David's Little House Star Profiles and Trivia

Ralph Manza,born in December of 1921 in San Francisco, was veteran character actor of television and film.  Manza was a premed student at UC Berkeley when he was drafted into the Army during World War II. He discovered his real talent--acting--when he was assigned to a troupe of entertainers as a medic. Over the decades after the war, he appeared in 32 feature films, including "Get Shorty," "Blazing Saddles," "Dave" and the recent remake of "Godzilla." On television he played George Peppard's chauffeur-sidekick in the 1972-74 NBC detective drama "Banacek," and had an occasional role on "Newhart," the CBS sitcom starring Bob Newhart that ran through most of the 1980s. He also made regular appearances on the soap opera "General Hospital."  In later years he was a a resident of Leucadia, California, just north of San Diego.

He suffered a heart attack while filming a Budweiser commercial in January of 2000 and died of complications three weeks later at the age of 78.

His forty six year career included over 160 credits in movies and television including a starring role in the episode “Charley Carthy” in Highway To Heaven.

He Appeared in One Episode of Little House
“Once Upon A Time” – 1983 – As Hugo The Waiter

How cool you got a response from Mia, Dave! She sounds really nice!   

Burr DeBenning was born in Seminole. Oklahoma on September 21, 1936 . He was an American character actor, who has done work in both film and television. DeBenning appeared in nearly 100 films and TV shows during his career. His credits include the television films The House on Greenapple Road, Wolfen, The Incredible Melting Man, A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, St. Ives, Cruising, and Love Field. He appeared in such television programs as Custer, Matlock, Matt Houston, Mike Hammer, Magnum, P.I., Rockford Files, Matt Helm, Medical Center, McCloud, Columbo and Medical Story. Co-starred with Robert Wagner in City Beneath the Sea (1971). His character was called "Aquila" and had gills.

Other appearances were in a war movie Beach Red (1967) and Sweet November (1968). In 1977 he guest starred in the second pilot film titled The Death Scouts for the TV Series called Man from Atlantis. He played the role of Lt. Jim Porter, a Navy Intelligence agent, in the 1978 science fiction TV movie, The Return of Captain Nemo, originally shown on U.S. TV as a three part mini-series (50-minutes each episode) and later released theatrically outside the U.S. in a 102-minute widescreen version renamed The Amazing Captain Nemo. From 1981 to 1982 he played the evil town boss Paul Garrett (and later his equally evil twin brother Richard Garrett) in the TV series Father Murphy and worked for Michael Landon once again in an episode of Highway To Heaven in 1985. DeBenning's last media appearance was a cameo in a music video for The Avalanches' hit song "Frontier Psychiatrist" in 2000. He died in May of 2003 in San Luis Obispo, California at age 66.

One Episode of Little House
Dr. Asa T. Logan – “To Run and Hide’ - 1977


Father Murphy Pilot - November 1981 -  As Paul Garrett

Just what was it that Fagin was suffering from in the episode "Fagin"? Doc Baker referred to it as husk....

Dictyocaulus viviparus: lungworm of cattle, deer

D. viviparus is the most common lungworm of cattle; the infection is also known as husk or parasitic bronchitis. Although classified as the same parasite, some people believe that the D. viviparus of deer and elk should be reclassified as a different species, including D. eckertii in New Zealand. However, both species have been shown capable of cross-infecting cattle and cervids (at least in New Zealand) .

The parasite has a simple but interesting life cycle, with dipersal facilitated by a fungus.
Adult D. viviparus worms reside in the bronchial tree of the animal's lungs. They lay eggs into the airways (bronchi). These eggs are coughed up and subsequently swallowed by the host. The eggs hatch into Stage 1 larvae (L1) in the gastrointestinal tract of the ruminant host. These L1 larvae are shed in the feces or manure. In the feces, larvae mature through two stages and become infective as L3 stage larvae. Cattle feces supports the growth of Pilobolus sp. fungi. The L3 larvae of D. viviparus invade the inside of these fungi, and wait in the fungal sporangium. When the fungus sporulates, the larvae are dispersed as much as 10 feet in a pasture.

Cattle grazing then ingest the L3 larvae. These larvae go through the intestinal system and penetrate the intestinal wall. They use the lymphatic system to reach the mesenteric lymph nodes, where they mature once again into L4 stage larvae. The L4 larvae use the blood supply and the lymphatic system to reach the lungs, where they become adults. The life cycle is completed.

Kathryn Leigh Scott was born Marlene Kathryn Kringstad, January of 1943, in Robbinsdale, Minnesota to Ole and Hilda Sophie (nee Karlsgodt) Kringstad. both of Norwegian descent.

Upon arriving in New York City she worked as a Playboy Bunny and changed her name to Kathryn Leigh Scott. In 1966, she was cast as Maggie Evans the waitress-turned-governess on the ABC-TV cult serial Dark Shadows. During her tenure at the show, she played Josette du Pres (a lover of Barnabas Collins {Jonathan Frid}, who committed suicide at Widow's Hill in 1795); Rachel Drummond (a governess in 1897); Kitty Soames (aka Lady Hampshire on the second-half of the 1897 storyline); and Maggie Collins (aka Maggie Evans), who married Quentin Collins (David Selby) in "Parallel Time" (1970). She appeared in House of Dark Shadows, a MGM picture based on the Dark Shadows TV series in 1970. That same year in September, she decided to leave the show to move to France with her boyfriend and photographer Ben Martin, whom she later married. A few months later, Dark Shadows ended its five year run in April 1971.

After Dark Shadows she made guest appearances on such TV shows as Police Squad!, Dynasty, Quincy, Magnum, P.I., Cagney and Lacey, Matlock, The Incredible Hulk, The A-Team, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She also appeared in films, i.e. The Great Gatsby. In 1979, she co-starred in the short-lived CBS series Big Shamus, Little Shamus with Brian Dennehy. In 1983, she co-starred in Philip Marlowe, Private Eye with Powers Boothe on HBO until 1986.

