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Lauren Tewes said she looked up to Dawn Wells of Gilligan's Island as a young girl
The actor frequently received fan letters from young girls asking for advice.
As a television star, Lauren Tewes had no shortage of fans. Tewes is best remembered as Julie McCoy of The Love Boat. The series ran for nine years, during which time Tewes attracted a fan base of young women who looked up to her.
During an interview with The Standard Star, Tewes stated that she frequently received fan mail from young girls seeking her guidance.
“They think of me as somebody they already know, and they ask my advice about boyfriends and things like that,” said Tewes.
Tewes appreciated the attention. “When I was a kid, I looked up to Dawn Wells on Gilligan’s Island and Marlo Thomas in That Girl,” said the actor. “I don’t mind little girls looking up to me. I kind of like it.”
Tewes also said that when she was younger, she idolized film actor Katherine Hepburn. “She represents the sort of character a lot of women wanted to be,” said Tewes. “Everybody wanted to be independent and run a newspaper, and have Spencer Tracy for a boyfriend. He’d beg you to marry him, and you’d say no, and then you’d ask him.”
While Tewes admitted there were a few “bits” of her own personality in Julie, the character was her organic creation as an actor.
“I draw on parts of me to create a character, but I don’t live the parts I play,” said Tewes. “What you see is acting. I’m not brave enough to put my bare self up on the stage. Besides, I don’t think it would be very interesting.”
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