The Gilligan's Island Character You Had No Idea Kurt Russell Played

Years before Kurt Russell became a movie megastar with films like "Silkwood," "Big Trouble in Little China," and "The Hateful Eight," he cut his acting teeth with guest spots on TV shows like "The Man from U.N.C.L.E," "Lost in Space," and "The Fugitive." In fact, one of Russell's earliest acting gigs was in 1965 on a Season 1 episode of "Gilligan's Island." The show's 19th installment was called "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy" and featured a 13-year-old Russell as the titular child who is discovered on the island by Gilligan (Bob Denver). The episode's B storyline centers around a helium vent he leads the castaways to despite his only command of English being an ability to repeat their words back to them.

The Professor (Russell Johnson) works with Ginger (Tina Louise) and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) to build a balloon sturdy enough to carry one of the castaways to safety, but their inability to find a suitable passenger delays the mission long enough for Jungle Boy to commandeer the balloon and fly to the safety of an aircraft carrier. It's one of many near-miss rescues for the gang on "Gilligan's Island," and their frustration with being left behind is tempered a bit by the pleasant lingering vibes from their time with Russell's character.

Kurt Russell moved from his guest appearance on "Gilligan's Island" to recurring roles on "Daniel Boone" and "The Magical World of Disney" before his 1981 breakout film performance as Snake Plissken in "Escape From New York." Russell and that film's writer/director, John Carpenter, worked together often, although you may not be familiar with their first joint project in 1979. Although he has memorable characters, including Plissken, Lucky Lockhart of "Swing Shift," and Cash in "Tango & Cash," the only Kurt Russell movie with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is a documentary where he appears as himself. 

He's been in a relationship with Oscar-winning actress Goldie Hawn for over 40 years, and acting is truly the family business. Kurt Russell's father, Bing, was a well-known actor, and his children, Oliver Hudson, Kate Hudson, and Wyatt Russell, also have experience in the acting business (his children Oliver and Kate use the Hudson surname as the biological children of Hawn's ex-husband, Bill Hudson).

The couple's youngest son, Wyatt Russell, followed his parents into acting after a career in professional hockey. Wyatt starred in "Thunderbolts*," Marvel's anti-hero movie that we noted in our review "is a departure from everything that's come before it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe."  In April 2025, Wyatt told MovieWeb  that growing up in Hollywood guided him to this career. "I saw this life, and it actually connected in a way that I thought I could be very good at," he said. "And I'd seen it a million times. I've been on the set."