In 2013, Kathryn was reunited with her Dark Shadows co-stars Jerry Lacy and Lara Parker in the feature film Doctor Mabuse, written and directed by Ansel Faraj. The film was released in May.

In 1986 she founded Pomegranate Press, which published her books about Dark Shadows and other stories. Today, she appears in yearly Dark Shadows festivals, book signings, and other events. She reprised a number of her Dark Shadows roles in a series of audio dramas. Scott co-wrote (with Jim Pierson), an updated retrospective on the original series, the short-lived remake and the 2012 motion picture, Dark Shadows, in which Scott has a cameo role. It was released on April 3, 2012 via Pomegranate Press.

One Episode of Little House
Blind Man’s Bluff – 1979 – Belle Harrison
Jordan’s Mother
Just as she finds out Jordan is blind


Kathryn as Maggie Evans in "Dark Shadows" 1966-1970

Melinda Cordell was born on February 26, 1942 in Shelby Ohio. Her television appearances include Cheers, Lou Grant, Family and several daytime programs such as The Young and The Restless, The Nurses, General Hospital, The Edge of Night and Search for Tomorrow. She also appeared in many stage plays throughout her career.

She Was In One Little House Episode
“The Odyssey” – 1979 -  as Dylan’s Mother – Gwen Whittaker


She worked with Nicholas Pryor on 'The Nurses" TV Series in 1965.
They married, but since then have divorced. Nicholas appeared as Royal
Wilder in Times Are Changing

Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor who rose to prominence as a high-profile teen actor in the 1980s, in sitcoms such as Silver Spoons and The Hogan Family, before returning in the early 2000s in the role of Michael Bluth on Arrested Development, for which he won a TV Land Award, a Golden Globe, and two Satellite Awards. He has since established himself in Hollywood by appearing in several films, including The Kingdom, Juno, Hancock, Up in the Air, Paul, Horrible Bosses, and Identity Thief. He is the younger brother of actress Justine Bateman.

Bateman was born in Rye, New York. His mother, Victoria Elizabeth, was a former flight attendant for Pan Am; his mother was English, born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. His father, Kent Bateman, is an actor, writer and director of film and television, and founder of a repertory stage in Hollywood. Bateman's older sister, Justine, is known for her work on the sitcom Family Ties. Bateman also has three half-brothers. Bateman was four years old when his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and later to California. Bateman told Best Life magazine that he and sister, Justine Bateman, supported their parents with the paychecks they earned from their television shows; he also revealed that he was managed by his father until Bateman dissolved the business relationship at the age of 20. In 1987, Bateman won the celebrity portion of the Long Beach Grand Prix. Throughout the 1990s, he struggled with an addiction to alcohol and drugs; he stated in a 2009 interview that "it was like Risky Business for ten years". Bateman married Amanda Anka, daughter of singer Paul Anka, in July 2001. They have two daughters: Francesca Nora (born October 28, 2006) and Maple Sylvie (born February 10, 2012). In late 2005, he had surgery to remove a benign polyp from his throat. The surgery required recovery time and halted production on Arrested Development, although enough episodes had been completed to get the show through the November sweeps period.

Bateman started his television career on Little House on the Prairie as James Cooper, an orphaned boy who, along with his sister, is adopted by the Ingalls family. From 1982 to 1984 he was a supporting character on the television show Silver Spoons as Ricky Schroder's 'bad boy' friend. He appeared in the Knight Rider third-season episode "Lost Knight" in 1984, and a number of other small television roles. In 1987, he appeared with Burt Reynolds on the men's team in the inaugural week of game show Win, Lose or Draw. Jason earned the status of teen idol in the mid-1980s for his television work, most notably The Hogan Family (originally titled Valerie, Valerie's Family, The Hogans and finally The Hogan Family after Valerie Harper left the series). He became the Directors Guild of America's youngest-ever director when he helmed three episodes of The Hogan Family at the age of eighteen. After the series ended its run, he gained international recognition in the motion picture Teen Wolf Too, which was a box office failure. In 1994, he played opposite legendary actors Katharine Hepburn and Anthony Quinn in the television film This Can't Be Love. During this period, he had major roles on four series—Simon, Chicago Sons, George & Leo, and Some of My Best Friends—none of which lasted longer than one season. He also directed an episode of Two of a Kind in 1999. In 2002, he played the frisky sibling of Thomas Jane's character in the feature film The Sweetest Thing.

In 2003, Bateman was cast as Michael Bluth in the comedy series Arrested Development. Although critically acclaimed, the series never achieved high ratings and ended on February 10, 2006. The show was revived in spring 2013. Bateman won several awards for his work on the series, including a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. He was also nominated in 2005 for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. New episodes of Arrested Development have been released on Netflix with the original cast, including Bateman. Bateman performed commentary on the 2004 Democratic National Convention for The Majority Report with Arrested Development co-star David Cross, and hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live on February 12, 2005. In 2006, he appeared as a guest star on the Scrubs episode "My Big Bird" as Mr. Sutton, a garbage man with a flock of vicious ostriches as pets. In 2009, Bateman became a regular voice actor for the short-lived Fox comedy series Sit Down, Shut Up. He voiced Larry Littlejunk, the gym teacher and only staff member that can teach. In 2010, Bateman and Arrested Development co-star Will Arnett created "DumbDumb Productions," a production company focusing on digital content. Their first video was "Prom Date," the first in a series of "Dirty Shorts" for Orbit. In 2012, Bateman returned to his role of Michael Bluth for the revival of Arrested Development along with the rest of the original cast. The now-Netflix sponsored series released Season 4 on its Instant Watch website on May 26, 2013. The series is expected to continue its run as well as a potential feature film. For the new fourth season, Bateman was once again nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. Bateman features in the video for Mumford and Sons song Hopeless Wanderer.

