Summer Fun: Remembering Gilligan’s Island

Jim Backus

Jim Backus already had a formidable acting career before he was “The Millionaire,” Thurston Howell III, on Gilligan’s Island. He started acting on the radio as early as 1940, launching a Hollywood career that would span over five decades. Backus was probably typecast before his role on Gilligan’s Island, as he was known to play haughty, wealthy characters. His other notable roles include Hubert Updike III on The Alan Young Show and the voice of Mr. Magoo, a wealthy old cartoon character.