Tina Louise

Born

February 11, 1934 (91 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

New York City, New York, USA

Tina Louise (born February 11, 1934) is an American actress best known for playing movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television situation comedy Gilligan's Island. She began her career on stage during the mid-1950s, before landing her breakthrough role in 1958 drama film God's Little Acre for which she received Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.

Louise had starring roles in a number of Hollywood movies, including The Trap, The Hangman, Day of the Outlaw, and For Those Who Think Young. Louise later returned to film, appearing in The Wrecking Crew, The Happy Ending, and The Stepford Wives (1975).

Tina Blacker was born in New York City. By the time she was four years of age, her parents had divorced.

An only child, she was raised by her mother, Sylvia Horn (née Myers) Blacker (1916–2011), a fashion model. Tina's father, Joseph Blacker, was a candy store owner in Brooklyn and later an accountant. The name "Louise" was allegedly added during her senior year in high school when she mentioned to her drama teacher that she was the only girl in the class without a middle name. He selected the name "Louise" and it stuck. She attended Miami University in Ohio.

At the early age of just two years, Tina got her first role, after being seen in an ad for her father's candy store. She played numerous roles until she decided it was best to focus on school work. By the age of 17, Louise began studying acting, singing and dancing. She studied acting under Sanford Meisner at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse in Manhattan. During her early acting years, she was offered modeling jobs, including as a rising starlet, who along with Jayne Mansfield, was a product advocate in the 1958 Frederick's of Hollywood catalog, and appeared on the cover of several pinup magazines such as Adam, Sir! and Modern Man. Her later pictorials for Playboy (May 1958; April 1959) were arranged by Columbia Pictures studio in an effort to further promote the young actress.

Louise with Gene Barry from the television series Burke's Law (1964).

Her acting debut came in 1952 in the Bette Davis musical revue Two's Company,[4] followed by roles in other Broadway productions, such as John Murray Anderson's Almanac, The Fifth Season, and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? She appeared in such early live television dramas as Studio One, Producers' Showcase, and Appointment with Adventure. In 1957, she appeared on Broadway in the hit musical Li'l Abner. Her album, It's Time for Tina, was released that year, with songs such as "Embraceable You" and "I'm in the Mood for Love".

Louise made her Hollywood film debut in 1958 in God's Little Acre. That same year, the National Art Council named her the "World's Most Beautiful Redhead." The next year she starred in Day of the Outlaw, with Robert Ryan. She became an in-demand leading lady for major stars like Robert Taylor and Richard Widmark, often playing somber roles quite unlike the glamorous pinup photographs and Playboy pictorials she had become famous for in the late 1950s. ] In 1962, she guest-starred on the sitcom The Real McCoys, portraying a country girl from West Virginia in an episode titled "Grandpa Pygmalion". Two years later, prior to the development of Gilligan's Island, she appeared with Bob Denver in the beach party film For Those Who Think Young. CLR

Tapestry

Tapestry

Rose

4.5

2019

Late Phases

Late Phases

Clarissa

6.0

2014

L.A. Heat

L.A. Heat

(1 episode)

7.3

1999

Welcome to Woop Woop

Welcome to Woop Woop

Bella

5.9

1998

E! True Hollywood Story

E! True Hollywood Story

(1 episode)

8.1

1996

Johnny Suede

Johnny Suede

Mrs. Fontaine

5.2

1991

Dixie Lanes

Dixie Lanes

Violet

3.4

1988

O.C. and Stiggs

O.C. and Stiggs

Florence Beaugereaux

4.5

1987

Married... with Children

Married... with Children

Miss Beck · (1 episode)

7.7

1987

Blacke's Magic

Blacke's Magic

(1 episode)

6.0

1986

Evils of the Night

Evils of the Night

Cora

3.6

1985

Hell Riders

Hell Riders

Claire Delaney

2.8

1984

Dog Day

Dog Day

Noémie Blue

5.2

1984

Notre Dame de la Croisette

Notre Dame de la Croisette

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

6.0

1983

Knight Rider

Knight Rider

Anne Tyler · (1 episode)

7.6

1982

Matt Houston

Matt Houston

(1 episode)

6.2

1982

Advice to the Lovelorn

Advice to the Lovelorn

Diane Marsh

5.0

1981

Simon & Simon

Simon & Simon

(1 episode)