In 2004, Bateman appeared in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story as ESPN 8 ("The Ocho") commentator Pepper Brooks, and in Starsky & Hutch as Kevin, Vince Vaughn's business partner. He reunited with Vaughn in 2006's The Break-Up. In 2007, he played former lawyer Rupert "Rip" Reed alongside Ben Affleck in Smokin' Aces, and also starred in The Kingdom, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, and Juno. In 2008, he co-starred with Will Smith and Charlize Theron in the superhero film Hancock. Bateman's 2009 films included Extract, written and directed by Mike Judge, and Couples Retreat, reuniting with Vince Vaughn in a comedy chronicling four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort (Kristen Bell played his wife). In 2010, he starred in The Switch, a romantic comedy, with Jennifer Aniston. In 2011, he played the role of Special Agent Zoil in the comedy Paul, and starred in Horrible Bosses and The Change-Up. It was announced in January 2012 that a sequel to Horrible Bosses is in the works. In March 2012, Mansome, Bateman's first executive producer credit with Will Arnett, was announced as a Spotlight selection for the Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary, directed by Morgan Spurlock, is a comedic look at male identity as it is defined through men's grooming habits, featuring celebrity and expert commentary. He made a dramatic turn in 2012 with the thriller film Disconnect, and starred in the 2013 comedy film Identity Thief.
In 2013, Bateman made his directorial debut with Bad Words. He is also set to direct and star in an adaptation of The Family Fang. His latest project is a TV series “Growing Up Fisher” set for 2014.

Jason Appeared on 21 Episodes Of Little House
As James Cooper Ingalls
Shown Here Opposite Matthew Labyorteaux in Growin Pains - 1981

Nice article.  Jason is perhaps one of THE most successful actors to come out of Little House.  It's funny because I never thought much of his acting as James and didn't really 'see' him going places, lol.  But I remember watching him on Silver Spoons and thinking how good he was in that comedic role.  He was actually really funny and they didn't even have great writing on that show. So I'm not surprised that he found his niche in comedy.  I have yet to see Identity Thief...I have been meaning to Red box that! 

Michael Landon would be so very proud of how far he has come!  

Melissa Francis was born on December 12th, 1972 in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley, just outside of Los Angeles. She was a child actress and was a Brownie and Girl Scout. Besides appearing in numerous commercials during her childhood, she has twenty two acting credits in an acting career that began at the age of six. Her acting appearances included Champions: A Love Story, Mork and Mindy, Galactica 1980, St. Elsewhere, ALF, Joe’s World, Morningstar / Eveningstar, and Hotel to name a few.

She appeared in twenty one episodes of Little House On The Prairie as Cassandra Cooper Ingalls, sister of James played by Jason Bateman. She recently revealed in her auto biography that she had a huge crush on Jason during her stint on Little House.

She was emancipated from an abusive mother at the age of 15.  

Melissa graduated from Harvard University in 1995 with a BA in economics. She was the Executive Editor of The Harvard College Economist Magazine and captain of the Harvard Polo team. She worked her way through school as a waitress and an NBC News intern.

Melissa is married to Wray Thorn, an asset manager. Currently, she is the mother of two boys. Her first son was born in 2007 and Grayson Alexander, her second son, was born in April of 2010.
Her younger sister, Tiffany Ann Francis, mainly a commercial actress, passed away at the age of 34 in 2002.

Melissa is currently hosting Fox News “Money”. Prior to Fox News she was a general assignment reporter for CNBC. Melissa is a life - long San Francisco 49er fan.

She recently had some interesting comments about a conversation she had with Melissa Gilbert as it pertained to child actors and Michael Landon on Little House………………..

Melissa Gilbert and I had dinner recently and she was talking about how she thinks one of the big reasons none of the kids on Little House on the Prairie ended up badly is because Michael Landon as a role model was such a hard worker.  I say in my book that Landon was, “a combination of God and Santa Claus.”  And he really was. He was so larger-than-life, had so much charisma. He was just a magnet to everyone on the set. And as fantastic as he was, he was also an incredibly sure business person. He owned every bit of that show. He wrote it, he executive produced it, directed it, and he acted in it. He made every dollar count and was adamant that we all show up on time, rested, hair brushed, ready to work and he did not tolerate it if we87+ didn’t know our lines, and our marks. Michael never treated us like kids and as a result we didn’t view ourselves as kids. We saw ourselves as workers, as actors. We felt the reward of a job well done in the pride of earning our paychecks. And as ridiculous as that sounds, as a kid it made me so proud of working, succeeding and of turning in an honest day’s work. And I think that that affected us.

A personal note on Melissa Francis………….I recently read her book and after completing it, I have nothing but admiration for her. She was raised by an abusive mother that not only heaped mental abuse upon her, but stole most of her money that she had earned as a child actress. She could have gone the way of a lot of child actors that fell into the abyss of failure, but instead, worked her way through college and became a successful human being as well as a wonderful mother. I can’t say enough about the admiration I have for her. She is truly a wonderful example of a great lady.

Melissa opposite Jason in "The Lost Ones" - 1981

Melissa With Her Husband and Two Sons

Still With Those Big Beautiful Eyes!

If there is one thing Alison does well, it is talking about herself. Here, in her own words, is a mini bio of that nasty little girl from Walnut Grove...............The one and only Nellie!

Alison Arngrim, born in January of 1962 in New York City is best-known to viewers, world-wide, for her portrayal of the incredibly nasty "Nellie Oleson" on the much-loved, long-running hit television series, Little House on the Prairie (1974), continues to amuse audiences through her many film, television and stage appearances. She can currently be seen in the independent films For the Love of May (2000) with RuPaul and Patricia Neal, and The Last Place on Earth (2002) with Billy Dee Williams and Phyllis Diller. In 2007, she began her foray into French cinema with the role of "Edith" in the French detective comedy, Jean-Pierre Mocky's Le deal (2007).

In addition to her seven years on Little House on the Prairie (1974), Alison guested on such cult classics as: The Love Boat (1977), Fantasy Island (1977) and the NBC movie of the week, I Married Wyatt Earp (1983), starring Marie Osmond.

