Dawn Wells 'Apprehensive' About 'Gilligan's Island' Remake
Ubiquitous
‘Gilligan’s Island.’ But Dawn Wells, aka Mary Ann, tells us she's concerned
about what the Tinseltowners of today might do to the American cultural icon
of yesteryear.
“(A remake) has been a long time coming ... and I have a little apprehension,”
Wells told Fox411. “Hopefully the integrity of the characters and the legacy
that we have enjoyed for 47 years will stay. We were the surrogate family to
an awful lot of folks. It is very important we don't destroy that.”
And while casting details haven't been announced, Sherwood Schwartz, the
show’s original producer, has said he would like to see Michael Cera play
Gilligan, and there has been some speculation that William Shatner would make
the perfect Skipper.
Wells, however, has her own ideas.
“William Shatner as the Skipper is totally wrong. The Skipper was a genuine,
sweet and warm character, and he was larger than life.William Shatner doesn’t
fulfill that at all," she said. "But I think Michael Cera would be a very good
Gilligan.”
FOX411 RECAST: Who We Think Should Play "Gilligan's Island" Cast.
Indeed Wells has a lot of emotional investment not just in Mary Ann, but in
all of the show's characters.
“The core of the characters, the person they are inside, is much more
important than their physical (resemblance) if you’re going to be true to
these people. We were caricatures, but we were loved by so many
nationalities,” she said.
So if Wells had her way, who would she choose?
“We need to be racially diverse in this film so I think Tyler Perry would be
fabulous as the Skipper," she told Fox411. "I would cast Melanie Griffith and
Kelsey Grammer as Mr. and Mrs. Howell, and I would cast Eric McCormack as the
Professor."
And her best TV buddy Ginger?
“I think the essence of Ginger is really Paris Hilton. But if you are going to
be ethnically diverse I would say Beyonce or Jennifer Lopez."
Now to the hardest recast of all - her own.
"Mary Ann is a real tough one, but I think Drew Barrymore could do it
beautifully – she has that sweet face. But Mary Ann was strong, she made you
clean, she made you cook, she made sure you were fair.”
According to Wells, the most challenging aspect of the casting process will be
trying to capture that essence of innocence which she said made the original
CBS series a family-friendly staple in the American home.
“I was very much Mary Ann. I was raised with all the principals and ethics,
work ethic and study habits that Mary Ann was raised with. That’s my
generation. It’s going to be difficult to cast that now,” she said. “Mary Ann
was a wonderful role model and there hasn’t been a Mary Ann on television
until Miley Cyrus [in 'Hannah Montana'].
"Mary Ann is a good girl. She was a virgin, so casting now is going to be
difficult. I don’t know where they are going to go with it, are they going to
make it current or retroactive to what we were like? I don’t know what their
vision is, I am very anxious to meet the new producers and the writers.”
Wells has a strong vision of her own for the film and would like to see it
combine elements of the 1960s and today.
“It should give the morality and the fairness that we had, seven different
people with seven different outlooks on life trying to survive together but it
is more complex today,” she said. “The characters have to be fuller because
they are more experienced, but the naivete of not being able to get off is
part of the plan.”
The 71-year-old actress isn’t ruling out a cameo appearance.
“Should they ask and there was something good to do it would be fun, but I’m
not counting on it,” Wells said.
Regardless of whether or not the upcoming "Gilligan’s Island" remake is a
success or not, Wells will always keep the original memories close to her
heart.
“It was a learning experience for me because I was theater trained. I learned
about how to look pretty on the camera from Ginger, I learned about comedy
timing from the Howells and Gilligan,” she reminisced. “But it is the
camaraderie of the cast, the bonding experience. Natalie (Schafer, Mrs.
Howell) and Gilligan (Bob Denver) and the Professor (Russell Johnson) and the
Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.), the four of us were all really close. That’s what my
fondest memory is.”
WQ IV
Forget this politically correct ethnic diversity crap. Stick to good
old-fashioned white people. Next thing you know they'll want male
characters to become female and female characters to become talking
horses. Put the brakes on the insanity already.
But when it comes to her choices of who should play them, Tyler Perry
is all wrong for the Skipper. I don't know about Shatner. In one
sense, I can see him pulling it off, but in another sense, he might
ham it up too much. Having Kelsey Grammer and Melanie Griffith as the
Howells is pitch perfect, as is Paris Hilton for Ginger. Eric
McCormack could do the Professor adequately enough, but not without
thinking that maybe someone else could do him just a bit better. As
for Drew Barrymore for Mary Ann, naa. I can see how she can see it,
but I can't see it. Mary Ann is more like the girl who played Wendy,
Irene Molloy, in Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Molloy pulls off
wide-eyed sweetness and innocence beautifully. Schwartz's choice of
Michael Cera for Gilligan could work, but Cera has always bugged me
with his dorky look. Some would argue Bob Denver had a dorky look,
but Denver was Cary Grant compared to Cera.
