Dawn Wells, Mary Ann on 'Gilligan's Island,' dies of COVID-19 Phil McCarten/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images Dawn Wells arrives at the Television Academyâs 70th Anniversary Gala and Opening Celebration for its new Saban Media Center on June 2, 2016, in the NoHo Arts District in Los Angeles. and last updated 2020-12-30 17:21:19-05 LOS ANGELES â Actress Dawn Wells, best known for her role as castaway Mary Ann on television's "Gilligan's Island," has died of COVID-19 at the age of 82. Publicist Harlan Boll said Wells died peacefully Wednesday at a living facility in Los Angeles. "There is so much more to Dawn Wells" than the "Gilligan's Island" character that brought her fame, Boll said in a statement.