Very few of us would turn down a fully paid vacation. Natalie Schafer, a talented and accomplished actor, was certainly not above joining the cast of a television series if she got a free vacation out of it.

Schafer starred as Eunice Howell in the hit series Gilligan’s Island. Though the sitcom was a smash success, Howell acknowledged that she had little faith in the series when she signed on to appear in the pilot episode.

“I’m not complaining, because I didn’t think the darn show would even be bought,” said the actor during an interview with The Journal News. “I accepted a chance to appear in the pilot film because they were making it in Hawaii, and who could resist a wonderful all-expense trip to the islands?”

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Even after the pilot had been filmed, Schafer was still unsure as to whether it would live to see a second episode. “When I arrived in California to await the decision, I only brought one suitcase because I knew I’d be going home any day,” said the actor. “Jim Backus was convinced it would sell, and I guess he was right. I went home for more luggage.”

While time on a television series offered Schafer consistency and security, the actor longed for more freedom. “Doing TV is marvelous for family people,” said the actor. “They go home at the end of the day, sit around the barbecue, and watch their children grow up. But I’m just a tired lady in a small house unable to go out on a wild date because I have to be at the studio early the next morning.”