She mocked her own status as an "ex-child star" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), during their month-long parody, "Hollywood Survivor", and continues to be a frequent interview subject on everything from "A&E", "E! Entertainment", "TV Land" and "VH-1", to CNN and the Travel Channel. The TV Land network honored her on-screen image, by declaring her the winner of their 2006 award for, "Character Most Desperately In Need Of A Time Out".

Alison's stage work includes, "Sirena: Queen of the Tango", "Butterflies Are Free", "Hidden In The Laughter", "Dear Brutus", "The Wool Gatherer", "Cry Of Players", the French bedroom farce, "In One Bed And Out The Other", Michael Kearns' "AIDS/US II", and the role of "Rita" in the 2005 GLAAD Award nominated production of "Last Summer At Bluefish Cove". Most recently, she starred at the ACME Comedy Theatre in the Ovation Award-nominated musical-drama, "Flirting with Morty", as the abusive, trashy and tragic "Ray Lee".

As a stand-up comedian, Alison has headlined at nightclubs such as the Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store and the Improv in Los Angeles; as well as the Cutting Room in New York and assorted comedy venues all across the United States and Canada. Her one-woman show, "Confessions of a Prairie #@!%", which started at Club Fez in New York, has now become a world-wide phenomenon, having been performed to packed houses in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Maui and the south of France, where Alison performed entirely in French to a standing room only crowd at the "Palais des Congres" in her all French version titled: "Confessions d'une Garce de La Prairie"! She then took the show to Paris' Theatre Dejazet, where she received multiple standing ovations.

In 1986, when her friend and Little House on the Prairie (1974) husband co-star, Steve Tracy, passed away due to complications of HIV/AIDS, Alison immediately began volunteering at AIDS Project Los Angeles. Her duties ranged from working on the Southern California AIDS Hotline and the APLA food bank, (APLA's Necessities of Life Program,) to chairing the steering committee of the volunteer speakers bureau and developing "Safer Sex" workshops. She has provided AIDS education to doctors, nurses, prison inmates, service clubs, churches, department stores and schools, written AIDS education articles for the magazines "Frontiers" and "Designers West", and spent seven years hosting the APLA educational cable television show, "AIDS Vision". In 1992, Joel Wachs presented Alison with a resolution by the Los Angeles City Council commending her on her work on behalf of people living with HIV and AIDS.

From 1989 through 1993, she served as Program Manager at Tuesday's Child, an organization assisting children and families affected by HIV and AIDS. From 1989 through 2003, she served as both hostess and producer for the comedy stage at the AIDS Project Los Angeles Annual Summer Party, (on the backlot of Universal Studios), where through an evening of raucous entertainment, featuring name comedians, she helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for people living with HIV.

She serves as California Chair, National Spokesperson and Founding Board Member on the National Advisory Board of The National Association to Protect Children (www.PROTECT.org), fighting to give children a legal and political voice in the war against child abuse. As an activist for the improvement of child protection laws, she has spoken before the California Senate and worked on legislative and political campaigns in several states, including Virginia and New York, in addition to PROTECT's work on federal legislation in Washington, D.C. She has appeared on numerous television news programs discussing the legal and political issues surrounding child abuse and molestation. She came forward to tell the world about the sexual abuse she suffered in her own life, during her 2004 interview on Larry King Live (1985).

She continues to be interviewed on this and other topics on Nancy Grace (2005), CNN's Showbiz Tonight (2005), The Insider (2004), "Court TV" and Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor (1996).

She takes pride in the fact that so many people enjoyed hating her as a girl and is more than happy to give them the opportunity to do so in the future.

Robert Paul Schoonover (6 November 1993 - present)

Donald Mark Spencer
(8 April 1989 - 8 April 1993) (divorced)

Younger sister of Stefan Arngrim.
Her signature "Nellie Oleson curls" were a wig, which were held so tightly to her head that her scalp bled.
She often fainted on the Little House on the Prairie (1974) set because the show taped in California's Simi Valley, where the temperature was routinely 100+ degrees.
Worked as a poster model for 3 years after leaving Little House on the Prairie (1974).
Attended Dana Plato's 1999 funeral.
Following the AIDS-related death of the Little House on the Prairie (1974) husband, actor Steve Tracy, she began working as an AIDS activist. She regularly volunteered at AIDS Project Los Angeles and at Tuesday's Child, a family-oriented AIDS organization.
Good friends with Melissa Gilbert.
Has a step-daughter from her second husband.
Her husband is a musician
In Little House on the Prairie (1974), her character of Nellie Oleson was renowned for making life miserable for Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert). Reportedly, at a parade many years after the show's run had come to an end, a fan threw a can of orange soda at Arngrim's head screaming: "I hate you for all the things you did to Laura!"
Is a vegetarian.
Daughter of Norma MacMillan and Thor Arngrim
Originally auditioned for the role of "Laura Ingalls" on Little House on the Prairie (1974).
After being passed over for the roles of Laura and Mary Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974), she won the part of "Nasty" Nellie Oleson on the spot, after playing mean so convincingly in her audition.
Calls the character she played in Little House on the Prairie (1974), Nellie Oleson, "The living embodiment of PMS."
She is on the national advisory committee of the National Association to Protect Children. She has spoken in the media about her own experiences as a victim of child sexual abuse and helped lobby on behalf of a California law toughening sentences against abusers who victimize family members.
Was number 96 on vh1's The Greatest: 100 Greatest Kid Stars (2005)
Release of her book, "Confessions of a Prairie #@!%: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated". [June 2010]

She Appeared in 104 Episodes Of Little House
As Nellie Oleson. To Have Known Her Was To Have Loved Her!

Born on May 8, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, Melissa Gilbert first found acting success playing Laura Ingalls on the dramatic series Little House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1982. She went on to act in several more TV roles as a child and teen and has continued to act into adulthood. In 2001, Gilbert was voted in as president of the Screen Actors Guild and won a second two-year term in 2003.

