‘Little House on the Prairie’ Star Alison Arngrim on How Role as Nellie Saved Her

While many fans of Little House on the Prairie absolutely hated “Nasty” Nellie Oleson (I know I couldn’t stand the character!), the bratty rival to its star Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert), Alison Arngrim didn’t usually mind playing the bully. In fact, she says that it may have saved her from a horrible childhood and problems later in life. She admitted that playing a mean girl allowed her to yell and fight and get out feelings that were plaguing her in her younger years.