The actor remained "proud" of his role and its influence on pop culture in later years.

Link (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/russell-johnson-dies-gilligans-island-671675)

Russell Johnson, best known as Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island, died Thursday of kidney failure. He was 89.

"He died at home, peaceful, in his sleep at 5:21 am today," his wife, Constance, told ABC News. "[He was] a very brave guy who knew what he wanted, and he wanted to be at home."

Johnson portrayed "The Professor" in the classic comedy from 1964-67, appearing in 98 of the show's 99 episodes. Johnson was a busy but little-known character actor with credits including This Island Earth and It Came From Outer Space when he was cast in the slapstick comedy about seven people marooned on an uncharted Pacific island.

During its three-season run on CBS, critics lambasted the show. But after its cancellation, it found generations of new fans in reruns and reunion movies.

In later years, Johnson remained "proud" of the role and its influence on viewers.

"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," he wrote on his website. "It amazes me. I have received mail throughout the years from young viewers from all over the world, year after year, who were so influenced by the Professor's smarts that they became science buffs and are now real professors, doctors and scientists. It makes me proud."

Johnson was the last surviving male star from the show.

He continued to work steadily through the 1990s, including in several Gilligan's Island TV movies along with appearances on such TV shows as Lassie, Newhart, Gunsmoke, Dynasty and Roseanne.

He had a son, David, who died from AIDS in 1994.

No doubt they are reunited in Heaven.

Oh no :( Now only Dawn and Tina are left :( RIP Professor.

R.I.P. Professor Hinkley.

also from METV http://metvnetwork.com/share/russell-johnson-the-professor-from-gilligan-s-island-dies-at-89

also from METV http://metvnetwork.com/share/russell-johnson-the-professor-from-gilligan-s-island-dies-at-89

All that does is link to TMZ.

In real life, Russell Johnson was a wonderful guy too.

Although the Professor would likely say "surely, you don't believe these native superstitions," I'd like to think he's now in a better place, a paradise like a tropical island.

I will always remember him as in Waiting for Watubi.

RIP Russell Johnson :(

Absolutely one of my favorite TV characters of all time, not for the science aspect necessarily, though I know that influenced many, but as the 'Professor' he portrayed a person whose humanity and decency was evident. He will be missed.

The first sequel movie when they are rescued (though not a movie blockbuster or Oscar contender by any means) has some continuity from the TV show. One of the things that was brought out was how the castaways forged strong friendships that were solid, and withstood the assaults of those who were trying to take advantage of them when they were readjusting to life back in the 'real' world. It is of course fiction, but worth watching.

Some good scenes in that movie with the Professor, the Howells, etc.

A very fine actor, may he rest in peace.

:rip: aww man :(

Sad to hear of Russell's passing. Now, Dawn and Tina are the only remaining cast members...

His character (and Dawn's) brought some amount of reality to Gilligan's Island. I was wondering it Russell would top Natalie's age (90)... he almost did.

I have me both of them at autograph shows. I will post a photo of Russell I took if I can find it.

Kinda ironic that his passing comes on the same day TV Land is scheduled to air "Two On a Raft." Hopefully they'll have some kind of tribute for him.

Very, very sorry to hear of this. He seemed like a class act all the way; never denigrated or dismissed the show or other actors.

RIP Russell Johnson.

So sad to hear this. The Professor was one of my earliest crushes. :-(

RIP, Professor.

So sad to hear this. I remember coming home from school and watching GI. The show might have been simple and the critics might have hated it but the fans didn't care. It was the cast that made this show work and it was the Professor that kept the show grounded. R.I.P. Russell and thanks for the memories. :(

http://www.idesigntimes.com/articles/9388/20140116/russell-johnson-dead-89-read-dawn-wells.htm

Russell Johnson Dead At 89; Read Dawn Wells' Tribute To Gilligan's Island Professor [REPORT]


By Melissa Siegel January 16, 2014 3:28 PM EST


Russell Johnson has died of natural causes at the age of 89. The actor is best known for playing The Professor on Gilligan's Island. Johnson's co-star, Dawn Wells, broke the news on Facebook earlier Thursday.



"My 2 favorite people are now gone," Wells wrote alongside a picture of herself, Johnson, and fellow Gilligan's Island star Bob Denver. "The Professor [passed] away this morning. My heart is broken."

