Fun Facts About ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Star Melissa Gilbert
While Melissa Gilbert is best known for playing Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie as a child and teen, her career has gone on for decades. Even before Little House, she began acting at the age of 5 when she appeared in a commercial for Alpo dog food. Today she celebrates her 60th birthday (May 8, 2024) so let’s celebrate her and learn some fun facts about her life and career!
She was adopted into a Hollywood family
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Gilbert’s parents were both actors. Paul Gilbert and Barbara Crane adopted her when she was just one day old. They later adopted a son named Jonathan, who also appeared on Little House on the Prairie. Her sister is actor Sara Gilbert.
She was the President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
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Gilbert is not just an actor but has been a director, producer and served as the President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for four years starting in 2001.
She ran for Congress
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In 2016, Gilbert hoped to gain the Democrat seat in the House of Representatives for Michigan but had to drop out of the race due to health issues. She had injuries to her head and neck from an accident in 2012 which eventually needed surgery.
She wrote an autobiography
Amazon
In 2009, Gilbert gave a glimpse into her life, specifically her time on Little House in a memoir called Prairie Tale. Pick up your own copy on Amazon. She has also written several children’s books.
She appeared in several reality television shows
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Gilbert has appeared in Dancing with the Stars(she came in fifth place!), The Celebrity Apprentice and Celebrity Ghost Stories.
She is the voice of an iconic comic book character
Gilbert is the voice of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the 1990s version of Batman: The Animated Series.
She played Ma Ingalls in a stage show of ‘Little House’
After playing Laura Ingalls for years, when she was older she got the chance to play Caroline “Ma” Ingalls in a stage show. However, her doctor discovered that she had been working on the show with a broken back for months and had to leave to get surgery.
Her latest endeavor is called Modern Prairie
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These days, Gilbert lives a simple life in rural New York with her husband Timothy Busfield. She recently launched a business called Modern Prairie where she aims to connect women and sells clothing and lifestyle items. Check out everything on her website.
Remind 
1970s Fall TV
September 2023
Take a trip back to the ’70s by looking at the TV Guide Magazine Fall Preview primetime lineups.
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