Russell Johnson Lost His Temper With One Gilligan’s Island Guest Star

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In its three seasons (spanning 98 episodes), the TV show “Gilligan’s Island,” which focuses on a group of adults stranded on a desert island, featured numerous guest stars. One such guest star was Don Rickles, who made an appearance in the episode titled “The Kidnapper” from 1966. Known as one of the greatest roasters and pioneers of the format, Rickles had a significant impact on Jeff Ross, a self-proclaimed roastmaster. He is a towering figure in comedy, and any aspiring stand-up comedian, regardless of their personal taste or style, should study his work.

Rickles was known for his ability to mock or tease almost anyone, and when he appeared as a guest on “Gilligan’s Island,” he aimed his humor at Russell Johnson, who portrayed the Professor. It’s likely that Johnson disliked Rickles due to his style of comedy, but it seems unlikely that Rickles didn’t view Johnson, who was described by Bob Denver (the actor who played Gilligan) as “reasonable” and a “peacemaker,” as a challenge. (MeTV)

The Kidnapper was a classic episode of Gilligan’s Island

A man named Norbert Wiley (Don Rickles), a kidnapper by trade, ended up on the same island as the castaways due to a malfunctioning boat. Since he seems to have no other way of interacting with people, he repeatedly captures islanders like Mrs. Howell, Mary Ann, and Ginger for ransom. However, each time, they manage to escape his grasp.

In this rephrased version: After luring Norbert into a bamboo enclosure using Gilligan as bait, the group successfully captures him. Meanwhile, Ginger tries to understand his inclination towards kidnapping, while the Professor, Skipper, and other island residents work on fixing Norbert’s boat. It appeared they might finally leave the island, but Norbert managed to slip away, having deceived Ginger about his mental state, now sailing alone on his repaired vessel. Each attempt to escape the island in “Gilligan’s Island” felt like a miniature tragedy as one by one, their plans came close to fruition.

Don Rickles made Russell Johnson lose his temper

Russell Johnson, known as The Professor on TV, was remarkably similar to his character in that he was a composed and polite gentleman, and he leaned more towards intellectual humor and comedy. On the other hand, Don Rickles, by 1966, had established a reputation for his unique form of insult-based comedy. During filming for an episode, Johnson and Rickles, who played Gilligan on set, reportedly had disagreements, as detailed in Bob Denver’s autobiography titled “Gilligan, Maynard, and Me”.

As stated by MeTV, Denver recounted in his memoir an instance during filming where Russell Johnson was the only time he lost his cool for the entire period they worked together, due to Don Rickles. It appears that Rickles may have been more amenable to work with as he grew older – Quentin Tarantino once reminisced about a time when Rickles showered him with such lavish praise that he felt like hiding under a rug.

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2025-02-25 00:29