Natalie Schafer

She died from cancer in Los Angeles, California. She is of no relation to actress Jean Stapleton. Miss Wells has admitted to something of a daughter-type relationship with Miss Schafer, but has never publicly admitted to receiving anything from her estate. Her more recent appearances include Cocoon and Cocoon: The Return (1985 and 1988). Differing sources state that most of this fortune was bequeathed to either her "Gilligan's Island" co-star Dawn Wells, or her cat. She was nominated again for Airport and Interiors (1978), and won for Reds (1981). Her astute investments, particularly in real estate made her a millionaire. Her film career also brought her immediate success, with her debut in Lonelyhearts (1958) earning her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In real life, she was far removed from the dizzy "Lovey Howell" she had played. She won a second Tony Award for Neil Simon's The Gingerbread Lady in 1971. Her most notable film appearance in later life was in The Day of the Locust (1975). She played in other Williams' productions Twenty-Seven Wagons Full of Cotton and Orpheus Descending, as well as Lillian Hellman's Toys in the Attic. She continued acting until the age of ninety and was a guest star on many TV series. Stepping in as a replacement for Anna Magnani, Stapleton won a Tony Award for her role in Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo in 1951. She appeared in the television series Gilligan's Island from 1964 until 1967 playing the role of millionaire's wife "Lovey Howell", and reprised her role in the made-for-TV "Gilligan's Island" movies that were made after the show's demise. She has said that it was her infatuation with the actor Joel McCrea that led her into acting, and she made her Broadway debut in Burgess Meredith's production of The Playboy of the Western World in 1946.

She played several supporting roles during the forties and fifties and appeared most notably in The Snake Pit (1948) and Anastasia (1956) while returning to New York City to live and work between film roles.. Stapleton began acting in theater after finishing high school, and rapidly gained respect as both a dramatic and comedic actress. Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, Schafer began her career as an actress on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles in 1941 to work in films. Lois Maureen Stapleton (born June 21, 1925 in Troy, New York) in an American theater and film actress. Natalie Schafer (November 5, 1900 - April 10, 1991) was an American actress.