Bob Denver, who died in 2005, played the titular character on the 1960s sitcom. The show featured seven castaways stranded on a deserted island after a three-hour tour. Russell Johnson's professor was always creating various objects using tools on the island. Wells, meanwhile, played innocent farm girl Mary Ann.

Before Russell Johnson's death, he and Dawn Wells shared a bond as the two actors whose characters were not mentioned by name in the original Gilligan's Island theme song. In the first season of the sitcom, the song ended with the lines, "The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle/With Gilligan /The Skipper too/The millionaire and his wife/The movie star/and the rest/here on Gilligan's isle."

This was corrected in Seasons 2 and 3, reportedly after prodding from Bob Denver himself. Denver reportedly asked the studio to change "the rest" to "the Professor and Mary Ann." Wells referenced this controversy in her tribute following Russell Johnson's death.

"Russell was a true gentleman, a good father, a great friend, and 'the rest,'" Wells wrote on Facebook, alongside a photo of the actor and his wife, Connie. "I love him and shall miss him. My heart goes out to Connie and his daughter Kim. I love you."



Russell Johnson's death means that just two cast members from the sitcom remain alive. Besides Wells, the only other living castaway is Tina Louise, who played movie star Ginger Grant.

Tina Louise was in the news recently when the actress' daughter revealed her ideas for the upcoming Gilligan's Island revival. Just weeks before Russell Johnson's death, Warner Brothers announced it was rebooting the series as a film, with Josh Gad set to star. Louise's daughter, Caprice Crane, suggested that the Professor be gay in the fim. She also had a few casting ideas for the Ginger Grant role.

"They're going to have their work cut out for them finding someone who is as awesome and gorgeous and funny as my mom," she told TODAY. "I'm in love with Jennifer Lawrence. She's so fresh and charming and I love her ideas. The last go-around when this was being discussed, Beyoncé was suggested — and I think that would be a good idea. But Christina Hendricks is the obvious physical choice."

https://www.facebook.com/writercapricecrane/posts/10151826084276481?stream_ref=10

"I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Russell Johnson. My prayers and condolences go out to his wife Constance and his family.

He will always be in our hearts and remembered from Gilligan's island as part of American pop culture history. He will truly be missed."

-Tina Louise

RIP Professor. Thanks so much for the hours and hours of entertainment and laughs.
Just two nights ago my kids and I watched a few episodes on DVD. I think we'll be watching more episodes tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad he lived a full life.

I have a special place in my heart for Russell Johnson. He is one of a handful of celebrities to whom I ever wrote. And he wrote me back. A very humble down-to-earth man is the impression he conveyed. Godspeed, Professor!

:rip:

I loved him; sooo handsome. I think every young girl had a crush on him. He could do anything. McGyver had nothing on him.

then how come, in all those years he couldn't fix a hole in a boat???:lol: :lol:

(sorry, couldn't resist that):)

When Gilligan's Island debuted, it was panned as the dumbest show on TV. So back in 1964, even the dumbest show had a Professor. What does that say about TV today?

Thank you, Russell Johnson, for upholding science.

:rip: RIP the amazing Russell Johnson, from a GI fan across the pond. Dying peacefully in one's sleep is how we all want to go, at a good age. Now there are just two castaways left, Mary Ann and Ginger. I know we all have to go sometime, but I still feel very sad. :(

I'm so sorry to hear about Russell Johnson's passing. Thank you so much for hours of wonderful entertainment@

:rip: Russell Johnson

Link (http://www.wvva.com/story/24474266/2014/01/16/actor-who-played-professor-on-gilligans-island-dies)

(WVVA) - The actor who played the Professor in the classic television series 'Gilligan's Island' has died, entertainment website TMZ reports.

Russell Johnson died of natural causes, the report states. He was 89 years old.

The legendary 1960s television series has a special tie to the Two Virginias, as its star, Bob Denver, made Princeton his home in his later years.

Denver's widow, Dreama, shared these thoughts on Johnson's passing:

"Russell was a man among men, the very definition of the word honor. He was a World War II hero, a father who adored his children and a husband devoted to the love of his life, wife Connie. I was blessed to call him friend for over 36 years and my heart is heavy at the loss of this man who greeted me with open arms the first time I walked onto the 'Gilligan's Island' sound stage. I'm a richer person for having known him. My greatest wish is that he and Bob are together again, hitting their marks on that big sound stage in the sky. He will be missed."

