Tina Louise

Tina Louise (born Tina Blacker on February 11, 1934) is an American actress notable for her career on stage, film, and television, most famously as movie star Ginger Grant on the television sitcom Gilligan's Island. Born in New York City to Sylvia, a fashion model, and Joseph Blacker, a candy store owner and accountant, she was raised as an only child. Her parents divorced by the time she was four. She attended PS 6, Scarborough Day School, and Miami University. During her senior year of high school, after mentioning to her drama teacher that she lacked a middle name, he suggested adding "Louise."

Louise studied acting, singing, and dancing at age 17 under Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in Manhattan. She made her acting debut in the 1952 revue Two's Company, followed by Broadway appearances in John Murray Anderson's Almanac, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, and Li'l Abner, along with live television dramas on Studio One and Producers' Showcase. During this period, she engaged in modeling work, appearing in catalogs and magazines. In 1957, she released the record album It's Time for Tina. Her film debut came in 1958 in God's Little Acre, which earned her the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year, and she was named the "World's Most Beautiful Redhead" by the National Art Council.

Following her debut, Louise starred in Day of the Outlaw (1959) and later studied with Lee Strasberg, becoming a member of the Actors Studio. She took roles in Italian films such as The Siege of Syracuse and Garibaldi before returning to American television and film, appearing in The Real McCoys and For Those Who Think Young (1964). In 1964, she left the Broadway musical Fade Out – Fade In to portray Ginger Grant on Gilligan's Island. Although she opted not to participate in the series' sequel movies, she sustained a steady film and television career, starring in projects such as The Wrecking Crew (1969) and The Stepford Wives (1975).

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Louise took on varied dramatic roles, including guest appearances on Kojak and Dallas, and the television film Nightmare in Badham County. Her later film work included roles in O.C. and Stiggs (1987), Johnny Suede (1992), Tapestry (2014), and Late Phases (2014). She also made select talk show and special event appearances related to Gilligan's Island, and reunited with several co-stars on an episode of Roseanne.

Louise was married to announcer and actor Les Crane from 1966 to 1971, with whom she has a daughter, Caprice Crane. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Louise has been a vocal advocate for child literacy, volunteering as a public school reading tutor beginning in 1996. She has published three books, including her memoir Sunday (1997) and two children's titles, donating portions of her book proceeds to literacy programs. As a Democrat, she campaigned for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.