “The Real Gilligan’s Island” on TBS. Denver was involved in all but the TBS show, which was the brainchild of “Gilligan’s” creator Sherwood Schwartz and producer Mike Fleiss (“The Bachelor”).
Post-“Gilligan,” Denver starred in several series, including “Dusty’s Trail” and the kids’ show “Far Out Space Nuts,” and made guest appearances on shows ranging from “Fantasy Island” to “The Simpsons.” He also owned a radio station in his home state of West Virginia.
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