Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver (January 9 1935 – September 2 2005) was an American comedic actor best known for his role as Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island. Prior to Gilligan's Island, he took on the role of Maynard G. Krebs, a beatnik on the 1959-1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. This character had a strong resemblance to the character of Gilligan he would later play.
Bob Denver was attending college at Loyola-Marymount University, in Los Angeles, when he got into acting. At first, Denver wasn't sure he wanted to be an actor, but gradually gave in, deciding that's what he was going to do for a career. Before he became established, he worked as a mailman and teacher. He then got a screen test for the part of Maynard G. Krebs and to his surprise won the part. After four years on "Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The" (1959), Denver got his most famous part of Gilligan, in "Gilligan's Island" (1964). After Gilligan's three-year run ended he did a few other television shows (including the Gilligan wannabe "Dusty's Trail" (1973)) and Broadway plays. On September 2, 2005, he died of complications related to cancer treatment at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in North Carolina. He had most recently lived in Princeton, West Virgina. He is survived by his wife Dreama, and four children.
