Long before he was known as "The Professor" in the cult comedy classic Gilligan's Island, Russell Johnson was a well-known character actor, starring in several Westerns and Sci-Fi classics as This Island Earth and It Came from Outer Space. Johnson grew up in Pennsylvania and was sent to a boarding school in Philadelphia with his brothers when his father died.

Unlike his Professor character, Johnson said he was not a bright student and was in fact held back a grade. Johnson did redeem himself later on in his school career and made the National Honor Society in high school. He joined the Army Air Corps in World War II, and earned the Purple Heart when his B-24 Liberator was shot down in the Philippines during a bombing run in March, 1945. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to enroll in acting school to ply his new trade.

Johnson currently lives in the state of Washington, and has done several guest shots on television shows.
Was a member of the National Honor Society while in High School. Earned his Purple Heart (for injuries during battle) when the B-24 Liberator bomber he was a crewman on was shot down during a bombing run against Japanese targets in the Philippine Islands, in March of 1945. Was enrolled in a Hollywood drama school when he was spotted by Paul Henreid, who cast him in For Men Only. Was originally best known for playing character villains, but that changed dramatically after he played the Professor on Gilligan's Island, which was the diametrically opposite type of character. Son David died of AIDS at age 39 in 1994. Since David's death, Johnson devotes his time to AIDS fundraising. Three children: two, David and Kimberly, with first wife, Kay Cousins Johnson; and one stepson, Courtney, with second wife, Constance. Johnson revealed on Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History that producers wanted him to take off his shirt during the screen test to determine his sex appeal, but he refused. The producers settled for a photo instead. [2001] Father of actress Kim Johnson During the Second World War, enlisted to become an aviation cadet and rose to the officer's rank of First Lieutenant, under the service number 765 497. Flew as Bombadier in B-25 aircraft on a total of 44 combat missions over the Netherlands, East Indies, and the Phillipines. World War II decorations include the Bronze Star, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 service stars, Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 service star, and the World War II Victory Medal with Honorable Service Lapel Button. Enlisted in the Army of the United States in November 1942. Was assigned the service number 13 154 406 and served for two years, before being discharged in January 1944 to accept a commission as an officer. Served for over twelve years as an officer of the Air Force, first as an active duty World War II bombadier (1944 - 1945) and then as an inactive member of the Officer Reserve Corps. Upon the creation of the U.S. Air Force, in the late 1940s, was augmented to the U.S. Air Force Reserve and briefly was a member of the 4th Air Reserve District in San Francisco. In 1953, became an inactive officer once again and recieved final discharge from the Air Force Reserve in August 1957. Auditioned for the title role on the television series Ben Casey, but lost out to actor Vince Edwards. Johnson and actress Dawn Wells are best known for their roles on the television series _Gilligan's Island (1964)_ , but they are also well known for their infamous reference, "and the rest", in the show's original theme song. (It was later to changed to "The Professor, AND, Mary Ann".) Known for narrating the long-running anime series, Robotech. Writes with his left hand.