Tina Louise
| Tina Louise | ||
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Tatiana Josivovna Chernova Blacker | |
| Born | Feb 11, 1934 / 90 yo New York City NY USA 
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| Vital stats | nn/nn/nn | |
| Years active | text | |
Mini Biography
A former model and nightclub singer, red-haired beauty Tina Louise trained at the Actors Studio and the Neighborhood Playhouse. After her success in the Broadway musical "Li'l Abner", she went to Hollywood and played in a variety of films, but is best known for her comic turn as the sexy, Marilyn Monroe-ish stranded movie star Ginger in the long-running TV series "Gilligan's Island" (1964).
Spouse
Les Crane (3 April 1966 - 1971) (divorced) also a daughter, Caprice Crane
- Les Crane was a late night night talk show host and competitor to Johnny Carson. Mr. Crane married five times. His fourth wife was the actress Tina Louise whom he met and married while she was at the height of her popularity as the glamorous sexpot on the 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island." They divorced in 1971 after a five-year marriage.
- Tina Loise gallery
Trivia
Her Broadway debut was in "Li'l Abner," where she played Apassionata Von Climax. She shared her dressing room with another actress making her Broadway debut in the same play - Julie Newmar.
Created a health care company, "TLC" and marketed a parasol for women to keep the sun off their skin.
Although she is most associated with playing Ginger in "Gilligan's Island" (1964), she detests the role and has not appeared in any of the series' various reunion specials. According to Russell Johnson, Tina was told she would be the main star of the show when she was initially approached about doing it, and when she arrived in Los Angeles after accepting the offer, she found out otherwise. Johnson also recalls that while Tina remained professional throughout the show's run without raising a fuss, she "divorced herself from the show as soon as it went off the air".
Measurements: 37-24-36 (as a 1950s starlet), 38-23-37 (during "Gilligan's Island" (1964)), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Grew to resent her role on "Gilligan's Island" (1964) and refused to appear on any of the reunion shows following the series' cancellation (her character was played by Judith Baldwin). According to Sherwood Schwartz, however, she did offer to appear in the reunion show, Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978) (TV); however, the salary she demanded was considered too high.
"People walk up to me and say: 'Are you Ginger?' and I say: 'No. I'm Tina.' I do that to keep my sanity."
She and fellow "Gilligan's Island" (1964) cast member Dawn Wells have both been asked to appear together in numerous television ad campaigns over the years. However, the two actresses have never liked each other and have not spoken in years. They have turned down many of these offers. The most notable one was a commercial for Old Navy clothing stores, which would feature them as Mary Ann and Ginger, still stuck on the island.
- Personal Quotes
[to director George Abbott during first dress rehearsal of "Fade Out, Fade In"] Mr. Abbott, do you mean I have to walk and talk at the same time?
The best movie you'll ever be in is your own life, because that's what really matters in the end.
[on her "Gilligan's Island" (1964) co-star Dawn Wells] Dawn and I have never been close, we just never clicked. She was very much about pleasing everyone and I have never been that way.
Where Are They Now
(December 2001) Today Tina Louise is a volunteer reading teacher in the NY school system. She is also a lifetime member of the Actors Studio.
As of this entry (12/31/2020} "Ginger is the sole-surviving member of the "Gilligin's Island" cast.
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