Me
"WQ IV" <WQ...@post.com> wrote in message
news:4943b455-ce63-4217...@f8g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 24, 5:44 am, Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
> Development is underway for the big-screen remake of the 1960s sitcom
> classic
> ‘Gilligan’s Island.’ But Dawn Wells, aka Mary Ann, tells us she's
> concerned
> about what the Tinseltowners of today might do to the American cultural
> icon
> of yesteryear.
>
Ellen Page should play Mary Ann.
Ubiquitous
None of the above really did anything for me, but Paris Hilton? Eww.
>As for Drew Barrymore for Mary Ann, naa. I can see how she can see it,
>but I can't see it. Mary Ann is more like the girl who played Wendy,
>Irene Molloy, in Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Molloy pulls off
>wide-eyed sweetness and innocence beautifully.
Agreed. I don't think Drew barrymore is wholesome enough to play MaryAnn.
>Schwartz's choice of Michael Cera for Gilligan could work, but Cera has
>always bugged me with his dorky look. Some would argue Bob Denver had a
>dorky look, but Denver was Cary Grant compared to Cera.
What annoys me about Michael Cera is that he always acts sardonic and
sarcastic. Always. Without Fail. It's really a shame there are no more
Garfield movies scheduled because he'd be perfect for that role.
--
It's now time for healing, and for fixing the damage the Democrats did
to America.
Seapig
> What annoys me about Michael Cera is that he always acts sardonic and
> sarcastic. Always. Without Fail. It's really a shame there are no more
> Garfield movies scheduled because he'd be perfect for that role.
That sounds more like Vince Vaughn. I would describe Cera's default
mode as "befuddled" - which works for Gilligan.
Skipper - I think Brad Garrett has been linked with this role; that
might work. I also like the Kevin James suggestion. I'm tempted to
say Jack Black, but his pairing with Cera didn't exactly set the world
on fire in that caveman movie they did.
The Howells - I like Kelsey Grammar here. Melanie Griffith might be a
good choice, but it makes me feel old to think that she's reached the
Mrs. Howell stage of her career. (I'm reminded of the episode of "30
Rock" where Jenna thought she was reading for a daughter character,
when she was actually reading for the mother. How many actresses in
Hollywood think they're still Gingers, when they're really Mrs.
Howells?) How about a Kelsey Grammar-Shelley Long reunion here?
Ginger - I kind of like Beyonce; she's got the glamour. I don't think
Paris Hilton would be convincing playing an actress.
The Professor - this is the kind of bland, straightman role that Luke
Wilson has made a career out of. As a bonus, it might keep him from
making any more of those phone commercials.
Mary Ann - I haven't seen a lot of Minka Kelly, but I think she gives
off the right vibe. I would support Katharine McPhee for the part, if
it meant she had to go back to the dark hair.
Anim8rFSK
<805b9107-2898-4a6b...@t23g2000yqt.googlegroups.com>,
Seapig <sea...@altavista.com> wrote:
> On Mar 24, 9:40 am, Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
>
> > What annoys me about Michael Cera is that he always acts sardonic and
> > sarcastic. Always. Without Fail. It's really a shame there are no more
> > Garfield movies scheduled because he'd be perfect for that role.
>
> That sounds more like Vince Vaughn. I would describe Cera's default
> mode as "befuddled" - which works for Gilligan.
>
> Skipper - I think Brad Garrett has been linked with this role; that
> might work. I also like the Kevin James suggestion.
He'd work.
I'm tempted to
> say Jack Black, but his pairing with Cera didn't exactly set the world
> on fire in that caveman movie they did.
>
> The Howells - I like Kelsey Grammar here.
yes
Melanie Griffith might be a
> good choice, but it makes me feel old to think that she's reached the
> Mrs. Howell stage of her career. (I'm reminded of the episode of "30
> Rock" where Jenna thought she was reading for a daughter character,
> when she was actually reading for the mother. How many actresses in
> Hollywood think they're still Gingers, when they're really Mrs.
> Howells?) How about a Kelsey Grammar-Shelley Long reunion here?
Wow. Um ... I both love and hate the idea.
>
> Ginger - I kind of like Beyonce; she's got the glamour. I don't think
> Paris Hilton would be convincing playing an actress.
heh
>
> The Professor - this is the kind of bland, straightman role that Luke
> Wilson has made a career out of. As a bonus, it might keep him from
> making any more of those phone commercials.
The Professor has a personality and is smart; Wilson lacks both these
qualities.
>
> Mary Ann - I haven't seen a lot of Minka Kelly, but I think she gives
> off the right vibe. I would support Katharine McPhee for the part, if
> it meant she had to go back to the dark hair.
Oooo. McPhee. That could work.
--
As Adam West as Bruce Wayne as Batman said in "Smack in the Middle"
the second half of the 1966 BATMAN series pilot when Jill St. John
as Molly as Robin as Molly fell into the Batmobile's atomic pile:
"What a terrible way to go-go"