» characters · jonas "the skipper" grumby
Jonas "the Skipper" Grumby is the captain of the S.S. Minnow. Alan Hale Jr. was a longtime actor in B-westerns and the look-alike son of Alan Hale, Sr., a legendary movie character actor, Hale so loved his role that, long after the show went off the air, he would still appear in character in his Los Angeles restaurant, Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel. Although the Skipper was a father figure to Gilligan, Hale was only 14 years older than Denver. Gilligan pushed the Skipper out of the way of a loose depth charge when they were both serving in the United States Navy. Skipper is a World War II veteran, and served in the Seventh Fleet. In one episode, he describes his participation in the Battle of Guadalcanal. In the episode "They're Off and Running" (Season 1 Episode 28) Ginger is reading from a horoscope magazine and asks The Skipper his birthday to which he responds "May 5th". In moments of exasperation, the Skipper would swat Gilligan on the head with his cap. Just as often, the Skipper would endearingly call Gilligan "Little Buddy." In addition, Mr. Hale wore his Skipper character when he and 4 other Gilligan's cast appeared on a few celebrity Family Feud shows. "The Skipper" was portrayed by Alan Hale, Jr.