Born in Los Angeles, California, on May 8, 1964, Melissa Gilbert grew up in the entertainment business. She is the adopted daughter of actor Paul Gilbert and actress/dancer Barbara Crane (now Barbara Gilbert Cowan); her biological parents each had three children from previous marriages and, fearing they wouldn't be able to provide for Gilbert financially, put her up for adoption the day she was born. Gilbert's two siblings are also actors; Sara played Darlene in the series Roseanne and Jonathan played Willie Olson on Little House on the Prairie.

The sensitive, delicately pretty actor came to fame as a girl, playing Laura Ingalls on the NBC period drama series Little House on the Prairie, which ran from 1974 to 1983. (Gilbert was reportedly one of nearly 500 girls to audition for the part.) It was for her earnest, memorable portrayal of Laura that the actress became the youngest person to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (in 1985, at 6429 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California). The series also starred Gilbert's brother, Jonathan Gilbert (as Willie Oleson), who was also adopted; Michael Landon (as Charlie Ingalls); Karen Grassle (as Caroline Ingalls); and Melissa Sue Anderson (as Mary Ingalls).

After Gilbert's father, Paul Gilbert, passed away in February 1975, Michael Landon became an important mentor and friend to the actress. She and Landon soon had a falling out, however, and the reportedly stars didn't speak to each other from the time that Little House on the Prairie ended until 1991.

While Melissa Gilbert has made several feature film appearances, the majority of her work over the years has been in television. She most often opted for roles as suffering, historically significant teenagers, such as in The Miracle Worker in 1979, The Diary of Anne Frank in 1980 and Splendor in the Grass in 1981. She remained prolific and eventually graduated to adult roles, including Choices in 1986 and A Family of Strangers in 1993.

Additionally, there were a few failed series attempts, including Little House: A New Beginning in 1982, Stand By Your Man in 1992 and Sweet Justice in 1994. In 2001, Gilbert was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild. She won a second two-year term in 2003.

Gilbert later returned to the project that made her famous: She starred in the role originally played by Karen Grassle on television, as "Ma" in the touring production of Little House on the Prairie: The Musical. She also shared her details of her life in A Prairie Tale, a memoir published in 2009.
Returing to television, Gilbert had a role in the 2011 movie The Christmas Pageant. She then branched out in a new direction, signing on to compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2012. Partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Gilbert went up against television personality Sherri Shepherd,

During her teen years, Gilbert dated actors Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe. In 1988, she married actor and producer Bo Brinkman. They had one son, Dakota Paul (Cody), and later divorced. In 1995, she married actor Bruce Boxleitner. They had one son together, Michael Garrett, who was born in 1995 and named after the late actor Michael Landon. Gilbert filed for divorce from Boxleitner in 2011.

On April 24, 2013, Gilbert married 55-year-old actor Timothy Busfield, known for his role as Eliot Weston on TV's Thirtysomething. The couple reportedly wed in a private ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Busfield, who was married twice previously, has three children from past relationships.

205 Episodes of Little House On The Prairie
As Laura Ingalls


Biography courtesy of Bio Channel

Actress Karen Grassle was born on February 25, 1944, in Berkeley, California. For close to a decade, Karen Grassle was known to television audiences as the gentle, but strong pioneer wife and mother, Caroline Ingalls, on the hit show, Little House on the Prairie. After graduating high school, she attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied English and drama. She then went on to study at the famed Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

In 1968, Karen Grassle made her first appearance on the Broadway stage in the drama, The Gingham Dog. While the run of the play only lasted a few days, it led to other stage roles for her. Grassle appeared in the New York Shakespeare Festival's 1970 production of Cymbeline among other productions.

Karen Grassle made the move to television in the mid-1970s. Using the name Gabriel Tree at the time, she auditioned for a new television series about a pioneer family living on the American frontier in 1870s. It was based on the autobiographical books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She beat out more than 40 other actresses for the role of Caroline Ingalls. Michael Landon played her husband and Melissa Gilbert played her middle child Laura . Melissa Sue Anderson had the role of her oldest daughter, Mary, and the part of the youngest child, Carrie, was shared by twin sisters Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush. It has been said that Landon convinced Grassle to return to using her given name.

Little House on the Prairie debuted in the fall of 1974. While some critics found the show overly sweet and cloying, audiences loved it. They enjoyed watching the Ingalls as they struggled to overcome the challenges of pioneer life and interact with the other various residents of the fictional town of Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Grassle's character Caroline was the glue that held the family together, helping with the farming and looking after the girls. She and Landon left the series in 1982 and the show continued as Little House on the Prairie: A New Beginning, but it only lasted another year.

After leaving Little House, Karen Grassle made some television guest appearances, but she primarily returned to her theatrical roots. Returning to Broadway, she served as an understudy in Sweet Sue (1988), which starred Mary Tyler Moore and Lynn Redgrave. Grassle also worked behind the scenes, helping found the Resource Theatre Company in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Continuing to pursue her love of acting, she appeared in numerous regional and touring productions, including a 2007 tour of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Driving Miss Daisy.

Karen Grassle lives in Pacific Palisades, California, with her daughter Lily. Single, she previously had been married to Leon Russom, J. Allen Radford and Scott Sutherland.

183 Episodes Of Little House
As Caroline Ingalls

Opposite Michael Landon

Melissa Sue Anderson (born September 26, 1962 in Berkeley, California) is an American-Canadian actress. She began her career as a child actress. Anderson is known for her role as Mary Ingalls on the NBC drama series Little House on the Prairie. She is also known for her film roles; Vivian in Midnight Offerings, Ginny in the cult classic slasher Happy Birthday to Me, and Alex in the ABC Afterschool Special, Which Mother Is Mine?, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1979.

Her show business career began when a dance teacher urged her parents to find an agent for her. She began doing television commercials, and soon she was in demand for television roles. Her first came in a 1972 episode of Bewitched entitled "Tabitha's First Day Of School." A memorable early role of hers was of Millicent, a girl who kissed Bobby and induced him to see fireworks on The Brady Bunch.

