Tina Louise took a break from acting in the early 1970s

"In that span of time, I was in a state of complete happiness," Louise revealed.

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From 1964 to 1967, fans saw Tina Louise as Ginger on Gilligan's Island. She was the glamorous movie star on the show and in real life. Louise found herself in the spotlight often, being offered roles in television shows and films back to back. There was no denying that she was a star.

In the early 1970s, for two years and nine months to be exact, she vanished. People were wondering what happened to the actress, and in an interview with the Detroit Free Press in 1973, Louise shared why she stepped away from acting.

"For two years and nine months (since early 1970), I didn't do any acting at all," she began. "The reason is Caprice. When I had her, I had to make a choice. Either I continued working, or I took some time out to become a good mother and to give my child real security."

According to the article in the newspaper, the actress gave birth to her daughter after a divorce from her husband, actor and TV host, Les Crane.

"Now Caprice is going to nursery school, and I feel free enough to begin working again," she added. Louise was excited to return to what she loved to do the most: act. However, she had her eyes on a specific genre.

"I do have to earn a living to support myself," she said. "And I do want to act again. What excites me the most is that I'm more in tune with myself since I've had the baby. Everything is more pleasant. My head's on straight. I could function as a model again, or I could do commercials. But I want to act, particularly in dramas."

Louise appeared in a TV movie, Call To Danger, after her hiatus ended. Fans might've wanted to see her in a series, but the actress wasn't ready for that yet.

"I'm not ready to think of another television series anyhow. It would take too much of my time away from Caprice," Louise said. "It was nice to be free of the tensions, highs and lows that go with acting. In that span of time, I was in a state of complete happiness."

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4 Comments

cperrynaples 22 months ago
Weird Fact: If there had been a fourth season of GI, Louise would have been written out! She always hated being fifth billed! At least she wasn't "and the rest"...LOL!
LoveMETV22 22 months ago
Interesting story. Sounds like Tina Louise made a normal responsible decision. It appears from bio's her daughter Caprice Crane is a novelist, screenwriter and television writer/producer.
cperrynaples LoveMETV22 22 months ago
Yes, and we all know she's in the Last Survivor club along with Max Baer Jr. & John Astin!
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