She’s best remembered as Gilligan’s Island’s movie star Ginger Grant, but the beloved 1960s sitcom is only a small portion of Tina Louise’s life story. She has also been a model, singer, an activist for children’s literacy, a mom and the author of three books, including Sunday: A Memoir. The latter was recently released as an audio book Tina recorded herself. It focuses primarily on her childhood, beginning at age six, when she was shuttled off to a lonely boarding school. That’s the only specific age the still youthful star wishes to mention. “I’ve been at ‘29’ for a long time,” Tina exclusively jokes to Closer in a phone call from her Manhattan high rise. “I feel young, so that’s how I think. My daughter says I have to take care of myself so I can live another 40 years.”
Did you always dream of being an actress?
At first I thought I might want to help take care of little children. Then I thought maybe I’d run a charm school — fixing girls up with lipstick and curled hair. I certainly wasn’t Garbo or Barbra Streisand, who knew as girls they were going to be stars. When I saw my friend in a play and went backstage and saw all these kids in their stage makeup, I told my mother I’d like to study acting. She put me in Barbizon [school for modeling] and the Neighborhood Playhouse, which Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Steve McQueen also attended.
You appeared with Bette Davis on stage in 1952’s Two’s Company. What was she like?
I never said a word to her! I would just stand in the wings and watch her incredible strength and power. She couldn’t really sing so she spoke the words to her songs. Years later, she came on set when I was shooting The Stepford Wives. I had my hair up in these huge rollers and again, I didn’t say a word to her!
In 1964, you were on Broadway in Fade Out, Fade In with Carol Burnett. What was your impression of her?
Carol was great. I didn’t have any scenes with her because I was the fantasy sequence version of her. But Carol didn’t particularly like doing it and left the show early. It was during that show that I got the call from a CBS casting director telling me about this new show with seven people on an island.
She asked if I’d like to play a Lucille Ball/ Marilyn Monroe type character. I said I could do that because I loved both of those women.
How did the character of Ginger develop?
When I first got to set, the director wanted her to be more like Eve Arden — nasty and talking out the side of her mouth. That did not go down well with me. After four weeks, I went to the producer’s office and said I wanted to quit because I knew it was not going to work. He agreed with me. That director went and then the writers started writing for Ginger.
How did you relate to Ginger?
I think she was a very smart, exceptional child. She had moved around to all these different places, so she knew how to get along with everybody. She knew what she wanted and was going to get it, which made her quite frustrated that she had to be shipwrecked. But she was determined to make the best of it. Ginger knew she was eventually going to get off that island.
Who were you closest to in the cast?
The Skipper [Alan Hale Jr.] was a sweetheart and Jim Backus [Thurston Howell III] was hilarious. He had a psychiatrist and would tell me what went on in his sessions. Dawn [Wells, aka Mary Ann] and her mother showed me how to make a sweet potato souffle with marshmallows that has remained in my family all these years. Now, I watch my own grandchildren put on the marshmallows every Thanksgiving.
In the first season of Dallas, you played J.R. Ewing’s scheming secretary. Was it a
good experience?
J.R. caused me pain, but he always did it with a smile. The way Larry Hagman played it was so agonizing, but he was great to work with.
What are you proudest of in your life and career?
My daughter. I’m so grateful that I had her. I feel like whatever childhood I could have, I had with my daughter Caprice, who I raised by myself when I split up with her father. We would have Easter Egg hunts, and on Christmas Eve I’d invite all of her friends over. All of the things that never happened for me. I was extremely fortunate that a few years ago my daughter had twins. Kingston and Clementine are now six.
What do you like doing with your grandkids?
Since 2012 my daughter has been living in L.A. so for a while I’d go to the library and
read to them over the cell phone. Reading to children is something I’ve always loved.
You live in New York City. What do you love about your home?
The ample space and the view from my windows. I don’t like being cluttered. Just thinking about that reminds me of that very run-down boarding school I was placed in as a little girl around the time of World War II. I never knew what a real home was because my only memory is being moved around from place to place. My father rescued me from that place on a Sunday when I was 8. I finally got to live with my mother and her third husband when I was 11, but was told I couldn’t see my father again.
You write about this experience in Sunday: A Memoir. What do you hope readers take away from your audio book?
I thought people might understand children’s needs more if they heard me tell my story in my voice. People shouldn’t bring children into the world if they’re not able to hug and love them. There needs to be someone there from the beginning to give them a good sense of self.
Since 1996, you’ve read to second graders in New York City public schools. Why is this important to you?
I love working with the children [so I decided] I would go to this public school twice a week. I just found myself there. It makes me happy.