At the age of eleven, Anderson landed the role of Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. Beating out hundreds of competitors for the role, she would go on to star on the show for eight seasons; beginning in 1974 and leaving after season seven, later appearing in two episodes of season eight in late 1981.

In 1976, Michael Landon asked Anderson if she would appear in his autobiographical film,The Loneliest Runner. Anderson agreed to play Nancy Rizzi, the first girlfriend of John Curtis (based on Landon and played by Lance Kerwin), saying she was very thrilled to have been asked. In 1977, she once again co-starred as the love interest opposite Lance Kerwin in the television film James at 15.
She was nominated for a 1978 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Leading Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Little House on the Prairie and won the Emmy Award for her performance in Which Mother Is Mine?, which aired as an ABC Afterschool Special in 1979. Also in 1979, she played the title role of Dana Lee Gilbert, a North Dakota transfer student to Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, California in CBS's TV movie Survival of Dana.

In 1980, Anderson earned a 'TP de Oro' Award (considered to be Spain's most prestigious award for television) for 'Best Foreign Actress' for her role Little House. This followed a successful visit to Spain in 1979 to appear as a guest on RTVE's program, 625 Lineas. In 1981, she earned a Young Artist Award nomination for her performance in the Canadian slasher film Happy Birthday to Me.[1] After leaving Little House, she continued acting in television shows like The Equalizer, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1980s), and Murder, She Wrote, and was the associate producer for the next to last TV project Michael Landon made before dying: Where Pigeons Go to Die (1990). In 1998, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In 2010 Anderson released her autobiography entitled The Way I See It - A Look Back at My Life on Little House. The book, which is primarily based on her life during her years as a child star on The Little House On The Prairie, sold poorly and contains behind the scenes-stories and anecdotes about the show itself, its stars, guest stars and crew members.

Anderson's first publicly known romance was with actor Lorenzo Lamas with whom she made an appearance in the television series The Love Boat in which two friends (Lorenzo and Melissa) resist the matchmaking efforts of their parents. After this short romance, she dated Frank Sinatra, Jr. in the late 1970s, who, at the time, was more than twice her age.

With husband Michael Sloan, Anderson has two children, daughter Piper (born February 1991) and son Griffin (born June 1996). She has lived in Montreal, Quebec, Canada since 2002. She and her husband became naturalized Canadians in 2007.

Methodically, Anderson takes the reader through each of the first seven seasons of the show (the seasons in which she appeared). She also tells about her pre and post Little House career and her side-projects during the Little House years. She is frank and open about her feelings about the projects in which she has been involved, and also writes about her personal life and how it was affected by her career.

163 Episodes Of Little House
As Mary Ingalls

There are close to five hundred biographies of the actors that appeared on Little House in this thread. The most frustrating research that I have done is that of Jonathon Gilbert. There is simply nothing available on Jonathon as to his whereabouts or well being. Here is wishing that he is doing well wherever he may be............................

Jonathon Gilbert, born April 28th,1967,  is best known for his performance as Willie Oleson on the NBC TV series, Little House on the Prairie, from 1974 to 1983. He is the adopted son of actors Barbara Crane (née Barbara Cowan) and Paul Gilbert and the adopted brother of Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder on the series. Barbara divorced Paul Gilbert, who died in 1976. Barbara then married Harold Abeles, and together they had Sara Abeles, who changed her name to Sara Gilbert, even though she has no blood relation to Melissa Gilbert's adopted father Paul Gilbert, who died one year and two weeks after she was born. Jonathan is also one of only six actors on Little House on the Prairie to appear throughout the entire series (from season one to the TV movie sequels), the others being: Melissa Gilbert, Katherine MacGregor, Richard Bull, Kevin Hagen,and Dabbs Greer.

In Melissa Gilbert's autobiography "Prairie Tale," she writes that when Jonathan was in his early 20s, he moved away from California and she has had no relationship with him since then, for reasons supposedly unknown to her. She writes that he's a stockbroker living in New York.

The Miracle Worker (TV Movie) - 1979
Jimmy

Appeared in 140 Episodes of Little House
and Three Little House Television Movies

Barbara Townsend , born in August of 1913 in Oakland, California was the actress who in 1990 appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation, playing Admiral Connaught Rossa in the fourth season episode "Suddenly Human". She was an actress on television since that medium's golden age. Her first television appearance was in 1949 on the Chevrolet tele-Theatre.

Townsend's earliest TV work, like many of her contemporaries, were various live anthology programs during the late 1940s and early 1950s. in 1957, she worked alongside future Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy in an episode of the crime series Highway Patrol. She took a break from television during the 1960s, during which she performed in at least one Broadway production, Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tatoo, in 1966. She returned to television in 1977 for a small part in an episode of The Streets of San Francisco, also featuring Phillip Richard Allen and Gary Lockwood. She then went on to make frequent TV appearances during the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1981, she was seen in an episode of Walking Tall along with fellow Trek alumni Richard Herd and Gail Strickland. She subsequently appeared on such shows as Little House on the Prairie (in an episode with Stan Ivar), Remington Steele (with Gary Graham), Knight Rider (with Jeffrey Alan Chandler and Brian Thompson),Mr. Belvedere (with James Gregory), St. Elsewhere (starring Ed Begley, Jr., Ronny Cox, Norman Lloyd, France Nuyen, and Jennifer Savidge), Civil Wars (with Susan Diol, Gregg Henry, Norman Large, Susanna Thompson, and Herta Ware), and Northern Exposure (with Bibi Besch). She also guest-starred on Quantum Leap, the hit science fiction time travel series starring future Star Trek: Enterprise actors Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell, while her two appearances on Murder, She Wrote saw her working with the likes of Ray Buktenica, Christopher Neame, Lawrence Pressman, Eugene Roche, Madlyn Rhue, and William Windom. In addition, she had a supporting role in the 1990 Steven Seagal action film Hard to Kill, co-starring William Sadler) and also appeared in the 1991 film One Good Cop with Kevin Conway and Tony Plana.

