Categories: News

Russell Johnson, The Professor On 'Gilligan's Island,' Dies Of Liver Failure At 89

Russell Johnson, who stared as The Professor on Gilligan’s Island (1964-1967), died Thursday, Jan. 16, at 89 years old.

Johnson died of liver failure in the company of his third wife, Constance and his daughter Kim.

“He died at home, peaceful; in his sleep at 5:21 a.m. today. He was a very brave guy who knew what he wanted, and he wanted to be at home,” Constance told ABC News.

Johnson is most known for his role as the resident heartthrob on Gilligan’s Island, but he had a prolific acting career outside of the famed comedy, with appearances on various television shows including Wonder Woman and The Jeffersons.

Johnson, who outlived his fellow male stars of Gilligan’s Island, publicly expressed his fond memories of the beloved show and wrote about his love of Gilligan fans on his website:

“I think, what I love most at this point in time in the long life of Gilligan’s Island is the positive, intelligent nature of longtime Gilligan aficionados,” Johnson wrote on his website.

Dawn Wells Remembers Russell Johnson

Johnson’s Gilligan co-star, Dawn Wells, who played the part of Mary Ann, took to Facebook to express her grief, calling him “a true gentleman, a good father, a great friend.”

“I love him and shall miss him,” Wells continued before sending her love to Constance and Kim.

“He [Johnson] was a gentleman, very kind… He was very smart and very respectful. He was a nice, normal guy,” Mike Eisentadt, Johnson’s agent, told E! News, echoing Wells statement.

“We are deeply saddened to have learned of the passing of Russell Johnson, the beloved ‘Professor.’ We extend our deepest condolences to his family. Gilligan’s Island is one of the most iconic television series in pop culture history. The news about Russell makes its return to TV Land on Monday all the more meaningful,” Larry W. Jones, president of TV Land, said on Thursday.

Gilligan’s Island will air weekdays at 7 p.m. on TV Land starting Monday, Jan. 20.

Actors and fans have also taken to social media to express their sadness over Johnson’s passing. Jim O’Heir, who currently stars as Jerry in Parks and Recreation, paid tribute to the actor on Twitter.

Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Get Uinterview's FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.

Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.

uInterview

Recent Posts

Donald Trump Jr. Mocks ‘Morning Joe’ Hosts For Visiting His Father Even After They Compared Him To Hitler

Donald Trump Jr. ridiculed the Morning Joe co-hosts, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, for visiting Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week after…

58 mins ago

Kim Kardashian Faces Backlash For Revealing Photo With Rosary Beads: Fans Accuse Her of ‘Mockery’

Kim Kardashian is under fire from fans who accused her of disrespecting religion after sharing…

2 hours ago

VIDEO: Horrifying Moment DHL Cargo Plane Crashes Into Homes, Killing At Least 1 Person

https://youtu.be/5FhxMB3jcmg At least one person was killed, and three others were injured, when a DHL…

5 hours ago

Meghan McCain Reveals She Voted For Her Late Father, John McCain, In 2024 Election

Former The View cohost Meghan McCain has revealed that in the 2024 presidential election, she…

6 hours ago

Kanye West Accused Of ‘Choking & Gagging’ ‘ANTM’ Alum Until She ‘Blacked Out’ In New Lawsuit

Kanye West has been accused of assaulting America's Next Top Model alumna Jenn An during…

7 hours ago

Elon Musk Teases Purchase Of Liberal Nemesis MSNBC With Provocative ‘Temptation’ Meme

Elon Musk has sparked speculation after sharing a provocative meme suggesting he might purchase MSNBC…

8 hours ago