The BOB DENVER Only I Knew

THE WIDOW OF THE GILLIGAN'S ISLAND STAR SHARES PERSONAL STORIES OF THE BELOVED ACTOR

- Lindsay Hoffman

She was incredulous when she learned the identity of her leading man in a stage production of Play It Again, Sam. “I said, ‘Gilli gan, really?’ ” recalls Dreama Perry Denver to Closer. “Seriously, I’m going to do love scenes with Gilligan?”

His starring role on zany Gilligan’s Island, the beloved castaways sitcom, made Bob Denver a household name; but Dreama, Bob’s wife of 26 years, says there was a whole lot more to this actor, patriot and family man. “Bob was actually very serious, low-key and highly intelligent,” says Dreama, who shares her memories, memorabilia and family photos in Island to Icon: The Many Lives of Bob Denver, a new book.

Despite her initial reservations, Dreama admits that it was love at first sight when she finally met Bob. “The minute we shook hands,” she says, “each of us thought: ‘Ah, there you are!’ We never stopped being appreciative of what we had.”