Perhaps most notably, Townsend starred as Mildred Potter on the short-lived AfterMASH. The series, a sequel to the highly-successful M*A*S*H, also starred Rosalind Chao and Wendy Schaal and aired on CBS from 1983 through 1984. Townsend departed after the first season, which lasted 21 episodes. The second season, however, lasted only nine episodes before the show was canceled. This was Townsend's only regular role.

Miss Townsend appeared in one episode of Highway To Heaven in 1985 as Ella McCulloch in “The Monster”.

She passed away in her birthplace of Arlington, Virginia, at the age of 88 in January of 2002.


One Episode of Little House
“May I Have This Dance” – Mrs. Mae Flannery – 1983
She Gave The House To Laura


Star Trek: The Next Generation

Strawberry the Monkey was an actress, known for Danger Bay (1984) and Little House on the Prairie (1983). She played the lead role in one of the most unforgettable episodes in Little House History.

Strawberry as Blanche in
"For The Love Of Blanche" - 1983

Her Only Other Role Was In "Danger Bay" in 1984
In The Episode "A Place For Ponga"

Don Michaelson was born on July 10, 1922 in Humboldt, Iowa, USA. He is known for his work on Space Cowboys (2000), Slackers (2002) and Resurrection (1980). He was married to Murielle McGovern and Solveig Rosella Endahl.

His credits included Slackers in 2002, Space Cowboys in 2000, Tales From The Crypt in 1992, Resurrection in 1980. He was a military advisor in the movie Deadly Prey in 1987.

He died at the age of 81 on December 19, 2003 in Vista, California, USA.

He Was On One Episode Of Little House
As Mr. Paine in 1983.  The curator of the
Zoo that took Blanche in.

Kay Howell, birthdate unknown, was an actress from 1978 through 1983. Her first appearance was on Emergency in 1979. She followed that with roles in Dallas, CHiPs, and a TV Movie – Mark Twain: Beneath The Laughter. Her last acting appearances were on Little House On The Prairie in 3 separate roles from 1980 through 1983.

Anita Dangler was born on September 26, 1922 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for General Hospital (1963), The Fisher King (1991) and The Goodbye Girl (1977). She was married to Michael Prince. She died on March 4, 2000 in Los Angeles, California, USA., a month after her husband’s death.

She appeared in over 45 productions, mostly television from 1960 through 1999. They included Columbo, Route 66, General Hospital, Dr. Kildare, The movie Hospital , Picket Fences, ER, The Waltons, Eight is Enough and Barney Miller.

Also a fairly prolific stage actor:
(1956). Stage Play: Affair of Honor.
(1960). Stage Play: The Hostage
(1965). Stage Play: You Can't Take It With You.
(1966). Stage Play: The School for Scandal.
(1966). Stage Play: Right You Are If You Think You Are
(1967). Stage Play: You Can't Take It With You (Revival).
(1972). Stage Play: The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild. Comedy.
(1973). Stage Play: Cyrano. Musical.
(1975). Stage Play: Trelawny of the "Wells." Comedy
(1980). Stage Play: The Man Who Came to Dinner. Comedy
(1986). Stage Play: The Front Page. Comedy

One Episode of Little House
Miss Rachel Peel – Whisper Country - 1978

Lindsay Greenbush, was born Rachel Lindsay Rene Bush the elder sister of, identical twin sister Sidney Robyn Denae Bush (was born three minutes later) on May 25, 1970 in Hollywood, California. Their father, Billy Bush is an actor who starred in films such as "Five Easy Pieces" (1970), "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1974), and "Jason Goes To Hell" (1993) he was billed as Billy Green Bush in those films. They have a brother Clay, he was seen occasionally on Little House on the Prairie. They also had a mother Carole Kay Bush.

Lindsay and Sidney, had their first break sharing the role of Jill Hayden, in the 1973 television film "Sunshine" with Cliff DeYoung. After the film wrapped, Michael Landon was casting for his series called "Little House on the Prairie" (Based on the series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder). The producer of Sunshine recommended the twins, for the role of the youngest daughter Carrie Ingalls. Finally, Landon met them, and signed them immediately.

On March 30, 1974 the pilot of Little House premiered on NBC and, it was a hit. The twins, were billed as Lindsay Sidney Green Bush. Six months after the success of the pilot, it had turned into a weekly series. The series premiered on September 11, 1974, and it was a hit as well. In the series, they are billed as Lindsay Sidney Greenbush. After the first season, it ended at #13 in the raitings. In its second season, the show was in danger of getting the axe because, it slipped out of the top 30. NBC, came up with the result to save the show, it was moved from Wednesday to Monday nights. When the third season started, the show had survived, and that season ended at #16.

The Carrie character, was limited and fans of the series wanted to see more of her. On December 18, 1978 the fans' wish came true: they get to see the twins along side in an episode called "The Godsister". While heartsick Carrie, feels lonely after her Pa went away to work for a month. Carrie, creates an imaginary friend Alyssa, to heal her heartache. The twins, switched roles for those characters as well. From seasons 4-7, the show was hovering inside the top 20.

During the shows success, the twins (along with co-stars Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson) built a fan base across the country. During the shows eighth season, the twins were getting tired of playing the same role repeatedly also, the series was showing a decline in the ratings. After the season ended, the show ended at #25 and, the twins decided to call it quits, after eight seasons as Carrie Ingalls.

The Ninth season, the show was re-tooled as "Little House: A New Beginning". The twins' absence was explained, that the Ingalls (except Laura) family moved to Burr Oak, Iowa to build a much better life. The fans of the twins and their co-stars have ignored, "A New Beginning" and the show was canceled several months later.

