Russell Johnson comes from the humblest of beginnings.

He grew up in a a boys` orphanage school in the thick of the Great Depression. Johnson joined the United States Army Air Forces in World War II.

He had a very distinguished record and was highly decorated for his service.

He flew 44 combat missions as a gunner in B-24 Liberator bombers, receiving a Purple Heart for injuries sustained when his plane was shot down over the Philippines.

When the war ended, he joined the Army Reserves and used the GI Bill to fund his acting studies. He became a close friend of Audie Murphy and later appeared with him in three of his films, "Column South" and "Tumbleweed" in 1953 and "Ride Clear of Diablo" in 1954.

(russell-johnson.com).

Johnson`s Hollywood career began in 1952, with the college fraternity hazing exposé For Men Only, and Loan Shark also released in 1952, starring George Raft.

His early roles were primarily in westerns and science fiction such as It Came from Outer Space (1953), This Island Earth (1955), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1956), and The Space Children (1958).

He also appeared in a Ma and Pa Kettle vehicle, Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955). Johnson appeared in two episodes of note in The Twilight Zone.

He attempted to prevent the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in the time-travel episode "Back There".

He also appeared as a college professor in the episode "Execution". He is best known to the public as "The Professor", the erudite polymath who could build all sorts of inventions out of the most rudimentary materials available on the island, but could not seem to find a way to get the castaways rescued.

Gilligan`s Island aired from 1964 to 1967, but has been shown in reruns continuously ever since. Johnson was asked to take off his shirt when auditioning for the Gilligan`s Island role; he refused, but still got the job. Before accepting the role of "Roy Hinkley", he made Gilligan`s Island producer Sherwood Schwartz promise him that when he made scientific statements that they would be accurate. Johnson was typecast, but willingly participated in all the reunion movies, cartoons, and other events related to the program.

When recognized as "The Professor" in public, he is gracious and friendly, and doesn`t object to being addressed as such.

He has also appeared at least once alongside Nobel Prize-winning scientists as part of the awards presentation panel at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies.