Editing Bob Denver

{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{short description|American actor (1935–2005)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Bob Denver
| image              = Bob Denver Gilligans Island 1965.jpg
| caption            = Denver on the set of ''Gilligan's Island'' in 1965
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1935|1|9}}
| birth_place        = [[New Rochelle, New York]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2005|9|2|1935|1|9}}
| death_place        = [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]], U.S.
| known_for          = ''[[Gilligan's Island]]''<br>''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]''<br>''[[Rescue from Gilligan's Island]]''<br>''[[The Castaways on Gilligan's Island]]''<br>''[[The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island]]''
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1959–2001
| spouse             = {{ubl
  | {{marriage|Maggie Ryan|1960|1966|end=div}}
  | {{marriage|Jean Webber|1967|1970|end=div}}
  | {{marriage|Carole Abrahams|1972|1975|end=div}}
  | {{marriage|Dreama Perry |1979}}
  }}
| children           = 4
| education          = [[Loyola Marymount University|Loyola University]]
}}

'''Robert Osbourne Denver''' (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005) was an American comedic actor who portrayed [[beatnik]] [[Maynard G. Krebs]] on the 1959–1963 series ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]'' and [[Gilligan]] on the 1964–1967 television series ''[[Gilligan's Island]]''.

==Early life==
Denver was born on January 9, 1935,<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2020/01/09/UPI-Almanac-for-Thursday-Jan-9-2020/6871578415895/|title= UPI Almanac for Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020|work= [[United Press International]]|date= January 9, 2020|access-date= January 16, 2020|archive-date= January 15, 2020|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200115192229/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2020/01/09/UPI-Almanac-for-Thursday-Jan-9-2020/6871578415895/|url-status= live|quote= …actor Bob Denver in 1935}}</ref> in [[New Rochelle, New York]], and raised in [[Brownwood, Texas]]. He graduated in 1953 from David Starr Jordan High School in [[Long Beach, California]]. He graduated from [[Loyola Marymount University|Loyola University]] in Los Angeles, California, with a degree in political science. He acted in college productions at Loyola and met fellow student [[Dwayne Hickman]], with whom he later co-starred in ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]''. After graduation, he coached physical education and taught mathematics and history at Corpus Christi School, a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] elementary school in [[Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles|Pacific Palisades, California]].<ref>{{cite news| title=TV's beatnik is a Square at heart| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?dat=19620614&id=CE40AAAAIBAJ&pg=5641,2090613| access-date=February 7, 2022| newspaper=[[The Age]]| location=[[Melbourne]]| date=June 14, 1962}}</ref>

==Career==
Most of Denver's acting career was in television, though he also appeared in several films and on Broadway. He was widely associated with the title character that he played in the 1960s television series ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'', and he continued to appear as Gilligan in several movies, as a guest on other television series, in personal appearances, and as a voice actor in the animated version of the series.

===Television career===
Denver made his television debut in 1957, playing a small part in an episode of ''The Silent Service'' (S01 E37: "The Loss of the Tang"). While teaching at Corpus Christi in 1958, Denver was permitted to audition for a role on the sitcom ''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' as a favor to his sister, who was a secretary on the production lot. He gained the role and left teaching the following year to become a regular on the series. From 1959 to 1963, he appeared on the series as [[Maynard G. Krebs]], the teenaged [[beatnik]] best friend of Dobie Gillis, played by [[Dwayne Hickman]]. After filming the first three episodes, Denver received his [[conscription|draft notice]], and was briefly written out of the script and replaced, but he was designated [[Selective Service System#Classifications|4-F]] due to an old neck injury and returned to ''Dobie Gillis'' having missed only one episode. Denver later reprised his Maynard G. Krebs role in the television sequels ''Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?'' (1977) and ''Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis'' (1988).