After their departure from Little House in 1982, the twins went through difficult times finding roles that are suitable. Lindsay, guest starred in Matt Houston in 1983. She portrayed an abused victim. Lindsay, went to audition for the part of Dorothy Gale in "Return To Oz". Unfortunately, the producers passed on her because, she was considered too old. Sidney, starred as Amy McVickers on "Hillie and Hambone" in 1984 with the late Alan Hale.

Outside Little House, the twins appeared in magazines, commercials, etc. In 1978, the twins wrote to Amy Carter, whose father was president at the time. Carter wrote back to them and, it shows that they wanted to invite them to the White House, and off they went. Amy told them, that Little House was her favorite show so, the twins gave her a gift and it has the shot, of the cast.

With no parts and auditions, the twins retired from the acting business. They decided, to continue with their High School studies and, graduated in 1988 at Santa Monica High School.

Lindsay, has one daughter.

183 Episodes of Little House

Allison Balson (born November 19, 1969) is an American actress, who is also a published singer and songwriter. Her best-known role was that of Nancy Oleson on the Little House on the Prairie series which she held between 1981 and 1983. She graduated valedictorian from her high school and went on to receive a Bachelor's Degree from Princeton University and a Master's Degree from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

In 1987 Allison's song "I Wonder" was featured in the soundtrack for Legend of the White Horse (CBS/Warner Bros.). In 2005 Allison recorded and released a limited-edition CD. In 2008 she collaborated on writing, producing, engineering, and performing a full-length album through the label Organic Time Records as the duo Allison & Stone. In 2012, Allison began hosting and producing the radio show Music Scene Live, which brings original music of singer/songwriters in "live" performance and candid dialogue in front of a "live" audience.

Her Credits Include:
2013: Broken Blood
• 2010: Stanley Debrock
• 2007: TV Land Myths and Legends
• 1987: Best Seller
• 1987: The Legend of the White Horse
• 1982: Goldie and Kids: Listen to Us (TV)
• 1981–1983: Little House on the Prairie
• 1981: Looker
• 1981: CHiPs (guest-appearance)
• 1981: Quincy M.E. (guest-appearance)
• 1980: The Hearse
• 1980: The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts
• 1978: A Guide for the Married Woman (TV)

33 Episodes of Little House Plus the Three TV Movies
As Nancy Oleson

Wendi Lou Turnbaugh and Brenda Lea Turnbaugh (born August 13, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) Identical twins from San Fernando Valley, California.

From 1978 to 1982, they shared the role of little Grace Ingalls on the well-known TV series Little House on the Prairie. After Little House on the Prairie, the twins appeared in one commercial and did some auditions but eventually gave up the idea of acting for good.

The twins landed the role of Grace from the friendship of their grandparents (Gordon and Lou Swenson) with "Little House" casting director, Susan McCray and Producer, Kent McCray.

Wendi and Brenda played baby Grace from 1978-1982 (seasons 5-8; the newborn Grace at the very end of season 4, was "played" by some unknown baby/babies). At first, they were uncredited. They got their credits for the first time in the Thanksgiving special "The Little House Years" in 1979. In the regular show, they were credited since 1981 (season 8).

Although the show was canceled over 30 years ago, Wendi and Brenda still speak about Little House and Baby Grace through speaking engagements, called "Memories Of Grace." They attend Little House reunions with their former co-stars by chatting with fans, and signing autographs, even getting photos taken with fans.

Brenda and Wendi Turnbaugh both went to Paso Robles High School. Wendi then went on to study psychology at Biola University, but today she is working as a web designer. Brenda has a teaching credential to work as a history teacher for High School, as well as the masters degree which allows her teach at the community college level.

The sisters have two other ones - Michelle is older and Heidi, younger. Their mother's name is Jackie and at the time they were acting, she worked as a waitress to support the family. Nowadays, both twins are happily married, but still live very close to each other. They are devout Christians.

Brenda's husband is Adam Weatherby (who is a youth pastor) and they have two children; Conner (born 2002) and Dana (born 2003). The couple got married in 1996.

Since 1999, Wendi has been married to Joshua Lee and the couple also has two kids - a daughter, Reagen Grace (born on November 27, 2006) and Tobey (born c. 2005).

60 Episodes Of Little House
As Grace Ingalls

Dean Butler (born May 20, 1956, in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada) is an American movie and television actor and producer of entertainment, sports and documentary programming.
Raised in Piedmont, California, he studied Communication Arts at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

His career as an actor started with a small part on the TV series The Streets of San Francisco. His first major role was in the 1978 TV movie Forever, based on Judy Blume’s novel of the same title.
Butler is best known for his portrayal of Almanzo Wilder on the NBC family drama Little House on the Prairie, which was based on the classic Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. After Little House he played Jeff "Moondoggie" Griffin in the TV series The New Gidget and Buffy’s dad, Hank Summers, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

During the 1980s and 1990s Butler was a guest star on TV series including Murder, She Wrote, Who's the Boss?, The Love Boat and JAG. He co-starred with the late Gary Coleman in The Kid with the 200 I.Q.. On the big screen Butler starred in Desert Hearts and later in The Final Goal.

On the stage Dean performed in the shows of Stephen Sondheim. He appeared on Broadway in the original company of Into the Woods as Rapunzel's Prince, internationally as Tony in West Side Story and regionally in Company.

Today Butler works largely behind the camera producing entertainment, sports, and documentary programming for broadcast, DVD bonus content and web content that has earned him Telly and Aurora Awards. Butler produces Feherty for Golf Channel starring David Feherty. He is also a West Coast correspondent for Broadway World, a provider of web content about the performing arts.

Butler has produced nearly five hours of bonus features for Little House on the Prairie DVD collections and two documentaries, Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy Of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura.

Butler is married to actress Katherine Cannon, who played Felice Martin on the television series Beverly Hills 90210. They met when Cannon successfully auditioned for the female lead in the Michael Landon series, Father Murphy. They live in Los Angeles, California.

65 Episodes of Little House
Plus The Three TV Movies
As Almanzo Wilder