The Coast Guard would often receive telegrams from people who didn’t realize the show wasn’t real. 2. Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) was the only cast member to receive compensation from the show’s syndication. 3. Raquel Wels h auditioned for the role of Mary Ann. 4. Gilligan's first name, though never mentioned on the show, was Willie.

Gilligan's Island: 5 Surprising Facts Bob Denver played the title character, "Gilligan," but actor Jerry Van Dyke was actually first considered for the role. The images of the island shown at the beginning and end of the show are real: it's located in the Kaneohe Bay, near Hawaii.

Producer Sherwood Schwartz designed the characters to represent parts of society. That’s why the Skipper and the Professor are addressed by their titles. They have names, but Schwartz forbade their use during the show. 2. Schwartz picked Gilligan’s name at random out of a phone book. 3.