Actress Dawn Wells died on Wednesday at the age of 82, Variety writes.
Wells reportedly passed due to COVID-19 related causes in Los Angeles. Her publicist Harlan Boll announced her death. Wells is best known for her role as Mary Ann in the popular mid-'60s sitcom Gilligan’s Island, playing opposite of Tina Louise's Ginger. Wells reprised the role for several spinoffs and TV movies as well as writing A Guide to Life: What Would Mary Ann Do? to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary.
Along with Mary Ann, Dawn Wells appeared in shows like Growing Pains, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Baywatch. She also starred in several films including Winterhawk, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Silent But Deadly, and others. Her on-camera work was complemented by a lengthy stage acting career, traveling the country performing roles in They’re Playing Our Song, The Odd Couple with Marcia Wallace, Steel Magnolias, The Vagina Monologues, and other plays.
Prior to acting, Wells represented Nevada in the Miss America pageant. She's also given back to her native state through her charitable work with children in northern Nevada via the Terry Lee Wells Foundation. She is survived by her stepsister Weslee Wells.
