Gilligan’s Island star Russell Johnson dead at 89

Gilligan’s Island star Russell Johnson has died, aged 89. The actor, who played Professor Roy Hinkley on the beloved U.S. TV show, died of kidney failure at his home in Washington.
His Gilligan’s Island co-star Dawn Wells broke the news to fans on Facebook.com on Thursday (16Jan14), stating, “My 2 favorite people are now gone. The professor past (sic) away this morning. My heart is broken.
“Russell was a true gentleman, a good father, a great friend.”
Johnson, a decorated World War Two Air Force hero, also appeared in the movies Column South, Three Days of the Condor, Tumbleweed and It Came from Outer Space.
His TV roles also included Marshal Gib Scott on western series Black Saddle, and he famously attempted to save President Abraham Lincoln from assassination in an episode of The Twilight Zone. He also had a regular role as a sheriff on Dallas.