She Didn’t Tell A Soul
Now, we have a secret about the actress who played Mrs. Howell. Actress Natalie Schafer lied to all of the Gilligan’s Island crew and cast the entire time she worked with them! During that whole time, she never revealed her age to them. Well, her real age that is! You see, Schafer didn’t want anyone to realize she was 13 years older than her on-screen husband, Jim Backus. She fooled us!
She Didn’t Tell A Soul
Special Mention In Her Contract
Actually, there’s more to this little fib. In order to keep up the facade, Schafer made them add a special clause in her Gilligan’s Island contract. Within that clause, they agreed to never do close-ups on her face. Thus, she avoided anyone ever seeing any wrinkles. Therefore, she prevented people from picking up on the age gap between Mr. and Mrs. Howell. Smart move!
Special Mention In Her Contract
