# The Professor has died \[Russell Johnson of "Gilligan's Island"\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997 "2014-01-16T20:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/1 "2014-01-16T20:58:48Z")
Russell Johnson also known as the “Professor” from **Gilligan’s Island** , has passed on to the great island in the sky. Let us hope that there is bamboo there. > **['Gilligan's Island' Star Russell Johnson Dies of Kidney Failure](https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/gilligans-island-star-russell-johnson-dies-kidney-failure/story?id=21561740)** > > Russell Johnson, who played the Professor on Gilligan's Island, died of kidney failure. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/2 "2014-01-16T21:10:32Z")
And coconuts. Adios Roy Hinkley. Another childhood idol gone. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/3 "2014-01-16T21:15:45Z")
No! That’s very sad. I hate _Gilligan’s Island_, actually, but he was watchable. And, if memory serves, a pretty good guy during the Red Scare. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/4 "2014-01-16T21:17:20Z")
In addition to being an actor, Johnson was a bomber pilot who served in World War II. And he had two marriages which both lasted over thirty years. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/5 "2014-01-16T21:17:20Z")
Another one has moved on to the big island in the sky. RIP Russell, I can’t imagine anyone playing the Professor as well as you did. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/6 "2014-01-16T21:28:04Z")
He was also very good in the SF classic **It Came from Outer Space.** ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/7 "2014-01-16T21:39:48Z")
I mentioned him in a post just yesterday. Damn! ☹ When I was a kid, I often dreamed my parents were Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson (or sometimes Richard Dawson).\* The Professor was by far my favorite character on _ **GI** _; in many ways, he was kind of a forerunner of Mr Spock. RIP. \*And I would still happily do Dawn Wells today. She never fails to turn me on! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/8 "2014-01-16T21:48:37Z")
Should have published more… ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/9 "2014-01-16T22:07:42Z")
Aw, damn, just saw this on the news headlines. His was the best cast book about the series, IMHO. Sail on, Professor. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/10 "2014-01-16T22:12:20Z")
You know it was somehow Gilligan’s fault. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/11 "2014-01-16T22:12:25Z")
And the rest in peace, Professor. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/12 "2014-01-16T22:15:23Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > And the rest in peace, Professor. I see what you did there, but it has a certain lyric beauty to it. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/13 "2014-01-16T22:15:29Z")
The only white guy who could pull off the white jeans with white oxford look and not stick out like a sore achromatic thumb. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/14 "2014-01-16T22:35:05Z")
Russell Johnson, who played “The Professor” on _Gilligan’s Island_ is dead. Natural causes were cited. He was 89. [http://www.newschannel5.com/story/24474990/russell-johnson-gilligan-professor-has-died](http://www.newschannel5.com/story/24474990/russell-johnson-gilligan-professor-has-died) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/15 "2014-01-16T22:45:21Z")
Forget _ **Gilligan’s Island** _- Russell Johnson sacrificed himself to electrocute the giant crabs in _ **Attack of the Crab Monsters.** _ He was a freaking HERO, guys! ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/16 "2014-01-16T22:46:41Z")
The Professor and [Rueben Kincaid](http://www.tmz.com/2014/01/16/dave-madden-dead-partridge-family-reuben-kincaid/) both in the same day. I hope somebody is keeping a watchful eye on Ann B. Davis. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/17 "2014-01-16T22:51:24Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > The Professor and [Rueben Kincaid](http://www.tmz.com/2014/01/16/dave-madden-dead-partridge-family-reuben-kincaid/) both in the same day. I hope somebody is keeping a watchful eye on Ann B. Davis. You mean the guy in the long black hooded robe over there? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/18 "2014-01-16T22:56:54Z")
Duplicate thread ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/19 "2014-01-16T23:19:51Z")
I just discovered an interesting bit of trivia: according to IMDb, Johnson was in 98 of 99 episodes of Gilligan’s Island (as were Dawn Wells and Tina Louise). Does anyone know which episode(s) did not feature the full cast? Edit: Never mind, I found the answer- the pilot episode had different actors playing the Professor and Ginger, and character named Bunny, who was later renamed Mary Ann. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997/20 "2014-01-16T23:37:08Z")
Russell Johnson shares a name with one of my kin, and we used to ask him how pretty Mary Ann and Ginger were when he was on the island. Farewell, Professor of whatever-you-needed-to-be-this-episode. But remember y’all, this is a man of Science who can make a battery out of a coconut, salt water and something he stole from Ginger’s makeup kit when she wasn’t watching, but yet, he can’t repair the Minnow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-professor-has-died-russell-johnson-of-gilligans-island/678997.md?page=2)