During his time on ''Dobie Gillis'', Denver appeared on the [[NBC]] interview program, ''[[Here's Hollywood]]''. In 1963, Denver played his only major dramatic role on television, as a physician (Dr. Paul Garrett) in one episode of ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]'', telecast on October 10, 1963; the episode, "If You Can't Believe the Truth ...", also featured [[Barbara Eden]] and [[Ken Berry]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.richard-chamberlain.co.uk/drkildareguide.htm| title=Dr. Kildare Episode Guide| website=richard-chamberlain.co.uk| access-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref> Between the end of ''Dobie Gillis'' and the beginning of ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'', Denver appeared in an episode of ''[[The Farmer's Daughter (TV series)|The Farmer's Daughter]]'' and in the final episode of ''[[The Danny Thomas Show]]''. He also had a one-episode role replacing the actor who played Dudley A. "Dud" Wash, the fiancé of Charlene Darling of [[the Darlings]], on ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' which was aired March 30, 1964. This was done by the network to promote Denver's face and make him more familiar to the viewing audience since ''Gilligan's Island'' was about to go on air.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/anewsome/private/35th_w_s.htm| title=35th Anniversary Celebration: A Mayberry Reunion| website=iMayberry.com| access-date=October 12, 2013| archive-date=September 25, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925044904/http://mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/anewsome/private/35th_w_s.htm| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the cancellation of ''Dobie Gillis'', Denver landed the title role on the sitcom ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'', which ran for three seasons (1964–67) on [[CBS]], and became a staple of later syndication. His role as the well-meaning but bumbling first mate among a small group of shipwrecked castaways became the one for which he is most remembered. During the run, Denver privately went out of his way to help his co-stars who warmly appreciated his efforts, such as successfully demanding that [[Russell Johnson]] and [[Dawn Wells]] be included in the series' opening credits (which also included a nod to their respective characters in the opening theme song), and insisting that Wells get an equal share of the series' publicity with [[Tina Louise]].<ref name="straight-dope">{{cite web |url=https://www.straightdope.com/21342618/was-the-gilligan-s-island-theme-song-tampered-with |title=Was the "Gilligan's Island" theme song tampered with? |website=[[The Straight Dope]] |first=Cecil |last=Adams |access-date=August 25, 2020}}</ref><ref name="50s-web">{{cite web |url=https://fiftiesweb.com/tv/gilligans-island/ |title=Gilligan's Island (Gilligan's Island Tidbits section) |website=The Fifties Web |access-date=November 26, 2023 }}</ref> A decade after the series was canceled, Denver played Gilligan in the made-for-TV reunion movies ''[[Rescue from Gilligan's Island]]'' (1978), ''[[The Castaways on Gilligan's Island]]'' (1979), and ''[[The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island]]'' (1981). He also lent his voice to the animated series ''[[The New Adventures of Gilligan]]'' and its sequel ''[[Gilligan's Planet]]''. During the 1980s and 1992, he reprised the character of Gilligan for numerous cameo appearances, including episodes of ''[[ALF (TV series)|ALF]]'', ''[[Meego (TV series)|Meego]]'' and ''[[Baywatch]]'', and played a bartender in the film ''[[Back to the Beach]]'' (1987).

[[File:The Good Guys cast 1968.jpg|left|thumb|The cast of ''The Good Guys'', 1968: From left: Denver, [[Herb Edelman]] and [[Joyce Van Patten]]]]After ''Gilligan's Island'', Denver went on to star on other TV comedy series, including ''[[The Good Guys (1968 TV series)|The Good Guys]]'' (1968–1970), ''[[Dusty's Trail]]'' (1973–1974) (a show similar to ''Gilligan's Island'', involving a lost wagon train headed to California), and the [[Sid and Marty Krofft]] children's program ''[[Far Out Space Nuts]]'' (1975). Four episodes of ''Dusty's Trail'' were later combined to create a feature film, ''[[The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West]]'' (1976).

Denver's other television roles included guest appearances on multiple episodes of ''[[Love, American Style]]''; ''[[The Love Boat]]''; and ''[[Fantasy Island]]''. In 1983, he starred in the television pilot ''The Invisible Woman'' as the bumbling [[mad scientist]] uncle of the title character.

===Film career===
Denver's first feature film appearance was in the service farce, ''[[A Private's Affair]]'' (1959), with [[Sal Mineo]]. Credited as Robert Denver, he had a small role in the [[James Stewart|Jimmy Stewart]] film, ''[[Take Her, She's Mine]]'' (1963), playing a beatnik poet working at a coffee shop. Denver also appeared in the beach film ''[[For Those Who Think Young (film)|For Those Who Think Young]]'' (1964) with [[Tina Louise]] prior to the development of ''Gilligan's Island''.

Other films in which Denver appeared include ''[[Who's Minding the Mint?]]'' (1967), ''[[The Sweet Ride]]'' (1968), ''[[Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?]]'' (1968) with [[Phyllis Diller]], and ''[[The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West]]'' (1976).  In 1983, he appeared in the television movie ''[[High School U.S.]]''.  His final role was a small part in the [[Frankie Avalon]]-[[Annette Funicello]] comedy ''[[Back to the Beach]]'' (1987).