'Gilligan's Island' can be seen on WVVA's MeTV. Contact your cable or satellite provider to find out how you can watch.

Sad to see him go :(

then how come, in all those years he couldn't fix a hole in a boat???:lol: :lol:

(sorry, couldn't resist that):)

How come Professor not fix a hole in boat?

Well how come Thurston Howell's corporations didn't mobilize a search party?

How come with 35-23-34 Mary Ann & 37-22-36 Ginger so nice and available, no one had sex?

How come Professor not fix a hole in boat?

Well how come Thurston Howell's corporations didn't mobilize a search party?

How come with 35-23-34 Mary Ann & 37-22-36 Ginger so nice and available, no one had sex?

1) Good question, but I don't think even if he could that would mean they would be OK. They were blown a long ways off course, and to just set out without knowing where they really were in relation to other ports, etc,., would have been very dangerous. They wouldn't have been able to store much food and they'd have to have found someone or something quickly before they died.

2) Why do you assume they didn't? They probably just couldn't find them. Or maybe it really was the "Lost" island they landed on, lol!

3) Well, the Howells were married, so assuming they were always faithful to each other, which we should, that takes them out of the equation. No offense to the Skipper but I don't see him being either of the girls' 'type'. The Professor was more "hunky", granted, but a bit too eggheaded for Ginger, and, again, a bit too old for Mary Ann. Gilligan was the right age for Mary Ann, but I can't see them just doing it on an island. Both seem old fashioned enough to want to date, etc. and Gilligan, in particular, seems too darned shy to ever pursue either girl. And even though I always wanted for Gilligan to pair up with Ginger as a kid (because back then they were my two favorite characters!) I cannot see a situation where they would be compatible.

Now, one can say "yeah all that 'compatibility' jazz is OK ideally, but if these folks were on a deserted island, at some point they wouldn't care about a long term commitment, they would have just wanted sex, purely out of a biological urge." OK, I accept that, in real life. But this is a sitcom, and the characters were idealized a lot; not to mention, the show needed to be family friendly! :)

Loved him in his Twilight Zone episodes besides Gilligan's Island. May the Professor rest in piece.

https://www.facebook.com/writercapricecrane/posts/10151826084276481?stream_ref=10

"I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Russell Johnson. My prayers and condolences go out to his wife Constance and his family.

He will always be in our hearts and remembered from Gilligan's island as part of American pop culture history. He will truly be missed."

-Tina Louise

I expected Dawn Wells to say something but so glad TINA made a statement.

Hope Tina & Dawn attend the funeral and put their differences aside. There are just 2 castaways left.... Life is too short, ladies.

I could see Dawn and possibly Bob's widow Dreama attending a funeral, but lets gst real here, it was nice Tina even made a statement as she did the same when Bob passed in 2005, but she was not close friends with Russ nor the cast. Gilligan's Island was just a job to her many, many years ago and it's safe to say, she will not be attending the funeral if there is one. That's just wishful thinking from a die hard fan. RIP Russell Johnson.

I always loved the professor! Rest in peace.

I plan on watching the GI marathon Monday on TV Land.

So sorry to hear the Professor passed away.

He had a sense of humor about the castaways--even he admitted that the Professor could jerry-rig all sorts of contraptions on that "uncharted desert isle," but never figured out how to patch the S.S. Minnow!

:candle:

RIP...I have his 1993 book "Inside Gilligan's Island". One part he mentions his work in the 50s with Ronald Reagan and their differing politics.

I could see Dawn and possibly Bob's widow Dreama attending a funeral, but lets gst real here, it was nice Tina even made a statement as she did the same when Bob passed in 2005, but she was not close friends with Russ nor the cast. Gilligan's Island was just a job to her many, many years ago and it's safe to say, she will not be attending the funeral if there is one. That's just wishful thinking from a die hard fan. RIP Russell Johnson.

So Tina never attended Bob's funeral/memorial I assumed :talk:

So sorry to hear the Professor passed away.

He had a sense of humor about the castaways--even he admitted that the Professor could jerry-rig all sorts of contraptions on that "uncharted desert isle," but never figured out how to patch the S.S. Minnow!

:candle:

At least he died knowing his TV character made a big difference to viewers who eventually became involved in the field of science.

then how come, in all those years he couldn't fix a hole in a boat???:lol: :lol:

(sorry, couldn't resist that):)

Here's why...(also my previous posting).