 Bob Denver, on various television/radio interviews ("The Pat Sajak Show", KDKA radio), said that "Gil Egan" was his choice.The actor reasoned that because everyone yelled at the first mate, it ran together as "Gilligan".On the May 18, 1988, episode of the "Late Show on Fox", Denver said that Sherwood Schwartz told him Gilligan's first name was Willy.