Alan Hale, Jr. was a deeply committed and versatile character actor whose career extended until the 1930s. He appeared on stage, in films and hundreds of television shows. He played the main role in the 1952 television series “Biff Baker, USA” and the 1957 series “Casey Jones”. He was involved in comedy, theater, westerns, superhero shows, novels and legal thrillers. There did not seem to be a lot of hale would say no.
Of course, most audiences know under the name of Jonas Grumby, alias the 1964 sitcom skipper “Gilligan’s Island”. This show was a huge success when he made his debut and was deeply rooted in the American conscience. In addition, thanks to the sweet and sweet syndication offers, the reruns of the three -season show managed to stay continuously for decades. Gen-Xers grew up watching “Gilligan’s Island” until the end of the 80s. Alan Hale became a largely recognized archetype, a grumpy but brilliant guy who would often lose his patience with Gilligan (Bob Denver), but which would be just as Quick to call it with sympathy “Little Buddy”.
Sometimes an actor can resist an overwhelming success, because he will often pigeon them in a certain role. Bob Denver, for example, had trouble being considered someone other than Gilligan for years.
Hale, however, did not have such a resentment. He liked to play skipper. He liked to return to this role for the follow -up projects for “Gilligan’s Island”. He just likes to do comedy. Hale said so much in a vintage interview with the Sun (Transcribed by METV), declaring that, of his hundreds of roles, he likes the best of the skipper.
Alan Hale is proud to play skipper
Hale was, of course, the son of the faithful actor Alan Hale, Sr., better known for his dramatic work. Hale, Jr., meanwhile, found much more comfort in comedy. He preferred to bring people relieved from time to time. Hale was happy to provide. He said he just liked to make people laugh. This is what skipper its favorite part. The character, it seems, was the most constantly funny. Of course, this was added to dozens of other comic roles.
“Gilligan’s Island”, “he should be rewritten, was deliberately built to be light and a little stupid. The characters were large archetypes, and the story of seven shipwrecked has never involved real survival concerns. Hale a understood that he played a kind of Slapstick character … and he dug it.
In another interview, carried out by the Sun, Hale revealed that he was often approached by small children who love “the island of Gilligan”. He has always stopped to talk to them. Hales got into it that the show was silly and formulates. It was the reaction of the public that cared for him. Hale said in the sun:
“It delights me to know that I will never be alone in the world, and the pleasure that shows the faces of people is a very rewarding thing. […] It’s an old formula, but it was an escape for people, and they enjoyed it. It was just a lot of fun. “”
Hale, it should also be noted, continued to perform in dozens of television programs after “Gilligan’s Island” and continued his prolific career until 1988 when the disease prevented him from doing so. Hale died of cancer in 1990. Rightly, he was buried at sea.
