Tina Louise (née Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress notable for her career on stage, film and television. She is best known for her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the 1960s U.S. television situation comedy Gilligan's Island.
She began her career on stage in the mid-1950s before landing her breakthrough role in the 1958 drama film God's Little Acre for which she received the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.
Louise had starring roles in The Trap, The Hangman, Day of the Outlaw, and For Those Who Think Young. Her other films include The Wrecking Crew, The Happy Ending, The Stepford Wives, and Johnny Suede. She also had a recurring role on the primetime soap opera Dallas.
Early life Louise was born Tina Blacker on February 11, 1934, in New York City. An only child, she was the daughter of Sylvia (née Horn, later Myers), a fashion model, and Joseph Blacker, a candy store owner in the Brooklyn borough who later became an accountant."Tina Louise Is Back in New York, and Likes to Walk in Central Park", The Miami News, January 5, 1958. She attended PS 6 and Scarborough Day School, and studied at Miami University in Ohio.Morehouse, Ward (December 29, 1957). "Hear of Tina? You Will, Now She's in Movies". Arizona Republic. p. 37. Retrieved June 5, 2023. She is Jewish.
She added the name "Louise" during her senior year of high school. Her drama teacher had suggested it after she mentioned that she was the only girl in the class without a middle name.Balsamini, Dean (October 9, 2021). "Last ‘Gilligan’s’ castaway, actress Tina Louise, reveals sexiest costar". New York Post.
Career Early work Louise got her first role at age two in an advertisement for her father's candy store. She began studying acting, singing, and dancing at age 17 under Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in Manhattan. Her acting debut came in 1952 in the Bette Davis musical revue Two's Company, followed by roles in such other Broadway productions as John Murray Anderson's Almanac, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, and the hit musical Li'l Abner. She appeared in live television dramas in the anthology series, Studio One and Producers' Showcase.
She was offered modeling jobs, including the 1958 Frederick's of Hollywood catalog, and she appeared on the cover of several pinup magazines such as Adam, Sir!, and Modern Man. Her pictorials for Playboy in May 1958 and April 1959 were arranged by Columbia Pictures studio in an effort to promote her.
Hollywood and Gilligan's Island Louise made her film debut in 1958 in God's Little Acre. That same year, the National Art Council named her the "World's Most Beautiful Redhead." The next year, she starred in Day of the Outlaw with Robert Ryan. She became a leading lady for stars such as Robert Taylor and Richard Widmark, often playing sombre roles. She turned down roles in the films of Li'l Abner and Operation Petticoat,Tina Louise Interview. Gilligansisle.com (February 11, 1934). Retrieved July 3, 2012. taking roles on Broadway and in Italian cinema. Among her Italian film credits were The Siege of Syracuse and Garibaldi (both in 1960).
Louise returned to the United States, began studying with Lee Strasberg, and became a member of the Actors Studio.Associated Press. "21 More Join Actors Studio". The St. Petersburg Evening Independent. March 18, 1964. In 1962, she guest-starred on the situation comedy The Real McCoys, portraying a country girl from West Virginia in the episode "Grandpa Pygmalion". She appeared with Bob Denver two years later in the beach party film For Those Who Think Young (1964). In 1964, she left the Broadway musical Fade Out – Fade In to portray movie star Ginger Grant on the situation comedy Gilligan's Island. She did not appear in any of the subsequent Gilligan's Island sequel movies. She maintained a steady acting career after the series ended, going on to appear in the Matt Helm spy spoof The Wrecking Crew (1968) with Dean Martin and in The Stepford Wives (1975).
In the 1970s, Louise took darker roles, such as a heroin addict in a 1974 episode of Kojak and as a cruel corrections officer in the 1976 television movie Nightmare in Badham County. Other credits from this era include the made-for-TV films Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976) and SST: Death Flight (1977), and the soap opera Dallas during the 1978–1979 seasons. In the fall of 1984, she succeeded Jo Ann Pflug as Taylor Chapin on the syndicated soap opera Rituals.
Later work
Later film roles included a co-starring appearance in the Robert Altman comedy O.C. and Stiggs (1987) as well as the independently made satire Johnny Suede (1992) starring Brad Pitt. She appeared in the situation comedy Married... with Children as Miss Beck in episode "Kelly Bounces Back" (1990). In 2014, Louise appeared in the spiritual drama Tapestry and the horror film Late Phases.Stephen Baldwin, Burt Young and Tina Louise to Star in Ken Kushner's Tapestry broadwayworld.com Retrieved January 17, 2014"Adrian Garcia Bogliano's 'Late Phases': Check out the first image from the upcoming horror film" Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved January 17, 2014
Although Louise declined to participate in any of three Gilligan's Island reunion television films, she made brief walk-on appearances on a few talk shows and specials for Gilligan's Island reunions, including Good Morning America (1982), The Late Show (1988) and the 2004 TV Land award show with the other surviving cast members. In the 1990s, she was reunited with costars Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, and Russell Johnson in an episode of Roseanne. In 2005, she wrote a memorial to Bob Denver in the year-end "farewell" issue of Entertainment Weekly.
