Biography

Natalie Schafer

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Natalie Schafer got her start doing Broadway plays then making the move to the big screen. Even before Gilligan's Island (1964), she was typecast in roles as society women, or elegant, fashionable ladies. It was her role as "Eunice 'Lovey' Wentworth Howell" wife of multi-millionaire Thurston Howell III, that she was best known for. After the show ended its run in 1967, Schafer did a few guest appearances on shows, most notably The Brady Bunch (1969).
- IMDb mini biography by: Ken Severson

Although her contract included clauses forbidding certain close -ups and physical movements due to her age, she insisted that her obituary disclose her real age. She said she wanted people to say "she was HOW old?!.
Was engaged to comedic character actor Charles Butterworth in 1946 at the time of his tragic death in a single automobile crash.
Schafer had said she initially did the pilot to Gilligan's Island (1964), for the free trip to Hawaii. Afterwards, Schafer was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on holiday when she got a telegram from the States. She read it and burst into tears. Everyone had thought Schafer's mother (who was ill at the time) had died, and offered their condolences, but Schafer had said no she didn't die, the reason she was crying was because the pilot for "Gilligan's Island" sold, and she had to stay in Los Angeles, and could not move back to New York City.
Was actually a little over twelve years older than her co-star, Jim Backus when she played his wife Lovey Howell.
Underwent a double mastectomy.

[working with Joan Crawford on Female on the Beach (1955)] Now, Female was another story. By this time I presumed Joan and I were friends, at least colleagues, so I made a point of stopping by her trailer for cocktails and such. Now the leading man on this film was Jeff Chandler, a terribly nice young man, very good-looking, and he and Joan were in the middle of a very steamy affair. I remember Joan staying on after filming and Jeff remained as well. We were about halfway through the film when Joan invited me to her house for a small dinner party and I really had made very definite plans and had to decline. Well, she seemed alright with it, until the next morning I arrived on the set only to find my trailer had been physically moved almost to the parking lot of Universal. You learn not to say 'no' to Miss Joan Crawford unless you wish to suffer the consequences.
[on Joan Crawford] Joan was a very driven woman and very insecure. While we were working at MGM [Reunion in France (1942)] she was all about being a team and working for the good of the picture. I think she knew it was all coming to an end there, but she never commented on it to me.

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