===Other work===
[[File:Bob Denver, 1977.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Denver in 1977]]
In 1970, Denver replaced [[Woody Allen]] in the original Broadway production of Allen's comedy ''[[Play It Again, Sam (play)|Play It Again, Sam]]'', earning praise from ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic [[Clive Barnes]] for conveying "a genuine clown-like wistfulness" that Barnes had found lacking in Allen's own performance in the starring role.<ref name="DenverObit">{{cite news| first=Adam |last=Bernstein| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/06/AR2005090600991.html |title=Bob Denver, 70; Brought Goofy Comedy to Role as TV's Gilligan| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| date=September 7, 2005| access-date= }}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Denver was married four times. With his first wife he had a son and a daughter. He was later married to Jean Webber (1967–1970) and Carole Abrahams (1972–1975), and with the latter fathered a daughter, Emily.<ref name= Selim /> His last wife was Dreama Perry, to whom he was married until his death and with whom he fathered a son, Colin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gilligan's Dreams: Dreama Denver talks about her book, her life with TV icon Bob Denver, and raising their autistic son |url=https://developmentaldisabilities.networkofcare.org/tarrant-tx/CommunityResources/News/Article?articleId=124577 |publisher=Network of Care - Tarrant Cares|access-date=May 31, 2024 |date=July 7, 2021 }}</ref>

On February 7, 1971, Denver was arrested in [[Anderson, California]] for possession of [[cannabis|marijuana]] and drug paraphernalia in his car and pleaded no contest for a reduced sentence of a $250 fine.<ref>{{cite news |title='Gilligan' Arrested |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gilligan-arrested/ |website=[[CBS News]] |access-date=February 26, 2020 |date=June 5, 1998}}</ref> In 1998, he was arrested for marijuana delivered to his home, originally saying that the delivery came from [[Dawn Wells]], who played Mary Ann on ''Gilligan's Island'', but he later refused to name her in court, testifying that "some crazy fan must have sent it." He pleaded [[nolo contendere|no contest]] and received six months probation.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Stevens |first1=Dana |title=Gilligan's Dreams |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2005/09/the-archetype-of-the-inept-but-lovable-slacker.html |magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |access-date=February 26, 2020 |date=September 7, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311002121/http://slate.msn.com/id/2125800/fr/rss/ |archive-date=March 11, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Later in his life, Denver returned to his adopted home of [[Princeton, West Virginia]], and became an [[FM broadcasting|FM radio]] personality. He and his wife Dreama ran a small "[[oldies]] format" radio station, [[WGAG-LP]] 93.1 FM. He also earned a small income making public appearances, often costumed as Gilligan. In 1992, he played Gilligan to benefit the [[Make-A-Wish Foundation]] for a West Virginia fundraiser for the organization.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dYVDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4039,603687&hl=en| title=Tour planned for children's group| newspaper=The Sunday Times-Sentinel| location=Galliopolis, Ohio| date=April 12, 1992| first=Aviva L.| last=Brandt| agency=[[Associated Press]]| volume=27| number=10}}</ref>