Following the news of Dawn Wells' passing in December 2020, Louise denied any longtime rumors that she resented the role of Ginger Grant: "Never true – I loved doing my part, especially after they really started writing for my character, originally billed as a 'Marilyn Monroe' type of character. A different director took over and really started to write for my character. I really loved my character." She also said that she was very grateful to the show's fans for their continued support, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic: "We were part of the wonderful show that everyone loves and has been a great source of comfort, especially during these times. We brought a lot of joy to people and still do. This show is an escape from so many things going on. Fathers share it with their children now. I get letters all the time about that."
Music Louise made one record album, It's Time for Tina, which was released originally on Concert Hall in 1957 (Concert Hall 1521), and later reissued on Urania Records (1958 and 1959 respectively).Gingerly – Tina Louise . Zimbio (March 22, 2008). Retrieved on July 3, 2012. With arrangements by Jim Timmens and Buddy Weed's Orchestra, 12 tracks include "Tonight Is the Night" and "I'm in the Mood for Love." Coleman Hawkins is featured on tenor saxophone. The album has been reissued on CD twice, most recently on the UK label Harkit Records.Welcome to Harkit Records – Specialist in Jazz and film CD Titles . Harkitrecords.com. Retrieved on July 3, 2012. The album was made available on iTunes in 2012. Louise also recorded one single for United Artists Records in 1958.
Personal life From 1966 to 1971, Louise was married to radio and TV announcer/interviewer Les Crane, with whom she had one daughter, Caprice Crane (born 1970), who became an MTV producer and a novelist.
From 1965 to 1968, Les Crane had simultaneous careers as an actor and an interviewer. In 1969, when he was concentrating on acting, he and Louise appeared together as a fictitious married couple in a segment of Love, American Style titled "Love and the Advice-Givers."
Louise is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. Louise has been a vocal advocate for improving child literacy. She donated a portion of the proceeds of her 2007 book, When I Grow Up, to literacy programs and said in a 2013 interview that she had been volunteering at local public schools since 1996. She has written three books including Sunday: A Memoir (1997). When I Grow Up is a children's book that invites children to believe they can become whatever they choose through comparisons drawn from the animal kingdom. A second children's book, What Does a Bee Do?, was published in 2009.What Does A Bee Do? (9781439261446): Tina Louise: Books. Amazon.com; retrieved July 3, 2012.
Louise is quoted as saying, "The best movie you'll ever be in is your own life because that's what matters in the end."
A Democrat, Tina Louise campaigned for John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential race and campaigned for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race. Newsday report of celebrity donors to Hillary Clinton's campaign
In March 2025, The New York Times ran a story on Tina Louise, then 91, about how she still worked one hour a week, tutoring school children in reading at an Upper East Side Manhattan public school. Louise spoke of her weekly reading sessions in the article, saying: "It's better than vitamins."
Filmography Film Year Film RoleNotes1958God's Little AcreGriselda WaldenGolden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – ActressLaurel Award for Best Female Supporting Performance (5th place)1959The TrapLinda AndersonThe HangmanSelah JennisonDay of the OutlawHelen Crane1960Siege of SyracuseDiana/Artemide/Lucrezia The Warrior EmpressSappho1961GaribaldiFrench JournalistArmored CommandAlexandra Bastegar1964For Those Who Think YoungTopaz McQueen1967The Seventh FloorDr. Immer Mehr1968The Wrecking CrewLola Medina1969How to Commit MarriageLaverne BakerThe Good Guys and the Bad GuysCarmelThe Happy EndingHelen Bricker1970But I Don't Want to Get Married!Miss SpencerTelevision film1973Call to DangerApril TierneyTelevision film1975The Stepford WivesCharmaine WimpirisDeath ScreamHilda Murray1976Look What's Happened to Rosemary's BabyMarjean DornTelevision filmNightmare in Badham CountyGreerTelevision film1977SST: Death FlightMaeTelevision film The Kentucky Fried MovieMovie ActressUncredited voice1978Mean Dog BluesDonna Lacey1979Friendships, Secrets and LiesJoan HolmesTelevision film1980The Day the Women Got EvenMary Jo AlfieriTelevision film1981Advice to the LovelornDiane MarshTelevision filmPeter-No-TailMolly CreamnoseEnglish version voice1984Dog DayNoémie BlueHell RidersClaire Delaney1985Evils of the NightCoraO.C. and StiggsFlorence Beaugereaux1987The PoolMiloha1988Dixie LanesViolet Hunter1991Johnny SuedeMrs. Fontaine1997Welcome to Woop WoopBella2000Growing Down in BrooklynMrs. Pip2004West from North Goes SouthCeleste Clark2014Late PhasesClarissa2019TapestryRose
Television