Russell Johnson
The death of his father when he was eight years old and his placement in a boarding school for disadvantaged boys changed future character actor Russell Johnson from an aimless Pennsylvania youth to a purpose-driven young adult. Following his decorated military service during World War II, Johnson studied acting in Hollywood on the GI Bill, winning a contract with Universal Studios. After a decade of work on stage and television and in such features as "It Came From Outer Space" (1953) and "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), Johnson signed on for the CBS sitcom "Gilligan's Island" (1964-67) with little ambition beyond supporting his family; the unparalleled success of the series in both its three-year run and in syndication made a pop culture figurehead of Johnson's "The Professor," whose indefatigable gadget-making was a low tech tonic for the high anxiety of the Cold War. Yet instant recognition came at a price for Johnson, who found himself adrift after the cancellation of his series in 1967, struggling to reestablish himself as a dramatic actor even as he was enshrined for playing one of the most beloved television characters of all time. Inevitably, his obituaries following his 2014 death led with his most iconic role.
Photos
Russell Johnson
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
20% |
|
The Gilligan Manifesto | Self | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three-Hour Tour in History | Self | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
With a Vengeance | Dr. Jesse Butler (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
|
Blue Movies | Mr. Martin (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island | Prof. Roy Hinkley Jr. (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Castaways on Gilligan's Island | Prof. Roy Hinkley Jr. (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet |
|
Rescue From Gilligan's Island | Professor Roy Hinkley Jr. (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ghost of Flight 401 | Loft (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
|
Hitch Hike to Hell | Captain J.W. Shaw (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Great Skycopter Rescue | Professor Benson (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nowhere to Hide | Charles Montague (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Collision Course | Gen. George Stratemeyer (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
Adventures of the Queen | Forbes (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | You Lie So Deep, My Love | The Foreman (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Aloha Means Goodbye | Dr. Frank Franklin (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Horror at 37,000 Feet | Jim Hawley (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Beg, Borrow... or Steal | Alex Langley (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Movie Murderer | Cliff Thomas (Character) | - | 1970 |
50% |
|
A Distant Trumpet | Capt. Brinker (Character) | - | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Saga of Hemp Brown | Hook (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Space Children | Joe Gamble (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Badman's Country | Sundance (Character) | - | 1958 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Courage of Black Beauty | Ben Farraday (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet |
|
Rock All Night | Jigger (Character) | - | 1957 |
71% |
|
Attack of the Crab Monsters | Hank Chapman (Character) | - | 1957 |
75% |
|
This Island Earth | Steve Carlson (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet |
|
Black Tuesday | Howard Sloane (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet |
|
Ride Clear of Diablo | Jed Ringer (Character) | - | 1954 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tumbleweed | Lam Blandon (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Column South | Cpl. Biddle (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet |
|
Seminole | Lt. Hamilton (Character) | - | 1953 |
81% |
|
It Came From Outer Space | George (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet |
|
Law and Order | Jimmy Johnson (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Stand at Apache River | Greiner (Character) | - | 1953 |
80% |
|
The Turning Point | Herman (uncredited) (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet |
|
Loan Shark | Charlie Thompson (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Tall Lie | Ky Walker (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Willie and Joe Back at the Front | Johnny Redondo (Character) | - | 1952 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
87% | 98% | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Unknown (Character) | 1998 |
76% | 78% | Roseanne | Mark (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Space Ghost: Coast to Coast | Guest | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Two Dads | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | 79% | ALF | Professor Roy Hinkley (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Newhart | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fame | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gilligan's Planet | Professor Roy Hinkley (Voice) | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Jeffersons |
Mac Steele (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
1982 |
80% | 60% | Bosom Buddies | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1981 |
100% | 82% | Wonder Woman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The New Adventures of Gilligan | Professor (Voice) | 1974-1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cannon | Paul Merrick (Guest Star) | 1974-1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mannix | Brasher (Guest Star) | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunsmoke | Diggs (Guest Star) | 1957 1959 1969 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | That Girl | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lassie | Ranger Mark Adams (Guest Star) | 1958 1962-1963 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Felony Squad | Tye Laughlin (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Big Valley | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
90% | 73% | Gilligan's Island | Roy "The Professor" Hinkley (Character) | 1964-1967 |
92% | 92% | The Outer Limits | Unknown (Character) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 77 Sunset Strip | Harry Devlin (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laramie | Al Denning (Guest Star) | 1961-1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Timmy & Lassie | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962-1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dakotas | Lt. Clyde Mariot (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wagon Train | Craig Manson (Guest Star) | 1957-1958 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ben Casey | Dr. Stanley Burke (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Law and Mr. Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tales of Wells Fargo | William Dodd (Guest Star) | 1957 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Route 66 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Detectives | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Deputy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
92% | 96% | The Twilight Zone | Pete Corrigan (Character) | 1960-1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Thriller | Unknown (Character) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Black Saddle | Marshal Gib Scott (Character) | 1959-1960 |
No Score Yet | 87% | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Turk (Character) | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Circus Boy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Climax! | Unknown (Character) | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Lone Ranger | Tom Levering (Guest Star) | 1955 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Superman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Meego | Unknown (Guest Star) |