Denver was a heavy smoker.<ref name= Selim>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.cancertodaymag.org/Pages/Spring2014/Bob-Denver-Throat-Cancer.aspx| title = Everybody's Little Buddy |magazine=[[American Association for Cancer Research#Publications|Cancer Today]] |first=Jocelyn |last=Selim |date=March 28, 2014| access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> He received cancer treatment and underwent heart [[bypass surgery]] in 2005.<ref name=NYT2005>{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Douglas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/07/arts/television/bob-denver-is-dead-at-70-star-of-gilligans-island.html |title=Bob Denver is dead at 70; Star of ''Gilligan's Island'' |date=September 7, 2005 |access-date=September 13, 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> On September 2, 2005, he died at age 70 from complications, including pneumonia<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/g/Gilligan%27s%20Island/bobdenverdc.jpg |title=Certificate of Death |website=findadeath.com |access-date=January 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618142232/http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/g/Gilligan's%20Island/bobdenverdc.jpg |archive-date=June 18, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> following throat cancer surgery at [[Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center]] in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]].<ref name="DenverObit"/>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1959|| ''[[A Private's Affair]]'' || MacIntosh ||
|-
|1963|| ''[[Take Her, She's Mine]]'' || Alex ||
|-
|1964|| ''[[For Those Who Think Young (film)|For Those Who Think Young]]'' || Kelp ||
|-
|1967|| ''[[Who's Minding the Mint?]]'' || Willie Owens ||
|-
|rowspan="2"|1968|| ''[[The Sweet Ride]]'' || Choo-Choo Burns ||
|-
| ''[[Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?]]'' || Bertram Webb ||
|-
|1976|| ''[[The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West]]'' || Dusty ||
|-
|1987|| ''[[Back to the Beach]]'' || Bartender ||
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1957|| ''The Silent Service''  || Murph || Episode: "The Tang's Last Shot"
|-
|1959–1963|| ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]'' || [[Maynard G. Krebs]] || Main cast, 144 episodes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1963|| ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]'' || Dr. Paul Garrett || Episode: "If You Can't Believe the Truth"
|-
| ''[[The Farmer's Daughter (TV series)|The Farmer's Daughter]]'' || Lieutenant Tenner || Episode: "An Enterprising Young Man"
|-
|rowspan="2"|1964|| ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' || Dud Wash || Episode: "Divorce, Mountain Style"
|-
| ''[[The Danny Thomas Show]]'' || Herbie || Episode: "The Persistent Cop"
|-
|1964–1967|| ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || Lead role, 98 episodes
|-
|1967|| ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]'' || Harold || Episode: "My Son, the Genie"
|-
|1968–1970|| ''[[The Good Guys (1968 TV series)|The Good Guys]]'' || Rufus Butterworth || Lead role, 42 episodes
|-
|1970–1973|| ''[[Love, American Style]]'' || Earl / Jeffrey / Sam Cosgrove || 3 episodes
|-
|1973–1974|| ''[[Dusty's Trail]]'' || Dusty || Lead role, 26 episodes
|-
|1974–1975|| ''[[The New Adventures of Gilligan]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || Voice, 24 episodes
|-
|1975|| ''[[Far Out Space Nuts]]'' || Junior || Lead role, 15 episodes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1977|| ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis#Sequel films|Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis?]]'' || [[Maynard G. Krebs]] || TV movie
|-
| ''[[Captain Kangaroo]]'' || Himself || 1 episode
|-
|1978|| ''[[Rescue from Gilligan's Island]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || TV movie
|-
|rowspan="2"|1979|| ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Jason Markham || 2 episodes
|-
| ''[[The Castaways on Gilligan's Island]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || TV movie
|-
|1980–1983|| ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' || Morris Binstock<br>Francis Elkins<br>Don Winters<br>Tim Kearns || 4 episodes
|-
|1981|| ''[[The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || TV movie
|-
|rowspan="4"|1982|| ''[[Twilight Theater (film)|Twilight Theater]]'' || Various characters || TV movie
|-
| ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Norman Lomax || Episode; "A Dress to Remember"
|-
| ''Scamps'' || Oliver Hopkins || TV movie
|-
| ''[[Gilligan's Planet]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || Voice, 13 episodes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1983|| ''[[The Invisible Woman (1983 film)|The Invisible Woman]]'' || Dr. Dudley Plunkett || TV movie
|-
| ''[[High School U.S.]]'' || Milton Feld || TV movie
|-
|rowspan="2"|1987|| ''[[The New Gidget]]'' || rowspan="2" | [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || Episode: "Gilligidge Island"
|-
| ''[[ALF (TV series)|ALF]]'' || Episode: "Somewhere Over the Rerun"
|-
|1988|| ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis#Sequel films|Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis]]'' || [[Maynard G. Krebs]] ||
|-
|1992|| ''[[Baywatch]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || Episode: "Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale"
|-
| 1992|| ''[[Phil Donahue Show]]'' || Himself || Episode: "Famous Past Celebrities"
|-
|1993|| ''[[Evening Shade]]'' || rowspan="3" | Himself || 2 episodes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1994|| ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]'' || Episode: "Gilligan"
|-
| ''[[Herman's Head]]'' || Episode: "The Herm from Ipanema"
|-

|1995|| ''[[Roseanne]]'' || Jackie || Episode: "Sherwood Schwartz: A Loving Tribute"
|-
|1997|| ''[[Meego (TV series)|Meego]]'' || [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]] || Episode: "Mommy 'n' Meego" (final appearance)
|-
|1998|| ''[[The Simpsons]]'' || Himself || Voice<br>Episode: "[[Simpson Tide]]"
|-
|2001 || ''[[Surviving Gilligan's Island]]'' || Himself || TV movie
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bob Denver}}
* {{IMDb name|1134}}
* {{IBDB name|89720}}
* {{Tcmdb name|48835}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes-person|bob_denver}}
* {{Discogs artist|Bob Denver}}
* [http://www.bobdenver.com/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913140605/http://www.bobdenver.com/ |date=September 13, 2008 }}

{{Portalbar|Biography}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denver, Bob}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Deaths from laryngeal cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Loyola Marymount University alumni]]
[[Category:Male actors from New Rochelle, New York]]
[[Category:People from Brownwood, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Princeton, West Virginia]]
[[Category:Radio personalities from West Virginia]]
[[Category:Actors from Mercer County, West Virginia]]