How To Be a Hero After Gilligan is unable to save Mary Ann from drowning in the lagoon, the Skipper must jump in and rescue both of them. The Castaways then devise schemes to boost Gilligan's ego, and help him feel like a hero. Details Casts Title How To Be a Hero Genres Comedy Family Release Date 1965-03-06 Episode Runtime 00 Hours 25 Minutes Season Number 1 Episode Number 23 Production Companies United Artists Television, CBS, Gladysya Productions Bob Denver Gilligan Alan Hale Jr. Jonas "The Skipper" Grum? Jim Backus Thurston Howell, III Natalie Schafer Eunice "Lovey" Wentworth? Tina Louise Ginger Grant Dawn Wells Mary Ann Summers Russell Johnson Roy "The Professor" Hink?