TINA LOUISE Hug YOUR CHILDREN

The Gilligan's Island alum talks about her career, family and her greatest passion

- William Keck

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 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.”

She's the proud mom of writer Caprice Crane.

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