Gilligan's Island Star Russell Johnson Dies at 89

Russell Johnson, who played The Professor on Gilligan's Island, died Thursday at his home in Washington of kidney failure, ABC News reports. He was 89.

Born in Pennsylvania, Johnson earned a Purple Heart and several other medals for his service in World War II and, after he was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1945, used funds from the GI Bill to enroll in the Actors Lab in Hollywood.

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In addition to Gilligan's Island, his other TV credits included Dallas and The Twilight Zone. He also published his memoirs under the title Here on Gilligan's Isle.

Johnson is survived by his wife and a daughter. His son David died in 1994.