6.7

1981

The Day the Women Got Even

The Day the Women Got Even

Mary Jo Alfieri

1.0

1980

Friendships, Secrets and Lies

Friendships, Secrets and Lies

Joan Holmes

4.8

1979

Dallas

Dallas

Julie Grey · (5 episodes)

6.9

1978

Mean Dog Blues

Mean Dog Blues

Donna Lacey

4.9

1978

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

Tina Louise · (1 episode)

6.3

1977

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

Betty Bricker · (1 episode)

6.3

1977

CHiPs

CHiPs

Edie Marshall · (2 episodes)

6.8

1977

CHiPs

CHiPs

Tina Louise (uncredited) · (1 episode)

6.8

1977

SST: Death Flight

SST: Death Flight

Mae

5.3

1977

Nightmare in Badham County

Nightmare in Badham County

Greer

5.9

1976

Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby

Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby

Marjean Dorn

3.8

1976

Death Scream

Death Scream

Hilda Murray

6.6

1975

The Stepford Wives

The Stepford Wives

Charmaine Wimpiris

6.7

1975

Kojak

Kojak

Audrey Norris · (1 episode)

7.0

1973

Police Story

Police Story

(2 episodes)

6.9

1973

Call to Danger

Call to Danger

April Tierney

0.0

1973

Kung Fu

Kung Fu

Carol Mercer · (1 episode)

7.7

1972

Cannon

Cannon

(1 episode)

6.5

1971

But I Don't Want to Get Married!

But I Don't Want to Get Married!

Miss Spencer

0.0

1970

The Happy Ending

The Happy Ending

Helen Bricker

6.0

1969

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

Carmel

5.5

1969

Love, American Style

Love, American Style

Mrs. Michele Rossi · (1 episode)

6.1

1969

Love, American Style

Love, American Style

Aubrey · (1 episode)

6.1

1969

Love, American Style

Love, American Style

Lola · (1 episode)

6.1

1969

How to Commit Marriage

How to Commit Marriage

Laverne Baker

4.8

1969

The Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew

Lola Medina

5.7

1968

Mannix

Mannix

Linda Cole · (1 episode)

6.7

1967

The Seventh Floor

The Seventh Floor

dottoressa Immer Mehr

5.9

1967

Ironside

Ironside

Candy · (1 episode)

6.8

1967

The Jackie Gleason Show

The Jackie Gleason Show

(0 episode)

8.2

1966

Salute to Stan Laurel

Self

0.0

1965

Gilligan's Island

Gilligan's Island

Ginger Grant · (98 episodes)

7.4

1964

Fanfare for a Death Scene

Fanfare for a Death Scene

Coola Hana

6.0

1964

For Those Who Think Young

For Those Who Think Young

Topaz McQueen

5.2

1964

Kraft Suspense Theatre

Kraft Suspense Theatre

Angie Powell · (1 episode)

5.3

1963

Burke's Law

Burke's Law

Bonnie Belle Tate · (1 episode)

6.0

1963

The New Breed

The New Breed

Stella Knowland · (1 episode)

7.0

1961

Armored Command

Armored Command

Alexandra Bastegar

4.8

1961

Viva l'Italia!

Viva l'Italia!

French Journalist

6.6

1961

Route 66

Route 66

(1 episode)

6.3

1960

Checkmate

Checkmate

Joanne Dunn · (1 episode)

4.1

1960

The Warrior Empress

The Warrior Empress

Sappho

5.5

1960

Siege of Syracuse

Siege of Syracuse

Diana / Artemide / Lucrezia

5.3

1960

Bonanza

Bonanza

Mary Burns · (1 episode)

7.5

1959

Day of the Outlaw

Day of the Outlaw

Helen Crane

6.8

1959

The Hangman

The Hangman

Selah Jennison

6.3

1959

The Trap

The Trap

Linda Anderson

6.8

1959

God's Little Acre

God's Little Acre

Griselda Walden, Ty Ty's daughter-in-law

6.1

1958

The Real McCoys

The Real McCoys

Tilda Hicks · (1 episode)

5.6

1957

Climax!

Climax!

Maxene Sumner · (1 episode)

3.3

1954

The Oscars

The Oscars

Self · (1 episode)

7.1

1953

The Bob Hope Show

The Bob Hope Show

Self · (1 episode)

7.0

1950

Studio One

Studio One

Dolores · (1 episode)

5.0

1948

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show

Self · (1 episode)

6.8

1948