Bob Denver

Bob Denver
Bob Denver on set of Gilligan's Island
Born	(1935-01-09)January 9, 1935 New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Died	September 2, 2005(2005-09-02) (aged 70) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma mater	Loyola University (Loyola Marymount University)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1959–1997
Spouse(s)	Maggie Ryan (1960–1966; 2 children) Jean Webber (1967–1970) Carole Abrahams (1972–1975; 1 child) Dreama Peery (1979–2005; 1 child)

Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005) was an American comedic actor. He is best known for portraying Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island and the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

Denver was born January 9, 1935, in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Brownwood, Texas. He graduated from Loyola University in Los Angeles, California with a degree in political science. While at Loyola, he acted in college productions and met fellow student Dwayne Hickman, with whom he later co-starred in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. After graduation, Denver coached physical education and taught mathematics and history at Corpus Christi School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in Pacific Palisades, California. He also worked as a mailman.

Most of Denver's acting career was spent working in television, although he also appeared in several films and on Broadway. He became most identified with the title character he played in the 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island, and continued to appear as Gilligan in several movies, as a guest on other television series, in personal appearances, and as a voice actor in the animated version of the series.

Denver made his television debut in 1957, playing a bit part in one episode of The Silent Service (S01 E37: "The Loss of the Tang"). While teaching at Corpus Christi in 1958, Denver was permitted to audition for a role in the TV sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as a favor to his sister, who was a secretary on the production lot. He got the part, and left teaching the following year to become a regular on the series. From 1959 to 1963, he appeared on the series as Maynard G. Krebs, the teenaged beatnik best friend of Dobie Gillis, played by Dwayne Hickman. After filming the first three episodes, Denver received his draft notice, and was briefly written out of the script and replaced, but he was designated 4-F due to an old neck injury, and returned to Dobie Gillis having missed only one episode. Denver later reprised his Maynard G. Krebs role in the television sequels Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis? (1977) and Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis (1988).